My Hard Wood Dowel Pin System

[spoonpluggergino]

Well today I am really bored nothing to do, so this is a good time to do this tutorial

 

I came up with this Idea when I started making baits out of Azex PVC deck boards. Like most muskie guys we worry about the screw eyes coming out. I personally do not worry if my bait blank is made out of hard wood, one inch screw eye is not going to come out, but I do worry on softer material, big muskie are hard to come by so I do not want to loose a big fish. Now for the guys that use hard wood I came up with the idea to back up the screw eye with a fabricated metal washer that the screw eye threads on, this way the screw will not come loose or pull out.

For the guys that feel countrable with just the screw eye in the hard wood, do not install the washer, but you do need it for soft wood

 

I made through wire construction several different ways and for me it has been a real pain, especially filling the holes with epoxy. Any way here we go

 

I have all bunch of pictures for this

 

First step is making the metal washer, I make it from 20 or 22 gauge sheet metal, it is easy to work with

I lay out with a marker a bunch of 1/4 squares and draw a diagonal lines for the center

Once the center are done I drill out the centers with the right size drill bit for the screw eye i am going to use

after the holes are drilled I run the screw eyes through the holes, before I cut or punch them out

Now I cut them out with tin snips, than i trim the corners off, if I am using 1/4 dowel pins so they fit behind the pin, if I am using larger pins I do not cut the corners. I also use a Roper/Whitney to punch out the washer , I use the 1/4 die punch. 

The washers are done

next step I cut the dowel pins for the 1 inch screw eyes, I cut the pin about 3/16 shorter than the pin, for the guys that want to install the washer on the screw eye

I assemble the pin screw eye and washer and a cup washer if you like to use it and I epoxy that in to the hook hangar or toe line

 

[Vodkaman]

Excellent idea and well written tutorial.

 

It is all about the glued surface area and Moby Dick couldn't break this one

 

Dave

[spoonpluggergino]

Thank You Dave, I am not an engineer but I do understand the surface area concept

 

Gino

[imagine_studios]

Thanks Gino, I feel the same way.  Many guys say it's not an issue, the screw eyes pulling out, but when they are fishing for bass, they're probably not going to run into one weighing 50lbs.  Not to discount what they are saying, the screw eyes could totally hold, but I'm with you, no sense finding out they don't work when you've got a once in a lifetime fish on the other end of the line.  Thanks for being bored!

 

Jason