Alan Edwards wrote:


I've been building a fly-tying bench, and I'm down to the finishing touches.
I need to do three similar things that I think probably require a router,
and I wanted advice on what sort of router, what sort of bits, and how best
to go about it. The first thing I'd like to do is cut "trays" in the
desktop portion of the bench, which amount to dug out portions akin to
pencil grooves you sometimes see in a wooden desktop. Unlike pencil
grooves, I need them to be wide (about 2-3 inches). I'd also like some
shallow cylindrical trays, also about 2-3 inches in diameter, for holding
bottles, finished flies, and other miscellaneous items. The other thing I
need is some tapered holes for placing small tools in. I've attached a
picture of a bench that features everything I've mentioned. My main concern
is getting the tray features cut. I know you could easily bore an accurate
circular whole equal to the diameter of the bit, but how could you make a
nice, even circle quite a bit larger than the bit?

First of all, a bit of friendly advice: Posting jpegs to newsgroups
is frowned upon. It's better to provide a link to a picture, or put the
picture on a newsgroup that's specifically intended for binaries.

Secondly, I'm not a guy who uses his routah very much, but I'd think
what you're trying to do could be accomplished best with templates (and
probably a bowl/dish bit).

Thirdly, I can understand you wanting to make your own tying bench.
When I got back into ff'ing, that was one of the first things I did.
I took a bunch of ideas from various places and combined them into what
I hoped would by my "ultimate" tying station. Of course, I was wrong
about that, but it's a joy to have a nice-looking, functional bench for
tying.

FWIW, here's a couple of links to pics of my tying station:

http://uweb.txstate.edu/~cv01/flystation01.jpg

http://uweb.txstate.edu/~cv01/flystation04.jpg


Chuck Vance

I had a task to make a serving tray with somewhat similar attributes.
Half circle in the center with several smaller circle cutouts around
the edge. I made a template with 1/2" Baltic Birch and routed out the
depressions. Cut felt to fit and glued it in. I used a straight bit
so had 90° edges but could have used a bit with rounded cutters as
well. Got scraps?

On Mon, 31 Jan 2005 07:44:06 -0600, Conan the Librarian
wrote:

Alan Edwards wrote:


I've been building a fly-tying bench, and I'm down to the finishing touches.
I need to do three similar things that I think probably require a router,
and I wanted advice on what sort of router, what sort of bits, and how best
to go about it. The first thing I'd like to do is cut "trays" in the
desktop portion of the bench, which amount to dug out portions akin to
pencil grooves you sometimes see in a wooden desktop. Unlike pencil
grooves, I need them to be wide (about 2-3 inches). I'd also like some
shallow cylindrical trays, also about 2-3 inches in diameter, for holding
bottles, finished flies, and other miscellaneous items. The other thing I
need is some tapered holes for placing small tools in. I've attached a
picture of a bench that features everything I've mentioned. My main concern
is getting the tray features cut. I know you could easily bore an accurate
circular whole equal to the diameter of the bit, but how could you make a
nice, even circle quite a bit larger than the bit?

First of all, a bit of friendly advice: Posting jpegs to newsgroups
is frowned upon. It's better to provide a link to a picture, or put the
picture on a newsgroup that's specifically intended for binaries.

Secondly, I'm not a guy who uses his routah very much, but I'd think
what you're trying to do could be accomplished best with templates (and
probably a bowl/dish bit).

Thirdly, I can understand you wanting to make your own tying bench.
When I got back into ff'ing, that was one of the first things I did.
I took a bunch of ideas from various places and combined them into what
I hoped would by my "ultimate" tying station. Of course, I was wrong
about that, but it's a joy to have a nice-looking, functional bench for
tying.

FWIW, here's a couple of links to pics of my tying station:

http://uweb.txstate.edu/~cv01/flystation01.jpg

http://uweb.txstate.edu/~cv01/flystation04.jpg


Chuck Vance

I drilled a hole in the back of my bench to mount a swing-arm desk
light with a magnifying lense. Light was dirt cheap and it works
great.

