Recent additions/improvements you've made to your bench

flybill

Life of the Party
Couple other cool additions to the bench. My peg board was getting a little crowded so I decided to put some items on cable loops.

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Like with anything there are trade offs. Packages are not as easy to access as just being on pegs but I can fit a lot more in the same amount of space.
So my reel question is what time does your in home fly shop open Swimmy? I'll be out in MT sometime late summer, pick up Oldman Jim and we'll come shopping.. :ROFLMAO::D:cool:
 

Brute

Legend
Forum Supporter
Couple other cool additions to the bench. My peg board was getting a little crowded so I decided to put some items on cable loops.

View attachment 13913

View attachment 13914

Like with anything there are trade offs. Packages are not as easy to access as just being on pegs but I can fit a lot more in the same amount of space.
I'm showing my wife this...I'm done with storing everything into a couple bags after every tying session...
 

Zak

Legend
Forum Supporter
With the cable loops, I don't have to remove any to get to middle bags. Just flip them like a chain set, unscrew the split lock, and grab the one I need.

Pretty simple actually.
Nice system and great desk! Have you thought about cutting a small part of a bottom corner of each bag off? Then you could just tease out some dubbing without removing the bag from the ring.
 

Northern

Seeking SMB
Forum Supporter
Not as cool as the swim tank - I just have an old 5 gal aquarium - but I just spent 15 min showing/explaining to my husband what a dubbing brush is, how they're used, and how the brush device he gave me for my BDay yesterday will be useful. (I'm impressed, actually; I mentioned wanting one weeks ago, and he remembered, even not knowing what one was!)
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I do have an extra rotary vice sitting around, so I'm setting it up now!
 

Zak

Legend
Forum Supporter
Not as cool as the swim tank - I just have an old 5 gal aquarium - but I just spent 15 min showing/explaining to my husband what a dubbing brush is, how they're used, and how the brush device he gave me for my BDay yesterday will be useful. (I'm impressed, actually; I mentioned wanting one weeks ago, and he remembered, even not knowing what one was!)
View attachment 13962
I do have an extra rotary vice sitting around, so I'm setting it up now!
Happy birthday! 🍰
 

swimmy

An honest tune with a lingering lead
Nice system and great desk! Have you thought about cutting a small part of a bottom corner of each bag off? Then you could just tease out some dubbing without removing the bag from the ring.

That makes sense, especially for dubbing. Good idea.

I just spent 15 min showing/explaining to my husband what a dubbing brush is, how they're used, and how the brush device he gave me for my BDay yesterday will be useful. (I'm impressed, actually; I mentioned wanting one weeks ago, and he remembered, even not knowing what one was!)

Happy belated! Does your husband fish?

And I haven't gotten into making my own brushes. EP makes some cool stuff but at $10 a pop they can get a little spendy.

I did see MFC now has bunny brushes. Those look kind of cool.
 

mcswny

Legend
Forum Supporter
That makes sense, especially for dubbing. Good idea.



Happy belated! Does your husband fish?

And I haven't gotten into making my own brushes. EP makes some cool stuff but at $10 a pop they can get a little spendy.

I did see MFC now has bunny brushes. Those look kind of cool.
Yeah, I bought all the supplies I need to build a brush table for under the cost of one EP brush (I already have some spare nice cvg fur and some maple for it).

I just need to go ahead and finally build one.
 

Brute

Legend
Forum Supporter
Not as cool as the swim tank - I just have an old 5 gal aquarium - but I just spent 15 min showing/explaining to my husband what a dubbing brush is, how they're used, and how the brush device he gave me for my BDay yesterday will be useful. (I'm impressed, actually; I mentioned wanting one weeks ago, and he remembered, even not knowing what one was!)
View attachment 13962
I do have an extra rotary vice sitting around, so I'm setting it up now!
Happy belated birthday...
 

Northern

Seeking SMB
Forum Supporter
Happy belated! Does your husband fish?

And I haven't gotten into making my own brushes. EP makes some cool stuff but at $10 a pop they can get a little spendy.
Thanks!
No, he goes with me a couple times a year, but not really into it. More of a golf guy.

I like the EP Tarantula brushes, but can't always find the colors I want. Looking forward to making up my own versions!
 

Bob N

Steelhead
Not as cool as the swim tank - I just have an old 5 gal aquarium - but I just spent 15 min showing/explaining to my husband what a dubbing brush is, how they're used, and how the brush device he gave me for my BDay yesterday will be useful. (I'm impressed, actually; I mentioned wanting one weeks ago, and he remembered, even not knowing what one was!)
View attachment 13962
I do have an extra rotary vice sitting around, so I'm setting it up now!
I’ve got the Stonfo dubbing device. Great tool, I went through 8 others that were severely lacking. The only thing I added was the turbo clamp that goes in the vice. Makes making (gawd I hate this phrasing) dubbing loops fast and fun. I’ve made over 48 dozen brushes for fly orders and this really saves time.

I’ll get a shot up of the turbo unit as soon as I can.
 

James St. Clair

Life of the Party
Forum Supporter
Thanks!
No, he goes with me a couple times a year, but not really into it. More of a golf guy.

I like the EP Tarantula brushes, but can't always find the colors I want. Looking forward to making up my own versions!

You may already know this, but Fly Tyers Dungeon (just Google search that) has super cheap materials for making your own brushes. They have both Congo Hair and water silk, which are like EP fibers...Congo hair a little stiffer, water silk a little finer/limper. They also have the silicone rubber legs in various sizes, from super micro up to medium. And, I really like their Starburst fibers for flash accent.

Sorry for the thread drift. To keep on track, the biggest improvement to my fly tying desk is actually getting one, and a dedicated area to put it. This is upstairs in our bonus room that I share with the kids. The part where my vice is on folds up, so when the kids are having friends over I can keep everything cleaned up and out of sight so it doesn't get messed with. Added the floating shelves for easy thread and UV cure storage.
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Northern

Seeking SMB
Forum Supporter
You may already know this, but Fly Tyers Dungeon (just Google search that) has super cheap materials for making your own brushes
I do, and totally agree!
I've been using their stuff in dubbing loops, but I figure the device/table should allow me to increase the leg content while simultaneously decreasing the cursing content for each fly :p

Love those shelves with the edge rails. Nice.
 

Buzzy

I prefer to call them strike indicators.
Forum Supporter
My latest addition was me sitting in the chair and trying to go blind tying chironomids. The lure of 5lbers on #14 and #16 hooks keeps me going tho...
A compromise between the 14' and 16's? - size 15:
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Alec Jackson Covert Nymph (crystal), size 15. That's an "Ethyl Lake" special with wine ultrawire ribbing over ASB under wrapped with dark thread. Since "Ethyl" was a bust the last time, I was up there, I'm hoping that it fishes well again at one of Brian Chan's favorite lakes.

(Thread drift, again)
 
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Brute

Legend
Forum Supporter
Not as cool as the swim tank - I just have an old 5 gal aquarium - but I just spent 15 min showing/explaining to my husband what a dubbing brush is, how they're used, and how the brush device he gave me for my BDay yesterday will be useful. (I'm impressed, actually; I mentioned wanting one weeks ago, and he remembered, even not knowing what one was!)
View attachment 13962
I do have an extra rotary vice sitting around, so I'm setting it up now!
So…after owning this dubbing table setup for awhile now, how do you like it? I’m finally getting a permanent tying table (thank you wife)…and am looking into several dubbing brush options…
 

Norm Frechette

Googlemeister
Forum Supporter
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