Gluing In Hook Hangers

[Lincoya]

I'm making my own hook hangers by twisting stainless steel wire. When it comes time to glue these hangers in the bait, I go and find something else to do. I hate, I mean, I HATE gluing these little suckers in place. I drill a slightly oversized hole, put some 5 minute epoxy on a toothpick and insert the toothpick in the hole to get a little epoxy in the hole. I, then, put some epoxy on my handmade hook hanger and insert the hanger into the hole. Does anyone have an easier, less messy way of doing this? I would greatly appreciate any suggestions.

Gene

[RayburnGuy]

If your dead set on using epoxy then you should try using a syringe Gene. The syringe I'm using is a 10cc syringe with an 18ga. needle. If you can find a larger one then use that. The 18 ga. was the largest my pharmacy had. Using the syringe has it's own pain in the butt moments which are all about cleaning the syringe and needle so it can be reused. When I was still using epoxy to glue my hook hangers in I used the 30 minute epoxy slightly thinned with DA. The main reason I used the 30 minute is so I didn't have to rush to clean the syringe out before it hardened. I drilled my holes only slightly larger than my hangers. Not a snug fit, but they didn't rattle around in the hole either. I would fill the hole with epoxy and then butter the hanger just as your doing. When filling the hole you want to be sure and stick the needle all the way to the bottom of the hole and then pull back slowly as it fills. This keeps any air bubbles from getting trapped in the epoxy. For cleanup I would just shoot some DA through the syringe. After a couple shots sprayed into the trash can I would stick the needle over into a small container of DA and work the plunger back and forth with the needle submerged in the DA. Sort of back flushing it. So far I haven't had a clog.

I didn't care for the cleaning process with the syringe and started using something suggested by Mark Poulson. He suggested using super glue and then spraying it with an accelerator. The super glue stays liquid in the hole for a long time, but as soon as you hit it with the accelerator it sets up faster than a minnow can swim a dipper. I still drill the same size hole and still butter the threads when doing it this way. When filling the hole with super glue I hold the bait so that the hole is at a slight angle and then slowly feed it into one side of the hole and let it run down that side. Doing it this way assures there are no bubbles trapped in the hole. If you want to give the super glue and accelerator a try just holler and I'll look up the link where I've been getting it. You don't have to use their brand of super glue, but they're the only place I know to get the accelerator and it will work on any super glue.

Ben

[Juice780]

I use d2t to put in my hook hangers any use tiny brushes I found at hobby lobby I think there for applying glue to model cars. I get the d2t in a syringe and just squirt a small amount out mix it up really good. I don't bother to put epoxy in the hole first I just put a lot on the hook hanger then clean it up with the small brush after I insert it. I don't thik affects strength any after one had cured I pulled on it as hard as I could with a pair of pliers and it didn't budge.

[BobP]

I hate rushing to glue in hangers with 5 minute epoxy so to preserve my sanity, I got some U-40 Rod Bond paste epoxy (slow cure variety) and now at least I can do it at my leisure. The Rod Bond paste stays workable for 2-3 HOURS, not 2-3 minutes. Of course, it takes longer to cure hard. It's rubbery soft after 5 hrs and takes a few hours beyond that to be hard enough to proceed with other build tasks. But I'm a patient man. I also use it for mounting lips - can't have too much time to second guess yourself about whether that lip is really straight!

I poke mine in with a piece of stainless wire, butter the screw eye shank and wipe the squeeze-out off with little swabs cut from a paper towel.

[littleriver]

Gene

I use the method Ben first describes. I use a slow cure table top epoxy like etex. But still this is not slow enough when doing a few baits. I have lost a couple of syringes to curing. I was told by another experienced local lure maker the importance of getting the glue all the way to the bottom of the hole. Really makes a much stronger bond and I say why take a chance when you have gone this far. I am also with Ben on cleaning the syringe. It is a real pain the rear. I use the same epoxy for the bill too. Nice having the time for adjustments like Bob has said.

Vic

Ben your new method sounds like something I would like to try.