Thanks, good advice and a beautiful bench. That definitely gives me some
ideas to aspire to. I have yet to try to build out of anything other than
pine, as I wanted to get some basic proficiency so I wouldn't just be
ruining a lot of pretty wood. I really would've preferred a hardwood for my
bench, but I figure that can be a later project when I'm able to do
something really nice. Your bench brings up another question - what did you
use for the brass thread holders? I bought a couple of cheap brass picture
stands today with the intent of getting the bolt cutters after them, but I'm
skeptical as to how it's going to look on the bench. Also, are the trim
pieces that surround your head cement and hackle pliers tacked/screwed or
simply glued?

I think we're probably on the same page motivation-wise. Aside from the
benches on the market being pricey and not quite what I wanted, I really
just can't help but want the flies I tie to be tied on a bench that I built.
I know it will be lacking, but I also know I'll also get a kick out of it
for years, or at least until I get ready to build a new one.

Are you a Texas State student? I recently graduated from UNT, so we're kind
of in the same neck of the woods, by internet standards.

Regards,
Alan

"Conan the Librarian" wrote in message
...
Alan Edwards wrote:


I've been building a fly-tying bench, and I'm down to the finishing
touches. I need to do three similar things that I think probably require
a router, and I wanted advice on what sort of router, what sort of bits,
and how best to go about it. The first thing I'd like to do is cut
"trays" in the desktop portion of the bench, which amount to dug out
portions akin to pencil grooves you sometimes see in a wooden desktop.
Unlike pencil grooves, I need them to be wide (about 2-3 inches). I'd
also like some shallow cylindrical trays, also about 2-3 inches in
diameter, for holding bottles, finished flies, and other miscellaneous
items. The other thing I need is some tapered holes for placing small
tools in. I've attached a picture of a bench that features everything
I've mentioned. My main concern is getting the tray features cut. I
know you could easily bore an accurate circular whole equal to the
diameter of the bit, but how could you make a nice, even circle quite a
bit larger than the bit?

First of all, a bit of friendly advice: Posting jpegs to newsgroups is
frowned upon. It's better to provide a link to a picture, or put the
picture on a newsgroup that's specifically intended for binaries.

Secondly, I'm not a guy who uses his routah very much, but I'd think
what you're trying to do could be accomplished best with templates (and
probably a bowl/dish bit).

Thirdly, I can understand you wanting to make your own tying bench.
When I got back into ff'ing, that was one of the first things I did. I
took a bunch of ideas from various places and combined them into what I
hoped would by my "ultimate" tying station. Of course, I was wrong about
that, but it's a joy to have a nice-looking, functional bench for tying.

FWIW, here's a couple of links to pics of my tying station:

http://uweb.txstate.edu/~cv01/flystation01.jpg

http://uweb.txstate.edu/~cv01/flystation04.jpg


Chuck Vance

I'd had something kind of like a template in mind, but how do you keep the
router from just routing into the template?

Alan

"Bob Bowles" wrote in message
...
I had a task to make a serving tray with somewhat similar attributes.
Half circle in the center with several smaller circle cutouts around
the edge. I made a template with 1/2" Baltic Birch and routed out the
depressions. Cut felt to fit and glued it in. I used a straight bit
so had 90° edges but could have used a bit with rounded cutters as
well. Got scraps?

