Steel wire working

[slowworm]

I'm in the process of making a few fishing lures and one design I'd like to try requires a stainless steel wire to be bent in the middle and an eye/loop made at each end. I plan to make something like this spinnerbait: http://www.gofishing.co.uk/upload/25521/images/opi/spinner-bait-diagram.jpg - it's the V-shaped wire between the spinner and lure I need to make.

Now there's lots of wire available but I've only worked with fencing wire which easily bends. I assume a suitable wire for a lure will be quite hard so I would like advice on how to work it. Would I need to heat treat the areas I intend to bend, and if so, would I need to do anything to make the wire stiff again after bending? Also, any advice on what wire I would need as it would need to cope with a breaking/bending strain of around 20lb?

Any help or links to a basic guide would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Dave Budd]

the ideal stuff would be tempered stainless wire (that's how it is sold, just work it cold), but try with whatever you can find.

 

[Robbi]

go to a tackle shop, the stainless booms you get on crab hand lines looks just what you need with a very slight mod.

 

[Dave Budd]

good point. you can buy stainless booms in a range of shapes and sizes

 

[slowworm]

Yes the stainless booms do look ideal for the spinner bait although I have a few other needs for the wire so it would be cheaper to make something.

I'll keep an eye out for the tempered stainless wire, I can only find it online in small quantities from Jewellery makers at the moment and that may be too fine.

There seems to be plenty of people selling steel wires for use in fishing lead making but they don't say what the steel is.

 

[richardww]

Hi, All you need is a wire forming tool, and you can buy stainless steel wires, in differant sizes, i use a lot making my own spinners,
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wire-Form...tingGoods_FishingAcces_RL&hash=item3cca3d84ba Tis is the tool
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WIRES-GRI...tingGoods_FishingAcces_RL&hash=item1c2b904fbb
wires
hope this helps
richard

 

[slowworm]

Thanks for the links Richard. I'd noticed the tool although I'm wondering if I can make do without it to start with. I hadn't noticed the wires, which look ideal.

 

[Dave Budd]

the tool just makes things faster and neater, but you can get by very well with pliers I've not made lures but i've been making a fair bit f jewelery lately from twisted wires (brass, bronze,copper,silver)

 

[richardww]

Hi,
I tried for ages to cope without the tool, but now i find its worth every penny, also if i remember right you can get the wire on reels, bought it only from the US though
I started by getting a bit of wood in a vise, and hammer a nail in,same size you want the eye to be, take the head of, then you got both hands free, you can also tap a nail in to help form your wires, wacth the ends there buggers,

 

[demographic]

I sometimes use stainless steel MIG welding wire as lockwire for motorcycle applications, its supplied half hard if I remember right which is too hard for what I want but if I chuck it on the fire it anneals enough so it won't snap when I spin it with lockwire pliers.
I have a decent sized roll of the stuff in the shed.

That's possibly too thick for what you want at 0.8mm thick but the principle is the same.

Another point is that there should be a bit of online info kicking about for people working with stringed musical instruments, making eyes for the ends.

Bit like THIS

 

[geoffreyqvf]

hi Rocco
i just hold the wires at the end of the hook and wind it in then when i have finished winding in i cut it off and encapsulate the wire with deer creek resin and it stops it coming loose

 

[slowworm]

Thanks for all the replies, if I make more than the odd one I may end up buying the proper tool. Pliers or something along the lines of the demographic's link will do to start with.

I had thought about welding wire, as I have got some laying about and the spinnerbaits tend to be made from 0.9mm wire I gather. Popping a bit on an old bbq should anneal it ok.

 

[demographic]

Thanks for all the replies, if I make more than the odd one I may end up buying the proper tool. Pliers or something along the lines of the demographic's link will do to start with.

I had thought about welding wire, as I have got some laying about and the spinnerbaits tend to be made from 0.9mm wire I gather. Popping a bit on an old bbq should anneal it ok.

Normal MIG welding wire will be copper coated mild steel. Will rust fairly quick.I got a small roll of stainless wire from Machine Mart and its going to take me a lifetime to run out of it.
Could pop ten or so foot in an envelope and post you some if you want? Free of course.
You'll have to anneal it yourself but its not hard to do at all.

I've tried lockwiring it without annealing it and its too hard and snaps so I assume it will need that for what you want also.

 

[slowworm]

Thanks for the offer but I've got a few bits and bobs about that should be ok to use to start with. I don't need or expect something to last that long as I'm just experimenting at the moment. I'm trying to find something that would fish a lure over rocky seaweedy shore without snagging all the time.