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Screw Eyes & Finish

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Hey guys,

First off, just wanted to say that this is my first post here...so hello. I live in California and have been hand carving wooden lures for a while now. I have a few questions regarding screw eyes for the line tie. Ive noticed that the screw eyes that I purchase from stamina (1") have little nicks where the machine crimped closed the eye of the screw. I am worried about this cutting line when Im fishing my baits. I have read a little bit about making those homemade hook hangers for lures but am worried about them pulling out or making them incorrectly (plus they need a pretty big hole for mounting, and its pretty hard to get the epoxy in there...worried about drilling that in my baits and messing up the noses!). It would be nice to make my own hook hangers, it would really lower the overhead of buying the screws online. Also I have been experimenting with jointed swimbaits and I have had a real problem with my 2-ton devcon epoxy cracking, and flaking off, at the joints where the bait 'clacks' together. I am just wondering what the most popular finish is to use on baits (what does everyone use the most). Do you guys thin your devcon epoxy? It is such a hassle to put on being so thick and sticky. I buy the slow drying stuff and it still gets tacky pretty quick. Thanks for any help you can give, I cant wait to trade tips.

Sean

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A handwound screw can be thinner in diameter, any length you want and has more surface area for glue adhesion. I just don't see a downside unless you make 100 baits per day. If you finger twist the screw, you get more diameter that works well in balsa. If you use vise grips to twist the wire over a nail or drill bit, you get a small diameter screw that still has good glue surface area for use in hardwoods. I push epoxy into the receiving hole with a length of ss wire and also coat the screw, then wipe any excess that squeezes out when I install the screw. Never a failure so far.

Jointed baits - sand the edges of the segments so they have a radius and not sharp wood edges. Epoxy tends to draw away from a sharp edge while it cures, leaving it with almost no clearcoat.

I usually use 5 min Devcon for installing hardware and 2T Devcon for clearcoating. Not thinned. Mix it on tin foil and don't waste time brushing it on. I have time to do one big bait or 2 smaller baits with each batch.

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how do you put it on if you dont brush it? i was thinking about thinning for the undercoat to seal the wood and then just regular for over the paint. Do you only use one coat for the topcoat? I have read something about guys using wire to put it on...!...that seems kind of gnarly. I just brush mine on. Got any tips?

Sean

PS: what kind of wire do you use and where do you get it (size, diameter, metal type, etc.)

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I just went to Welders Supply & got some stainless steel rod today for some hook hangers. I already had some 1/16th inch (.045 I believe) which works pretty well for smaller lures. But needed some heavier stuff for some Musky gliders I've been working on. Ran short on eye screws so picked up some 3/32 ss rod. Thats about as heavy as I'd want to go, pretty tough to work, but manageable (barely).

I seal 'em with thinned Devcon, about 50/50 & Acetone. Then I use laquer primer sand & paint (laquer). Brush on the top coat with straight Devcon & a 1" foam brush. If there's a blemish or 2 I'll light sand the bad spot & wipe it with denatured alcohol & hit it again with Devcon.

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you ever used those screw eyes for your line tie connection? im so worried about them busting the line on those little nicks. So anyways what your saying is you seal, prime, put on more laquer (or epoxy), paint, and the epoxy again? so almost 2 undercoats of sealent? wow. ive just been epoxy..paint..epoxy. I just bought some 91% isopropyl today to thin out the devcon epoxy. Will that stuff work? How much should i add to the batch of epoxy...or is it just a 'whatever looks right' type of thing...concerning flow, etc. Will thinning the epoxy greatly increase drying time?

Thanks a lot

sean

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I use .029" Malin "Hard Wire" stainless steel leader wire for hangers. Comes in a 42' coil in an envelope at tackle shops. For the line tie, I use either .040 soft brass or .031" soft stainless steel safety wire sold in 1/4 lb spools at www.mcmaster.com. I like soft wire line ties to tune the bait more easily. .029" leader wire is about the largest I can wind with my fingers. You can go larger if you twist it with vise grips but the .029" is 190 lb test, which I feel is plenty strong. Different guys like different hardware. You just want to use stuff you have confidence in and which helps you produce reliable results.

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Check out a recent thread discussing different thinners for epoxy (including isopropyl). It will extend cure time somewhat. I brush on thinned Devcon Two Ton for a raw wood waterproofer, then shoot a white color basecoat, then colors, then brush on a single unthinned epoxy clearcoat. Thinning epoxy is just to help it penetrate the raw wood. Mix the epoxy first, then thin a few drops at a time until you get the consistency you want. If you're doing saltwater or big fish baits, you might elect to use multiple clearcoats. For bass, I don't think it's needed with Devcon Two Ton, which goes on pretty thick anyway.

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For hand made eyes, the loop of wire (formed around a suitably sized nail) need only be twisted once or twice. As long as it is not straight, it will not pull out.

The weakest link is the epoxy/wood connection. By making the hole larger, I mean a really sloppy fit. You are increasing the area of the contact surface with the wood, thus you are increasing the strength of the joint.

I too would have been worried about the line catching on the crimp marks.

Everyone here will tell you that, if your material of choice is balsa, then a through wire construction is the only way to go, if you do not want to lose the big daddy fish.

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Another option for bending your own eyes is.........cut a section of your preferred wire, bend it in half , clamp the tag ends in a pair of vice grips.... Take a finish nail of your size choice bent into an "L" and chuck it up in a cordless drill...insert the leg of the nail into the loop you have already formed and pull the trigger. In seconds you have a screw eye. With practice this becomes much easier than I described. It takes a little practice but its a tiny learning curve. Once you find the desired legnth of wire you can have plenty in a matter of minutes.

Happy Twisting:wink:

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Given you avatar picture, it looks like you're putting alot of time and effort into your baits. It would be pricey, but in the spirit of overbuilding, the ultimate solution for you may be using the SS screw eyes that are closeable, and before you close them insert an Owner solid ring for line to be tied to. This would be cheaper if I could find anyone else that makes solid rings. Anyone have a source?

Clemmy

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In the thread BobP refers to about thinning Devcon with Iso 91% I think it was generally decided that maybe MEK is better. The Iso will work if you do it how BobP described....small drops at a time to your pool until it begins to move around how you want while you stir. Or acetone....but 91% will work.

As far as the nicks in the screw eyes...there are some out of the bag, but the line tear I've seen is caused by the nicks marked into the surface of the eye from a pair of pliers, etc. Could have been caused while clearing out an epoxied eye or closing an open screw eye. Round jaw pliers will reduce that possibility.

Also the line snap I experienced was on a very light mono line. With a tougher line like braid or other superline you probably wouldn't have the same issue.

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