SkirtMaster Tool FYI

[David_Cooksey]

For all you guys that like the old SkirtMaster (3 pronged) tool, well their is bad news and their is good news.....Bad news:cry: ...I searched for this tool and to no avail, I can't find it anywhere here in my neck of the woods. They were last sold in 2004 in Barlow's, Bass Pro, Stamina and Jann's catalog's. Apparently the person who had the business sold it.... Good news:yes: ... In about 6-8 months, there is going to be a SkirtMaster tool Pro, which will be better than the old one. As soon I find out more info, I will post it here, with a link, contact or phone number.

try:

http://www.drfun.com/SkirtMaster/

[David_Cooksey]

this guy has them for sale:

http://www.pjtackle.com/store/agora.cgi?product=tools&cart_id=4018871.32688*kx5QZ5

http://www.drfun.com/SkirtMaster/

[Piscivorous Pike]

MAKE YOU OWN TOOL for the incidental user. This is a good thread to share ideas and methods, here is mine.

I went through this drill of getting a skirt tool three weeks ago because I am repairing/replacing all of my skirts and now adding skirts to my jerk baits. I also found the various tools listed in this thread. I did not find the one I was looking for. A cheap quick easy to use tool for the incidental user can be made from a piece of tubing.

There was a tool like that and I could not find it so I built one that work well for my incidental skirt building. I use silicone and live rubber only and usually never more than 50 strands, I purchase the colors and types in uncut lengths. The tool takes no more time to use than the expanders shown above.

I have put the point of a ball point pen housing on to the end of an aluminum tube that used to be a tire air pressure guage. The bands are rolled over the pen part onto the tube. I also can do this operation much quicker by using a FMJ .30 Caliber round as a 7.62 NATO, 7.62 x 39 Russian, or 30-06; roll the band onto the cartridge, put the cartridge into the tube point first which will butt on the shoulder of the round and then roll to transfer the bands to the tube. I use dummy rounds, inert ammo for safety reasons. Either method works well.

Once the bands are loaded on the tube the skirt material is loaded into the tube. From 60# single strand leader wire, (however you can use thick mono or multistrand wire or flourocarbon leader, or even braid line), a loop of wire is made. The loop is flattened and then is put into the tube and out the other end.

The skirt is put into the loop that proturdes from the tube and a portion of the skirt is pulled back into the tube by pulling the loop of wire from the insertion side of the tube. The band is rolled off the tube onto the skirt which is now partialy in the tube. Skirt is then finished. Tube size can be varried to the thickness of the skirts due to the number of strands used.

You can get various size tubes easily. Hardware stores sell brass and aluminum tubing as well as hobby shops in short lengths. I use aluminum arrow shafts, the brass tubes from the hardware store, and my best tool is the spent air guage. My cost for this tool was nothing, for a few dollars you could buy all the materials to make it if you had nothing in your parts boxes to start with.

EDIT: I just found the tool while looking up the wire bender mentioned at BARLOWS,

http://www.barlowstackle.com/acb/showdetl.cfm?&DID=6&Product_ID=3194&CATID=65

It is called Skirt Tool for Lunker Skirt Layers

they have a bench mount for it too! -- LOL

Edited July 9, 2010 by Piscivorous Pike

[MuskyGary]

Just for a good laugh, there's a tool just like that that farmers use for docking sheep's tais and also nutering farm animals! Just snap the rubber off on the private parts, it cuts off the blood supply and they fall off in three or four days! No blood or anything. They use larger rubbers than what we use and it won't woork for skirts!

[Piscivorous Pike]

I could not get back in to add this, it actually is the economy version

Skirt Tool - Economy

looks like this: http://www.barlowstackle.com/acb/showdetl.cfm?&DID=6&Product_ID=3121&CATID=65

[sdsaw]

Pro Skirt Tool???

This one:

http://www.barlowstackle.com/acb/showdetl.cfm?&DID=6&Product_ID=2299&CATID=65

Hope this isn't getting off the subject

Have any of you had the chance to use one of these?

