|
|
| Any tips on getting a nice closed loop? Building my first bucktails, and ill be damned if I can make one of these loops look pretty. Also, when using the 270 degree turn, I end up with the loop on one side of the wire, as opposed to centered (which is what I would prefer). Anyone have any tips?
The image on the left is what I end up with after a 270 degree turn of the wire around some round nose pliers. The image on the right is the more desirable loop I would prefer to achieve.
[img]http://www.muskyhunters.com/pics/misc/wirebend.jpg[/img]
This .051 doesnt like to play nice [:devil:] |
|
| |
|
| Before you bend the wire around your pliers (or what ever you are using to bend the wire) simply bend the wire about 45 degrees to the right and then begin your loop. Assuming you are bending counter clockwise otherwise bend it to the left. Think of a straight wire. Then just put a bend in it so it angles before starting your loop. that should take care of it. |
|
| |
|
| There are many ways to do it, but I think works best is to use your hand to bend it around a large nail. Then put the loop into a vise or vise grips and twist with another pair of vice grips, get really close and make sure its tight and when it looks like you have wrapped the short end all around the long end wrap it a few more times...that will get you that natural centered loop. |
|
| |
|
| I do essentially the same thing as Schuler. Just be sure to watch out for the ends of the wire, more than once I've had the pliers slip of and had the wire give a good quick stab into my palm.
Elwood Brehmer |
|
| |
|
| Jaid, easy to do, but hard for me to explain to you. Wish I had the expertise to show you. I have an Aluminum block in which I have drilled two 1/8" holes about .053 apart from each other. I put 1/8" roll pins into each hole. Now comes the hard part to explain. In your diagrahm you have a loop and a 90 degree intersection of wire. Put this loop over one of the pins with the 90 degree intersection of wire around the other pin. Now bend the main wire shaft toward the right, that is according to your diagrahm. Bend the wire far enough until you can see that it is in a straight line with the center of the loop. If the final loop and bend do not appear correct the size of the pin that is to large and you will have to replace it with a smaller one. Clear as mud I bet. I also have another pin at the other end of my fixture which I use to make the original bend of wire for my loop. Hope that this makes some sense. |
|
| |
|
| I use a bogg's tacklemaker. It works really well but they jumped up big in price last year. rollie and helen's and stamina inc has them. |
|
| |
|
| I use a large needle nose and a pair of linesman's pliers. Grasp the wire with the needle nose at about the size you want the loop, using the diameter of the pliers as a guage. Bend the shaft around so it touches itself, and while still gripping the wire with the needle nose, bend the remaining portion around the shaft with the linesman's pliers to get a perfect wrap nearly every time with the extra heavy wire. |
|
| |
|
| Thanks for all the tips guys!
Im thinking I may just bite the bullet and take the easy way out by picking up one of the bogg's tacklemakers.
On a tangent, how about some tips on getting a short collar on a bucktail? [:p]
My first attempt looks pretty sad, I cant seem to get a short collar without the wraps slipping forward. Looks more like a flasher than a bucktail [::)]
[img]http://www.muskyhunters.com/pics/misc/P1293137copy.jpg[/img] |
|
| |
