First Post - Need Help

[Bears Den]

Hi Guys/Gals -- I am from the US and I have admired some of my overseas brethren woodworking for some time now so I figure why not join an overseas ForuM! I am a moderatly advanced woodworker and I build benches for fly tiers and flyfishermen. I have a recent project that i am a bit stumped on. I have no formal training and am all self taught. Would anyone be interested in helping me with my design? I really want to make it look nice and would love the opinion of an expert!!
Thanks

[rodm]

Hi Bear
Welcome to the forum. Perhaps if you post a couple of pictures of what you have made already I'm sure there will be plenty of comment.

[Bears Den]

I can post a picture of what I am conceptualizing. Maybe that will help. I have yet to build it and I am looking to make it perfect.
Thanks

[Bears Den]

I should give a few details. The bench is for storing equipment and supplies for a fly tier. The construction will be made from furniture grade plywood. The containers on te left are plastic and the drawers on the right are wood. The front portion should fold up in the front to make this an enclosed box for traveling and storage. Hope this helps. My problem is making the front close up - have it look nice and have drawer pulls on the front of drawers that wont get in the way.
Thanks

[Arron]

Bear mate, I love your design. I have been sitting here trying to fault it for a while but cant find anything I dont like.

I wish I had of had something like this when I was fly tying. Now the last 2 years of drought has pretty much wiped all our trout out so I dont need one anyway.

As for the drawer pulls, I would use just a hole in the front of each drawer into which you can hook a finger to pull a drawer out. This will allow you to make the front very tight-fitting - which would be useful if this thing is to be carried on camping trips etc as the drawers will rattle around less. You could router a somewhat creative looking fingerhole so it doesnt look cheap.

I cant think of anything for the front except a brass mini piano-hinge, although I expect you have thought of that already.

Incidently, I guess if I was making a fly tying thing like this the three things I would want most are:
a white background behind the vice, as I tie better flies when I can see them clearly.
a one way container into which dangerous little things like broken hooks can be put never to come out again.
a built in container for rubbish (ends of threads, feathers, hackles etc) which always seemed to end up in the carpet.

cheers
Arron

[Bears Den]

Thanks so much Aaron - this is my first stab at an encloseable box. If you check out my website you will see that I have addressed all of those features in my other benches. I wish I could include my "Scrap Sweep" that I have on my other benches into this one, but it seems that this task will be too tough a call for me.

Thanks
Bears Den Woodshop (http://hometown.aol.com/bearsdenwoodshop/index.html)

[arose62]

This reminds me of a couple of toolbox designs I've seen...

If this was to be used while travelling, rather than used in semi-permanent position, then closed up, then unclosed at next semi-permanent position, I'd suggest two mods from toolboxes:

1) How about having the drop-down front slide horizontally under the bottom drawer?

This would let you work closer to the box (I'm imagining someone sitting this on their knees), rather than having to be 1 * Front-Height away from the box.

2) Have a work area/tray under the lid.

Now, I've never tied a fly in my life, (apart from one attempt to harness a blowie with a hair from a girl in my class at primary school), so feel free to ignore.

Cheers,
Andrew