Deer season is over (for me at least), the water is getting hard, the weather stinks here in Missouri (especially for those that have experienced flooding and my thoughts and prayers are with you), I don't have any plans (currently) to head to any trout streams down south, and it is going to be a while before I get to hit the woods to do some shed antler hunting. That means only one thing; it's time to grab some lumber (mostly scrap) and start slapping some woodworking projects together. Admittedly, I am not much of a carpenter so please don't take the following project as some sort of masterpiece or that I am some sort of Da Vinci with a table saw. I am not.
I like simplicity, appreciate functionality, and like to keep my hands busy during this time of year. The project featured in this post is a table-top workstation for tying flies. I have my own desk at home, but I decided to make this "bench" that will act as a grand prize for a contest I am having with some students that I tie flies with once a week. The kids have been tasked with the mission of creating a creative, functional, and well-constructed fly box for their own personal use. A panel of judges will grade them based on a set of criteria and the winner will receive this workstation. But I digress, here's what I did.
 |
| Step 1- Find a piece of wood that will be the base of your workstation. This will dictate the overall size and space that you will have to work with and work on when you are completed. You definitely want to put some thought and consideration into how much space you want to work on and how much space you want the station to take up. You might try putting the base on a kitchen table to give you a sense of scale. |
 |
| Step 2- Now that your base dimensions have been determined, it is time to get creative! I like to do a Google image search for other fly tying stations to get some ideas to include in my station. I have made a few of these in the past and this is by far my favorite configuration. I like to have a piece of wood in the back to keep things from falling off the back of the station and I like to have a section on each side that will eventually be elevated. These sections can be used to hold thread, mount vises, or even store tools vertically or horizontally. |
 |
| Step 3- again, I like simplicity. The back is attached to the base with two wood screws and then to the elevated sections with a screw for each section. In terms of the elevated sections, you will need to find a dowel rod that will be used to anchor the sections and a corresponding drill bit. If you have access to a drill press, it would be to your benefit to use it to drill the holes. Perfectly vertical holes make a BIG difference and make the overall piece look much better. After screwing the sections to the back, I use wood glue to on each end of each dowel to ensure security. |
 |
| Step 4- Remember when I said it was time to get creative? Well, it is that time again only this time the sky is the limit. Much like a car, the overall design is wildly important but if it doesn't have a good paint job and added little details then it is going to lack in overall beauty. I decided to give this table topper a coat of army green and I really liked how it turned out. I also added a rounded over piece of wood that will act as a book/paper holder to help the young tier that wins it. Finally, it looked a little bland so I added a window decal that I purchased a while back from The Fiberglass Manifesto. I wasn't sure if the sticker would adhere to the paint very well, but it sure did. Finally, I put some rubber feet on the bottom that I found at Home Depot so neither the kid nor I will get blamed for scratching up mom and dad's kitchen table. |
So there you have it. Simple, functional, and rewarding. Good luck if you decide to attempt this project and please send me a picture of your final product if you can. I would love to see your creative take on this workstation project and see what you come up with.
No comments:
Post a Comment