[RayburnGuy]

Gene

I use the method Ben first describes. I use a slow cure table top epoxy like etex. But still this is not slow enough when doing a few baits. I have lost a couple of syringes to curing. I was told by another experienced local lure maker the importance of getting the glue all the way to the bottom of the hole. Really makes a much stronger bond and I say why take a chance when you have gone this far. I am also with Ben on cleaning the syringe. It is a real pain the rear. I use the same epoxy for the bill too. Nice having the time for adjustments like Bob has said.

Vic

Ben your new method sounds like something I would like to try.

I like it better than anything I've tried so far Vic. Of course there's the usual drawbacks associated with super glue such as ending up glued to the bait. It doesn't take but a time or two of doing this before you figure out not to fill the hole all the way to the top. I've been doing my hangers like this for a while now and so far have not had any failures. I tried to pull a hanger out one time right right after spraying the glue with it and there was no way. All I did was stretch the hook hanger out of round. Mark Poulson is the one who told me about it and apparently he's been doing it for quite some time. The link below is where I get the super glue and accelerator. They have several different thicknesses of the super glue, but you don't have to use their glue. The accelerator will work with any super glue.

Here's the link. http://www.robart.com/store/zap-glue

Ben

[littleriver]

Thank you Ben for the link. I will be using it soon. I have some freshly carved baits waiting for hangers. I have been putting it off to avoid the syringe. Nothing but bad memories anyway. I can use the accelerator for my fly tying too. Nothing like waiting for superglue to dry a feather to a hook. Thank you again for sharing.

Vic

[RayburnGuy]

Thank you Ben for the link. I will be using it soon. I have some freshly carved baits waiting for hangers. I have been putting it off to avoid the syringe. Nothing but bad memories anyway. I can use the accelerator for my fly tying too. Nothing like waiting for superglue to dry a feather to a hook. Thank you again for sharing.

Vic

Your welcome Vic.

One thing I forgot to mention that I learned the hard way. After using the accelerator you need to take the sprayer off and clean it out. I just clear as much of it out as I can by pumping the sprayer a few times after removing it from the bottle and then stick the tube down into some clean DA and pump off a few sprays. This gets the accelerator out of the sprayer. After leaving the first sprayer on the bottle of accelerator it lost it's ability to spray in a fine mist and would only come out in big drops. I called the folks and they told me that you weren't supposed to leave the sprayer on the bottle. I told them there were no warnings or instructions included so I had no way of knowing this. They were nice enough to send me 3 more spray nozzles free of charge. Maybe this will save you some trouble.

Ben

[pizza]

I use cheap runny super glue(6 or 8 metal tubes for a buck, maybe 2) Absorbs well into the wood but usually takes a few applications(typically 3 or 4 depending on size of bait). I drill the holes on the small side so it is a snug fit and i must twist/push the hangers into place. Then drop the glue in. After the last application a little sanding to smooth the surface and you are ready for paint or foil. Do be aware that super glue fumes (the same stuff that is used to reveal fingerprints), will cause lexan (lip material) to become cloudy. Though i sometimes use it for lips too when i dont feel like mixing up epoxy. An exacto can be used to scrape off the cloudiness(not for perfrctionists). But it does work well for hangers and ive yet to have a hanger fail-plenty strong. Sometimes i use epoxy for hangers but i prefer super even though it may add a couple days to the building process.

[Lincoya]

Thanks guys for your responses and insights. I already have some syringes and needles so I think I'll try that first. I'm always in a hurry to get them glued in and move on. That's why I use the 5 minute. But they always wind up sitting for a few days anyway. So, I'll use the 30 minute and at least end some of my frustration.

Ben,

Thanks for the link. I already have accelerator. (Any wood carver that's worth his salt has accelerator to fix those mistakes he makes). There are several places that sell online that sell it. If you have a Hobby Lobby where you're at, they also sell it.

Gene

[Sonny.Barile]

Pizza I have used super glue to do the exact opposite with polycarbonate. When you machine lexan it can get a smoked glass look. If you put it in a plastic container with a drop of the super glue (not directly on the lexan) the fumes will clear the surface.

[RayburnGuy]

Thanks Gene. I did not know that. We have a Hobby Lobby not too far from here so that will save me some money on shipping costs.

Ben

[mark poulson]

If you're going to use epoxy, be sure and "screw" the twist hanger in counter to the direction of twist, so you force the epoxy back into the hole instead of pulling it up the twists and out of the hole.

Ben,

Thanks for the great link.