rotorhead Posted July 21, 2009 Report Share Posted July 21, 2009 I appreciate all of the good info I have gotten off of the site since I started making hard baits. One question that I still am not clear on is the best diameter of stainless steel wire that should be used for hook hangers. I want to use stainless steel because I sometimes use some of the baits I have made to fish for red fish :yay:and sea trout :yay:plus anything else that will bite. Thanks Rotorhead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diemai Posted July 21, 2009 Report Share Posted July 21, 2009 @ rotorhead Good choice about SSt screw eyes , the ones made of brass are not as sturdy by far , .....even had them snapped off , when twisting them into too small pilot holes in hardwood ! As far as I am concerned , there are three different diameters of SSt screw eyes available , also different shaft lengths , have a look in the download catalog of Welcome to Moore's Lures , all dimensions are stated in there . Once I have also bought the tickest diameter screw eyes at "Stamina's , but with a shaft length of 2" (designed to hold prop blades) ,..... these where the longest , that I've ever seen . You need to make your choice of screw eyes after your target species , lure size and lure material ,..... f.e. would be useless to use the smallest diameter screw eyes for big muskie lures , ........in softer woods the threaded shank should be longer for a better grip , ......etc.! I always epoxy them in , anyway , ....I'd extend their pilot hole a bit at its entry , so that a kinda "glue-plug" could evolve there . good luck , diemai:yay: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted July 22, 2009 Report Share Posted July 22, 2009 (edited) I hand twist all my hangers and use Malin hard temper .031 " dia wire from McMaster-Carr. Ain't no redfish gonna break it. You can also use Malin Hard Wire 180 lb test .029" dia leader wire. Comes in a 6" coil in a neat plastic envelope at tackle shops. The coffee color makes a nice stealth hanger. Edited July 22, 2009 by BobP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spoopa Posted July 22, 2009 Report Share Posted July 22, 2009 @ rotorheadGood choice about SSt screw eyes , the ones made of brass are not as sturdy by far , .....even had them snapped off , when twisting them into too small pilot holes in hardwood ! Yes stick with stainless, it cost more but it wont snap off in the word..... its a when that happens Goodluck, Jacob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rotorhead Posted July 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2009 Many thanks guys for the information. The stainless steel is the way to go. I have also had the brass screw eyes break when I tried to screw them into the lure body. They usually break off just below the surface so it is next to impossible to remove them. I am still rather new to lure making but an old hand at wood working. The wood working techniques are similar however the finishing quit different. Since I have been building model planes for about forty years I have used a sanding sealer made by Pactra to seal the raw wood. Usually several coates with a light sanding in between and you are ready to paint.I have found it to work well but you need to use it in a ventilated area. I recently tried a new paint called Craft Smart someone mentioned it in one of the posts. It is sold at Michaels crafts stores. The cost is about .50 cents for a two once bottle. It is a little thicker than the Createx I have used but it thins well with water, can be heat set and is a lot cheaper. Anyway thanks for the help. Everyday is a good day if you can fish or fly. Rotorhead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atrophius Posted July 22, 2009 Report Share Posted July 22, 2009 You can also look in the how-to section. There is a tutorial in the hard bait section on how to make your own eye screws and twist them easily. I use some galvanized wire from home depot in usually a 20 or 22ga. It depends on what you want to do though. DIY or bought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.dsaavedra. Posted July 23, 2009 Report Share Posted July 23, 2009 i use 19 guage stainless steel wire. i'm not sure what the diameter is on it, but it says 19 guage on the package and thats all i look for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atrophius Posted July 24, 2009 Report Share Posted July 24, 2009 Conversion Chart Gauge to Inches to Millimeters ^ conversion chart for anyone that wants to look for a certain gauge but doesnt know conversion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
