tabutler Posted January 21, 2018 Report Share Posted January 21, 2018 I am new to trying to make balsa crank baits and have used this forum extensively for info. When trying to tune my baits I damaged the lure because my twisted wire line tie is too rigid. Have read from this forum to use soft tempered stainless wire or dowels. I am glueing in some dowels as I write but can anyone tell me where to get soft tempered wire? Thanks! . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anglinarcher Posted January 21, 2018 Report Share Posted January 21, 2018 (edited) I use brass for a lot of my work, and any brass will be OK. But, for soft tempered stainless, let me offer the following excellent suggestion. https://www.mcmaster.com/#annealed-wire/=1b7sn9b Following this link and then looking or searching for the annealed wire should do it for you. PS, glad to have you on the site. We look forward to hearing from you. Edited January 21, 2018 by Anglinarcher 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F&R Posted January 21, 2018 Report Share Posted January 21, 2018 Try .032 Stainless Steel Safety Wire from Grainger. It’s a soft annealled wire which is is easy to bend, but not flimsy. Ive tried many wire sizes and types and often had the same problem you had with wire that is too stiff. Many guys prefer .035 wire, but I make wire harnesses for my baits which are placed between two halves of balsa. The smaller diameter wire allows for seamless mating of the two halves. I’ve never had or heard of any issues with the wire in my baits. I have also used it for twisted line and hook eyes epoxied into one piece balsa baits with no problems. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted January 21, 2018 Report Share Posted January 21, 2018 (edited) On standard size bass baits I use Malin .041” diameter soft temper stainless from McMaster-Carr, and move down to .032” for very small baits. “Safety wire”, annealed and soft temper all mean the same thing. Easy to bend accurately with hand tools and strong enough to hold up in fishing. I started using it for line ties in balsa baits to avoid breaking the finish on the nose of the baits. Now I use it for everything. Soft brass wire was the original wire used in a lot of early balsa baits and is similar but slightly softer per diameter, and I prefer stainless because it won't tarnish. A 1/4 lb spool costs less than $10 and will do quite a few baits. Edited January 21, 2018 by BobP 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabutler Posted January 22, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2018 Thanks for your help guys! I’m learning as I go. I did have a couple that ran great so now I get to learn how to paint them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
