Split Ring Pliers

[Vodkaman]

I could not find split ring pliers locally, so I made a pair from a pair of small long nose pliers, bending one of the ends over 90 degrees and sharpening. But they were so fiddly to use and I was losing more rings on the floor than attaching to lures. A solution had to be found.

Traditionally split ring spreaders come in the form of pliers. This fact poisoned my mind for a long time. What I should have done (which I normally do) is go back to basics and view the problem by itself.

The problems:

1. spread the ring. Very little room for improvement here, solution has to be a rod, sharpened to a blade, jabbed into the ring.

2. holding the ring. A slot cut in a block of wood limits the side slip. A pin positioned under the split ring restrains the ring movement down. A slot cut in the pin helps restrain side movement with the wood slot and stabilizes the ring, almost making it hands free.

3. prevent injury from stabbing. The chisel pin was mounted into a sliding block, at the correct height to meet the ring. The sliding block runs between two rails, so that the sharp end cannot slip sideways and stab your finger.

Operation.

The split ring is orientated correctly and inserted into the slots, held in position with your index finger placed on the top of the ring. The pin block is slid forward until it locates between the ring wires. The pin block is then thrust forward to spread the ring, while holding the whole assembly stable with the hand holding the ring.

Once the ring is spread, the pin block and assembly is firmly held in place pushing down with one hand, finger can be removed from the ring at this stage. With the other hand, a hook eye is located on the spread ring and the pin block withdrawn, leaving the hook on the ring.

The spreader has now done its job, as I find that no tool is required from this point on, to get the ring and hook onto the lure, other than long nose pliers, to rotate the ring onto the lure eye.

After only half a dozen tries, learning the technique, I was able to attach 5 hooks to rings in one minute. So much easier than the way I was working before. The jig was made from scraps and took about an hour to make.

Dave

[Mcleod]

At it again Dave, well done. Thanks for sharing and nice solution to the problem. I smell a similar contraption coming along as I dont have split ring pliers either.

Angus

[Vodkaman]

At it again Dave, well done. Thanks for sharing and nice solution to the problem. I smell a similar contraption coming along as I dont have split ring pliers either.

Angus

Thanks Angus. Yes, my mind has been in hyper mode this last week. Also came up with a new ballast mold idea, but still refining it before posting.

I have no doubt that a proper pair of split ring pliers is a superior tool to the above contraption, but it works well. Note - it won't help you remove split rings from the lure, so better get them on right first time.

Dave

[hazmail]

Thanks Angus. Yes, my mind has been in hyper mode this last week. Also came up with a new ballast mold idea, but still refining it before posting.

I have no doubt that a proper pair of split ring pliers is a superior tool to the above contraption, but it works well. Note - it won't help you remove split rings from the lure, so better get them on right first time.

Dave

Good to see you thinking out solutions again Dave - a great solution to every lure users PITA.

I had this never ending tussle with sets of tiny rings and always too large S/R pliers a few months back so I made a set out of a small set of S/S electronic needle nose pliers. They work better than the bought ones- $10 and a bit of filing and I finally had something that would fit my 1/4" rings.

Thanks again Pete.

[Lincoya]

Dave,

Great idea!

However, there is a one problem with your tool. The larger block of wood needs to removed and replaced with a different piece because I want that piece for knife handles. What a beautiful piece of wood!

Gene

[Vodkaman]

Dave,

Great idea!

However, there is a one problem with your tool. The larger block of wood needs to removed and replaced with a different piece because I want that piece for knife handles. What a beautiful piece of wood!

Gene

I would have agreed with you, except that beautiful pattern was only a couple of millimeters deep. It is nothing to do with the wood itself, but is a funghal infiltration. I have seen it before on a piece of beech that my brother used for a sculpture. He had a yard full of this stuff.

Dave

Edited September 3, 2010 by Vodkaman

[Lincoya]

Yes, here we call it "spalt". It's not good for your health if you're sanding it.

[Boomer22]

Wonder why i cant see the picture??

[Vodkaman]

Wonder why i cant see the picture??

All the photos that I uploaded to TU were lost. Probably well over a thousand. I still have the pics for this project:

If you need any more pics or info, let me know.

Dave

[benjiwhite]

VERY COOL!

[Vodkaman]

VERY COOL!

Thanks BW. They will never replace a quality pair of ring pliers though.

If I was to make another, I would angle the ring block back, to make more room.

Dave