Restoring an old fly tiers box

Mike N · Post by **Mike N** » Tue Mar 21, 2023 9:59 am

I picked up an old watch parts box at FATC St.Augustine that had been neatly converted to a fly tiers box with capped glass tubes and a rustic red interior. The top was badly scarred from someone removing a glued on name plaque of some sort. But it had character so I brought it home and restored it. Here are the before and after photos:

oldsaltnfla · Post by **oldsaltnfla** » Tue Mar 21, 2023 11:20 am

Nice job! Great find.
Joe

reelsmith. · Post by **reelsmith.** » Tue Mar 21, 2023 4:01 pm

.
Nice work, Mike !

Dean.

Frankpierson67 · Post by **Frankpierson67** » Wed Mar 22, 2023 11:49 am

Very nicely done!
That's a thing of beauty.

Richard Lodge · Post by **Richard Lodge** » Wed Mar 22, 2023 1:48 pm

Really well done, Mike! An excellent display case with samples now. thanks for sharing.
Richard

kyreels · Post by **kyreels** » Thu Mar 23, 2023 10:40 am

Great piece Mike. Here is my fly rod bait box from Arthur Hayley of Louisville, KY. He made the Fly Rod Tad lure and the Hayley's Jumper among other fly rod lures in the mid 1930's. This box had a handle on the top which was lost when I got it. I thought about putting an inscribed brass plate on the top where the handle was, but I thought better of it later. I may find a period handle someday. Among the items in this box are many small bottles of metal colored powder, which he built a tool to enable him to blow the powder into the base paint and create a signature iridescent finish on the lures. He also had built many of his fly tying tools from wire and metal. Lots of cool pieces in this box.

Mike N · Post by **Mike N** » Thu Mar 23, 2023 10:59 am

Wow, Matt, very nice!

Mike

Paul Roberts · Post by **Paul Roberts** » Thu Mar 23, 2023 7:59 pm

Wow. Wonderful boxes. I’m a box lover too.

Mike, is your box lacquered? Ebony stained? Lovely job.

Mike N · Post by **Mike N** » Thu Mar 23, 2023 10:33 pm

Paul Roberts wrote: ↑Thu Mar 23, 2023 7:59 pm Wow. Wonderful boxes. I’m a box lover too.

Mike, is your box lacquered? Ebony stained? Lovely job.

Gloss black lacquer spray. I had to use 4 coats to cover the wood filler properly (the gouges were deep). I didn’t want it perfectly flat so I left a little of its prior scar. I did buff one coat of furniture beeswax on the finished exterior.

I removed each tiny glass tube and any fly and wiped it inside and out with windex using a q-tip.I liked the old red patina wood slots inside so I just sprayed each interior drawer with orange oil. I used metal polish on the name plate and 4 brass knobs.

Mike N · Post by **Mike N** » Thu Mar 23, 2023 11:13 pm

I picked up this Montague Rod & Reel Co. counter display box on Angling Marketplace a month ago. The thin glass had a crack and my local Ace Hardware store replaced it with a scrap piece of plexiglass for the princely sum of $1. I filled it with some ferrules, agate line guides and other bits and pieces I had laying about, including some tiny pen knives.

Paul Roberts · Post by **Paul Roberts** » Fri Mar 24, 2023 4:59 pm

Fun, and beautiful, odd and ends box.

Post by **john elder** » Sat Mar 25, 2023 7:29 pm

Love all those boxes! So rewarding to bring things like that back to life,,.. great job!

Restoring an old fly tiers box

Restoring an old fly tiers box

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