Safely opening jig hook eyes for chatter blades

[mark poulson]

I use my Do-It Arky weedless jig mold to pour 1/2oz vibrating jig heads, using Mustad 5/0 60 degree jig hooks, but I found the hook eyes would crack when I tried to open them to insert the chatter blade.

So I tried heating my hook eyes red hot with my torch, and that made them soft enough to open by driving an awl into them until I got enough gap to put the chatter blade on.  That worked, but the hook eye felt soft and ovaled when I pinched it shut with the blade in place.

So I took a batch of the opened eye hooks and put them into my toaster oven for a hour at 350 degrees, the same temp I use to bake my powder coat, to retemper them.

When I pinched them closed this time I felt much more resistance, but none broke, so this is another step in my vibrating jig making process.

Success!

[cadman]

Good Info Mark.

[Jig Man]

I’m glad you found something that works for you.  I have never been able to do it so I just use spinner bait blanks or split rings.

[21xdc]

Perfect every time....   https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-7-in-End-Nipper-Cutting-Pliers-48060/203287749

 

[mark poulson]

23 hours ago, CNC Molds N Stuff said:

That is so weird.  I'm not sure what is happening, but its doesn't sound like tempering.
 

Various heat treating terms get thrown around all the time, and their slight misuse misunderstanding makes it hard to have a conversation sometimes.  

Tempering is used as defined above, to reduce the hardness of a metal that has been hardened.  Why your hook appears to be getting harder from some sort of heat cycle is a weird one.  

Many alloys at maximum hardness can shatter almost like glass.  By making them less hard through "tempering" they become tougher... or less likely to break or shatter.  

 

I read that reheating to 350-400 for an hour relieves the stresses that the initial heat hardening puts into the hook, or any metal that has been heat hardened.  It seems to redistribute the stress more evenly throughout the metal, so it won't break.

[bassjiggin1955]

Sparkie head do-it mold

5/0 mustard BN Spinner bait hooks

Wey 525 wire form

WB 400 wire form keppers

 

[21xdc]

Too many parts for me. Too weak of wire for me too. 

 

These hooks are awesome>>>>>    https://www.ebay.com/itm/155222891423

 

Edited March 10 by 21xdc

[bassjiggin1955]

I pour and build mine myself

 

[mark poulson]

On 3/10/2024 at 3:34 PM, bassjiggin1955 said:

I pour and build mine myself

 

Those look really nice! 

Good for you!

[Crymdawg]

Hey, 21xdc and bassjiggin1955; I'm wondering about the hooks that you are displaying in previous thread pictures. I've used the Do-It inserts and then had issued closing the eyes after I put the blade on. Also 21xdc, how do you close the eyes of the Mustad hooks? Since they are already tempered what works for you ??

[bassjiggin1955]

Why would you want to open & close the eye of a hook that been tempered I pour & build 100s of these types of baits every month with the traditional mustad 4/0 & 5/0 spinnerbait hook and there very sharp & use the open eyelet ive never had to replace a bait because of failure or a blade or skirt coming off.  All the picture I've posted with the hardware its easy to make them yourself. I have custom molds yes there different but the head of the bait is still the same. The sparkie head mold is one of the easiest to use with very few modifications to the mold to use.

Poison tail jig mold why because there eye sockets to put eyes in. The fish dont care about the eyes or the hook shape. 

 

 

 

 

[bassjiggin1955]

Building these baits or any other types of baits or jigs you really dont have too be a rocket scientists to do this just use common sense it's easy.