[SERE Nate]

Right now I keep my materials in a 1x2x1 Tupperware container. I have a renzetti foam tool organizer that works well for my tools.

I'm getting ready to order a ton of materials ($300) and don't have anywhere to put everything. Outside of other Tupperware, what would some other good options be?

Also, I'm looking at purchasing everything that I'll need to tie up about 15 or so different patterns.

I'm looking into the fly tiers dungeon, any other suggestions to save money?. I'd like to order everything from one place. Was putting everything together on Amazon but most everything was non prime and shipping was killing me.

 

[dogsnfish]

To save shipping I would go to your local fly shop or spend your money with our sponsors. I use tupperware containers. You can start with one for feathers, one for fur, one for hooks, and expand as needed.

 

[SilverFly]

I'm probably the last person to be giving organization advice, of any kind, but I have made some improvements over the years. What I've gravitated towards are the clear plastic tackle organizers that have the removable inserts so you can adjust the size/shape/number of compartments. I remove the inserts to have full width compartments for stuff like synthetic hair, flash materials and other long-ish items.

These organizers being flat/rectangular stack well too. Also can't have too many dubbing dispensers which (in addition to dubbing) work great for chenille, estaz, lite brite,krystal hackle, and many other loose or string-like materials. Real fur and feathers can be a bit more difficult to store neatly so I also use plastic shoe boxes. I hate the smell of moth balls so I've been using scented vacuum cleaner "pearls" which smell like cedar and eucalyptus. The jury is still out on the repellant effects but so far so good.

There's more but that's a start.

 

[Nick Clayton]

Go to Walmart and grab one of those tall plastic drawer units. They are about 4' tall with a handful of drawers of various sizes. I have a couple of them and then a couple smaller ones for small items and they work well.

My house is tiny. 2 bedrooms one bath, 1100 square feet. As such my tying area is stuck in one small corner of our small living room. It's not ideal, but it works just fine. And this way I can still be out with the family while I'm tying flies and not locked away in a tying room.

 

[Jim F.]

Somehow this ended-up in the other Nate thread:

Back when I didn't have a dedicated tying room/location I stored tools & materials in rectangular snap-on-lid containers that I stored in a Rubbermaid-type tub. That soon became 2 big tubs. When I tied, I'd haul the tubs out & go to work. I kept hooks in stackable plastic organizers with slide-out drawers. Unfortunately, the few containers I have left are still in-use. Check the dollar store for inexpensive storage boxes; Walmart usually has good prices on tubs. Lowe's has plastic shoe boxes that are fairly cheap. I still keep my hackle necks in a tight-sealing larger rectangular storage container.

 

[Buzzy]

@SERE Nate - my comments are based on this and another of your posts about buying materials and only tying a certain number of flies.... first of all: good luck with that certain, limited number of flies. Perhaps you're very disciplined and can keep it that way. I doubt many of us are that well trained, disciplined. It's just too addictive to not try and tie something we see and read about as "the fly". I mean just this past week I've seen some really cool stuff from @SilverFly and @Nick Clayton. Innovative, creative, useful and undoubtedly fishy. So don't think you're going to limit your purchases (it would likely be more economical to buy flies - but where's the fun in that?).

I use something similar to what Nick posted plus I have totes and bins with 40 plus years of accumulation. I really don't like keeping all my thread out like Nick shows because I live in the desert, it is really dusty here and thread attracts dust; dust magnet and the dust does, in my not humble opinion, transfer to my ties. But I'm pretty much a 'git her done' tier, not the prettiest of ties. That said, I do have a small table top "bench" with dowels for thread that I keep handy. I stuff it in the closet when I'm not using it. The little cabinet on the left is something I store hooks, beads and a few other items in. The little bench is in the closet in the picture.

Do you have a good lamp?

Oh, @Old406Kid sent me a nifty youtube for a balanced leech. @Mike Ediger has been tying some awesome midges, @Dustin Bise posted some midges that I copied (after I went and bought more materials) and have caught fish on. @Methow shared a pattern with me yesterday that I'm trying to figure out how to tie (not sure about the head and eye construction but let's keep it on the down low).

Good luck keeping it minimal!

 

[Nick Clayton]

Buzzy speaks the truth here. Very solid advice.

 

[Old406Kid]

I have a crap load of stuff in the basement but rather than being in the cave use this to be in the same room as my wife.

It folds up, rolls, and easily stores in my closet when not in use.

 

[SERE Nate]

I have a crap load of stuff in the basement but rather than being in the cave use this to be in the same room as my wife.
View attachment 136837
View attachment 136840
It folds up, rolls, and easily stores in my closet when not in use.

That's awesome. Where did you get that?

 

[7919]

i keep all my stuff in a big box. take out what i need, put it in a small box. small box sits on my lap while i tie. its not ideal but it works fine.

 

[SERE Nate]

i keep all my stuff in a big box. take out what i need, put it in a small box. small box sits on my lap while i tie. its not ideal but it works fine.

That's what I'm doing now

 

[7919]

for what its worth here is my old humble tying table., i installed peg board on that wall and and hung most of my materials on hooks. i liked that setup. bigger stuff went in the dresser.

 

[Old406Kid]

That's awesome. Where did you get that?

Here it is in white. When I ordered they had white, woodgrain, and black.
https://www.overstock.com/Home-Gard...er-Sewing-Machine-Table/7317672/product.html?

 

[Jim F.]

The fold-away sewing machine table is pretty slick! When I first gravitated toward a more permanent tying bench, I picked-up a combo diaper changing table/dresser at a yard sale for $10. The top/table folds out & I installed caster wheels underneath. Now that I tie on a larger bench, the unit is used for storage & I use the fold-down table to stage materials for a tying session.

 

[Nick Clayton]

Jim brings up a great point, garage sales are a good source for finding cheap tying table/desk options as well as storage ideas.

 

[Squamishpoacher]

For spooled material, Flambeau makes an 18 compartment box in their Tuff Tainer Zerust series that nicely holds 18 spools although if you have sausage digits like me you'll need the tip of your bobbin needle of something to get a bite on the spool and lift it so you can get a better hold of it.

 

[Mikey_Mac]

I found a free roll top desk on craigslist. It worked great until my wife took it over. Now I'm trying to make my reloading bench a reloading/fly tying bench. Someday I'll be banished to a work shed in the back yard- not that I'd argue with that..

 

[GOTY]

If you live near a container store, they sell plastic 'shoe boxes' for like 50 cents each. I bought 20 of them and they stack nicely, hold all of my shit.

 

[Manwell Lotion]

If you live near a container store, they sell plastic 'shoe boxes' for like 50 cents each. I bought 20 of them and they stack nicely, hold all of my shit.

I saw them even cheaper at goodwill the other day when I dropped off a couple Rolex's.

 

[T.Money]

I found a free roll top desk on craigslist. It worked great until my wife took it over. Now I'm trying to make my reloading bench a reloading/fly tying bench. Someday I'll be banished to a work shed in the back yard- not that I'd argue with that..

The lady took my roll top also!!! Thought I was the only one, now I'm a troll in the basement and my old desk in our living room! lol