I know that the price is high, but I think that I can make my own.

I'm just getting into skirts and need some tools.

Does the 2 leg spreaders open the collars wide enough or does the 3rd. leg make all the difference?

Thanks

[sdsaw]

this guy has them for sale:

http://www.pjtackle.com/store/agora.cgi?product=tools&cart_id=4018871.32688*kx5QZ5

http://www.drfun.com/SkirtMaster/

That looks to be another product

Same concept, but another brand

[Piscivorous Pike]

snap ring pliers work as a two prong expander, not as good as the three prong tools. Tthe tube tool is better.

Harbor freight has several snap ring pliers available, the one I have is $3, the plier can be set up to expand upon squeezing the handles.

http://www.harborfreight.com/snap-ring-pliers-with-interchangeable-heads-3316.html

[brendandrage]

Hi all,

I have one of the bench mounted skirt tools from barlows, is this tool easier than the bench mount?

Regards

Brendan

[Piscivorous Pike]

Hi all,

I have one of the bench mounted skirt tools from barlows, is this tool easier than the bench mount?

Regards

Brendan

Which of the many tools mentioned are you refering to? The tube tool is so easy I make skirts while reclining in my Lazy Boy watching TV, Lindners Angling Edge, naturally.

[brendandrage]

Which of the many tools mentioned are you refering to? The tube tool is so easy I make skirts while reclining in my Lazy Boy watching TV, Lindners Angling Edge, naturally.

Sorry in relation to the skirtmaster pro

[cadman]

this guy has them for sale:

http://www.pjtackle.com/store/agora.cgi?product=tools&cart_id=4018871.32688*kx5QZ5

http://www.drfun.com/SkirtMaster/

For those of you looking for the Skirt Maser pliers the new version is currently available. The version by PJ tackle is the older version. Both of these pliers were made by the same guy and the same company Skirt Master (Ric Perrone). I have 3 of the older versions and they are worth their weight in gold. If you want to put together colored strands of Startflash and round rubber skirts. I have a call in for PJ's, so we'll see. I have not been able to find the old version anymore from anyone.

To sdsaw.

I personally think the two leg spreader model is useless. Maybe it will work for flat silicone skirts but when you use round skirt stock you can't beat a tool that expands the collar in three directions. For flat silicone, the cheapest tool like fishingskirts.com has is the best I have found for that application.

[sdsaw]

To sdsaw.

I personally think the two leg spreader model is useless. Maybe it will work for flat silicone skirts but when you use round skirt stock you can't beat a tool that expands the collar in three directions. For flat silicone, the cheapest tool like fishingskirts.com has is the best I have found for that application.

Thank you for sharing your opinion and first hand experiences

I'll get the fishingskirts.com $4.00 tool and order some skirts at the same time

Scott

[Real Deal Custom Tackle]

sim,

I use the tabbed material with the skirt expander. I have had no problems and have banded up to 3 full tabs (66 strands) with ease. I've never used the skirt master, but the skirt expander will lock open leaving both hands free to do the tabs. I use the tool from a cheapo skirt maker to hook the tabs and pull them through. Can also use a heavy paper clip and make a hook on one end as well. Let me know if I can be of any help.

[Piscivorous Pike]

sim,

I use the tabbed material with the skirt expander. I have had no problems and have banded up to 3 full tabs (66 strands) with ease. I've never used the skirt master, but the skirt expander will lock open leaving both hands free to do the tabs. I use the tool from a cheapo skirt maker to hook the tabs and pull them through. Can also use a heavy paper clip and make a hook on one end as well. Let me know if I can be of any help.

To pull them through you can make a closed loop from single or multi strand leader wire, flouro or mono thick leader line, thick high break rating mono, even braid line too. I close loops with crimps but with wire they can be twisted, line tied. I poke the skirt through the loop and pull it back through that way.

