Jump to content
Trim man

screw in eyes?

Recommended Posts

I started making some flatside crankbaits, and I made my own screw in eye for them. When I tired to thread in the eye they would not go. I had to drill the whole the same size as the eye itself. I was woundering if anyone had any sugguestions on how to make it easier to screw in the eyes.

thanks

trim man

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I assume you're talking about the regular wrapped wire eye. I usually would drill a larger hole than necessary and then fill it with mixed Devcon. This is one of the few instances where the quick setting type is useful, IMO. Then drop the eye shaft in the hole, line it up properly (thin strips of masking tape to hold it in place while curing may help), and wait.

I think the quicker way is to use the preformed screw eyes, but as many have pointed out they can be overkill on bass baits and don't look as nice as a smaller diameter wire eye.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Doomart,

Do you think the Devcon Bonded hand-wound screw eyes in a fairly loose fit (large hole) is as secure as a pre-fabricated threaded screw eye. I like the looks of the hand-wound screw eyes also, and have done them that way, but I always worry that a big fish may pull them out. BTW, I have caught (3) Bass so far this year on some Flat Sided Cedar Crankbaits that I made similar to the ones that Blackjack posted a while back. They have my own threaded in eyese and seem to hold fine. I also want to thank Blackjack for posting those diagrams. I also saw that he just posted a Big-O style crankbait schematic. These are excellent starting points for beginners.

Maypo

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, in fact I think the hand wound version will be more secure since they will have a more aggressive thread. But screw eyes will work fine in bait woods except balsa.

Either way I think you want to secure with Devcon (short cure version is fine here, one of the only times you might want to use it). If you do that, then topcoat again, the fish will have to rip off the entire topcoat (OK, that's a stretch, but you get the point).

I must point out that others have discussed this...I can take no credit. The only pullout I've experienced was with a screw eye...I blame that on a defect of production and am still arguing with the maker (LOL).

Having said this, I will say that with thru-wire you absolutely do not have to worry and your bait will be more lively. LaPala, Cheeshead, and Dean kind of worked on my conscience for a while and made me give it a serious attempt. Good results.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The hand wound screw shaped wires (eyes) have a much larger surface area than machine made screws. When installing these you want a press fit or slightly loose installation so the epoxy has room to do its job. Unlike most adhesives epoxies need gaps and loose fitting joints to achive maximum strength.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The hand wound screw shaped wires (eyes) have a much larger surface area than machine made screws. When installing these you want a press fit or slightly loose installation so the epoxy has room to do its job. Unlike most adhesives epoxies need gaps and loose fitting joints to achive maximum strength.

Cheesehead, you have just said what I was trying to say in just a few sentences. I agree 200% with what he has said. Perhaps I mislead by talking about drilling the hole "larger" than necessary. I would still want a relatively tight fit. We are talking about tolerances here that are difficult to measure, so I don't even try to measure them. You can drill a hole that is slightly too small and just exert a small wobbling pressure to the drill to get the size you need.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...


×
×
  • Create New...
Top