On Mon, 31 Jan 2005 07:44:06 -0600, Conan the Librarian
wrote:

Alan Edwards wrote:


I've been building a fly-tying bench, and I'm down to the finishing
touches.
I need to do three similar things that I think probably require a
router,
and I wanted advice on what sort of router, what sort of bits, and how
best
to go about it. The first thing I'd like to do is cut "trays" in the
desktop portion of the bench, which amount to dug out portions akin to
pencil grooves you sometimes see in a wooden desktop. Unlike pencil
grooves, I need them to be wide (about 2-3 inches). I'd also like some
shallow cylindrical trays, also about 2-3 inches in diameter, for
holding
bottles, finished flies, and other miscellaneous items. The other thing
I
need is some tapered holes for placing small tools in. I've attached a
picture of a bench that features everything I've mentioned. My main
concern
is getting the tray features cut. I know you could easily bore an
accurate
circular whole equal to the diameter of the bit, but how could you make
a
nice, even circle quite a bit larger than the bit?

First of all, a bit of friendly advice: Posting jpegs to newsgroups
is frowned upon. It's better to provide a link to a picture, or put the
picture on a newsgroup that's specifically intended for binaries.

Secondly, I'm not a guy who uses his routah very much, but I'd think
what you're trying to do could be accomplished best with templates (and
probably a bowl/dish bit).

Thirdly, I can understand you wanting to make your own tying bench.
When I got back into ff'ing, that was one of the first things I did.
I took a bunch of ideas from various places and combined them into what
I hoped would by my "ultimate" tying station. Of course, I was wrong
about that, but it's a joy to have a nice-looking, functional bench for
tying.

FWIW, here's a couple of links to pics of my tying station:

http://uweb.txstate.edu/~cv01/flystation01.jpg

http://uweb.txstate.edu/~cv01/flystation04.jpg


Chuck Vance

Guide that shields the router bit and follows the shape of the
template. If shallows are all same depth there also are router bits
with top mounted bearings that follow the template.

On Mon, 31 Jan 2005 22:49:16 -0600, "Alan Edwards"
wrote:

I'd had something kind of like a template in mind, but how do you keep the
router from just routing into the template?

Alan

Alan Edwards wrote:
Thanks, good advice and a beautiful bench. That definitely gives me
some
ideas to aspire to. I have yet to try to build out of anything other
than
pine, as I wanted to get some basic proficiency so I wouldn't just be

ruining a lot of pretty wood. I really would've preferred a hardwood
for my
bench, but I figure that can be a later project when I'm able to do
something really nice. Your bench brings up another question - what
did you
use for the brass thread holders? I bought a couple of cheap brass
picture
stands today with the intent of getting the bolt cutters after them,
but I'm
skeptical as to how it's going to look on the bench.

I just bought brass rod from the hardware, cut them with a hacksaw
and rounded off the sharp edges with a file. They fit in a hole
drilled in the back ledge and corresponding holes drilled in a poplar
insert that is a friction fit between the sides and hidden by a 1/4"
plywood back.

I don't remember the diameter of the rod (3/16"?); I just sized them
to the diameter of the holes in the spools.

Also, are the trim
pieces that surround your head cement and hackle pliers
tacked/screwed or
simply glued?

They are joined with small mortise and tenon joints, and fit into
mortises cut into the sycamore back.

I think we're probably on the same page motivation-wise. Aside from
the
benches on the market being pricey and not quite what I wanted, I
really
just can't help but want the flies I tie to be tied on a bench that I
built.
I know it will be lacking, but I also know I'll also get a kick out
of it
for years, or at least until I get ready to build a new one.

There's certainly nothing wrong with that approach. I took a
similar approach when building my woodworking bench; figured I'd make
something serviceable and build my "ultimate" later. That was about
four years ago.

With my flytying station I tried to do my "ultimate" from the start.
I took ideas from all the benches/stations I found on the net and
combined them into something I thought would fit my style/needs.

Of course, in retrospect, there are several things that I would have
done differently (especially the storage area; I need at least a couple
of drawers). But it works and it's handy to be able to drag it over to
my ww'ing bench with a minimum of fuss when I want to tie.

Are you a Texas State student? I recently graduated from UNT, so
we're kind
of in the same neck of the woods, by internet standards.

I'm a librarian at Texas State during the day. And an aspiring
wooddorker and flyfisher/tier at night.


Chuck Vance