The closed loop works for me with my stiff arthritic fingers better than the J hook .

Its just a thought, not important unless you fumble.

Thanks for the info on the expander, locking open may help me better than the tool I am using, those fumbling fingers you know...sounds like it could be much easier for me than what I do now.

Edited July 11, 2010 by Piscivorous Pike

[steve187]

Well, I have read this entire thread and I feel a bit foolish. I am a complete novice here so it's quite likely that I misinterpreted some of the info shared here. The jigs I am trying to produce have hand tied skirts as opposed to rubber skirt collars.. Are these tools necessary or would they make hand tying skirts easier?

Steve 187

[Richard Prager]

Well, I have read this entire thread and I feel a bit foolish. I am a complete novice here so it's quite likely that I misinterpreted some of the info shared here. The jigs I am trying to produce have hand tied skirts as opposed to rubber skirt collars.. Are these tools necessary or would they make hand tying skirts easier?

Steve 187

It would make it easier. The band is used to hold the skirt in place. After you do your tying just above the band , just snip it off.

[steve187]

Oh, OK great. Thanks for the tip. It'll get me going again. I been stuck.

Steve 187

[markw]

snap ring pliers work as a two prong expander, not as good as the three prong tools. Tthe tube tool is better.

Harbor freight has several snap ring pliers available, the one I have is $3, the plier can be set up to expand upon squeezing the handles.

http://www.harborfreight.com/snap-ring-pliers-with-interchangeable-heads-3316.html

These snap ring pliers are part of my arsenal as well. I'm using living rubber to build muskie sized skirts, so the regular tube/pen/shell casing ideas just aren't big enough. The snap ring pliers don't do the trick either, but I came up with an easy solution. I took a spare piece of wood and nailed in 2 nails about 1/2" apart, then cut the heads off. I use the snap ring pliers with the ends that have a 90 degree angle, and slip on a skirt band. I expand it enough to slip it over the two nails. Then, in one easy motion I twist the pliers 90 degrees so I have the equivalent of a 4 prong hole that's 1/2" x 1/2". The catch is that I have to slide the skirt material with one hand, while holding the pliers with the other, but it's pretty easy to do. the longer the nails, the better. This will give you more room to work with and you wont get odd strands of skirt material accidentally banded more than once.

[Vodkaman]

I took a spare piece of wood and nailed in 2 nails about 1/2" apart, then cut the heads off. I use the snap ring pliers with the ends that have a 90 degree angle, and slip on a skirt band. I expand it enough to slip it over the two nails. Then, in one easy motion I twist the pliers 90 degrees so I have the equivalent of a 4 prong hole that's 1/2" x 1/2".

Just a thought Markw, if you added another two nails, then when you twisted the pliers through 90°, you could hook the band over four nails, enabling hands free operation. The second pair of nails would be slightly shorter than the first.

Dave

[markw]

Just a thought Markw, if you added another two nails, then when you twisted the pliers through 90°, you could hook the band over four nails, enabling hands free operation. The second pair of nails would be slightly shorter than the first.

Dave

Thanks Dave! That's why I love this site. There's always room for improvements and you folks area always available to help me compensate for my lack of engineering abilities

[Crymdawg]

Just ordered my SKIRT MASTER Plus Pro. Suppossed to arrive in 2-7 days. I'll post any problems or issues. Total plus shipping was $47.45.

[Crymdawg]

Just ordered my SKIRT MASTER Plus Pro. Suppossed to arrive in 2-7 days. I'll post any problems or issues. Total plus shipping was $47.45.

SkirtMaster came as promised from their web site. Have used it now to make a bunch of skirts. So Far VERY HAPPY with how it works !! Does any one know how to use the longer skirts collars that came with their "kit" They have something to do with adding skirts to plastic baits but I cannot understand the application :-(,

[Richard Prager]

I received those with mine as well. I don't know what they're for. i just cut them in half and use them like that. That tool is awesome!