Wire Forming

[Little_Flatty]

Hi Raiders,

Do any of you have any experience with wire forming for small fishing related objects like snaps etc?

I have in my mind a kind of snap, like on the TT snakelockz lead head where you could change the lead as well as the hook. I'm not sure if I can pull it off, but it seems like a fun pursuit in lockdown.

I bought some spinnerbait wire to use for this project, but I fear it might not be possible with the tools I have (round nose craft pliers) might not give the precision and strength I require. Tried a few test bends this evening and it is sure going to be good hand exercise!

Any tips from the luremakers/crafters would be most appreciated!

Mike

[frankS]

Mike. I make my snaps from 1.8 mm 316 Stainless Steel T I G filler rod . and some from 0.6 rod but these are tiny and only suitable for Bass etc . Very easy to make once you get the shape right.

Also make some larger once for fresh water from er70 steel 2.4 filler rod , these are for Murray Cod .

Make my own Spinner baits as well, 

Will take photo tomorrow if you are interested. 

Frank

Edited July 18, 2021 by frankS

[Little_Flatty]

10 minutes ago, frankS said:

Mike. I make my snaps from 1.8 mm 316 Stainless Steel T I G filler rod . and some from 0.6 rod but these are tiny and only suitable for Bass etc . Very easy to make once you get the shape right.

Also make some larger once for fresh water from er70 steel 2.4 filler rod , these are for Murray Cod .

Make my own Spinner baits as well, 

Will take photo tomorrow if you are interested. 

Frank

Hi Frank,

First off, you were the first person I suspected would know how to do this

Second, I would be very interested in the photos indeed.

Finally, what tools did you use in the forming process?

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

Mike

[frankS]

Mike. Pretty simple to make, just a bit of wire and a pair of long nose plyers . I make them with either out turned OR intern catch, doesn't really matter but the intern has less chance of snagging up on slack line.

You need to pay attention so there is tension on the snap as in both pieces must be pressed together with some tension otherwise the lure can force itself out of the snap.

You can make different sizes depending on what wire you use. I use 1.8 T I G wire for the larger ones and 0.8 M I G wire for the smaller ones

Just sit down with wire and plyers and bend twist and cut for a while and you will soon have years supply of snaps.

A modified Spinner bait.

Have some fun. OH I do suggest you get yourself a good pair of O ring plyers as fitting O rings without them is a pain in the butt.

Hope this inspires you.

Frank

PS I have all this stuff lying around the place that I have had for 30 years or more and intend to make some salt water flies and add some fur to spinnerbaits etc, have plastics fur leathers skin etc .

Shame I have so much on my plate at the moment OR I could make some good tackle.

 

Edited July 19, 2021 by frankS

[Little_Flatty]

Frank,

Thanks for taking the pics and showing me how it's done. The snaps' design certainly looks simpler than I first thought, gives me some food for thought for sure! It also looks like they could be lower profile and easier to use than the on-market snaps.

That spinnerbait with the blade attached looks like an interesting contraption! I'm sure there's a story behind that one

I will get crafting and report back on where I get to.

Mike

 

[savit]

I havent tried, but noticed plenty of videos on Youtube for 'DIY fishing snaps'.

[Little_Flatty]

30 minutes ago, savit said:

I havent tried, but noticed plenty of videos on Youtube for 'DIY fishing snaps'.

I did watch those videos and what piqued my interest was their CNC wire forming machines. They look amazing but you can buy a Shimano Stella for the price of one of them! Would love to have one some day, but just can't justify it now. But in the hands of the likes of @frankS, imagine what might be possible!

Edited July 19, 2021 by Little_Flatty

[frankS]

2 hours ago, Little_Flatty said:

Frank,

That spinnerbait with the blade attached looks like an interesting contraption! I'm sure there's a story behind that one

 

Mike

 

Mike. That modified spinnerbait accounted for this little beauty. Burrinjuck Dam about 5 years ago. Spent 5 hours on the water for zero results first day, so that night I got to modify a few lures, this was the one that came up trumps.

Frank

 

 

 

Edited July 19, 2021 by frankS

[mrsswordfisherman]

Love this work @frankS

 

[Little_Flatty]

So I haven't quite achieved what I set out to do so far (allow interchangeable weights as well as hooks), but I have managed to form a knock-off of what I was using. On the top is the TT Snake Lockz product which is my preferred option. The second is a Cheburashka rig (another surprisingly cheap commercial offering) which I only learned about recently and I can get up to 3/4 oz which is useful for the deeper holes I've been fishing lately. Finally is my home-made option which I made lighter because I am currently fishing shallower waters within my own LGA.

I think I have made the snap mechanism too tight - needed pliers to get a hook on which defeats the purpose of a snap - so the design needs work. I also have no idea if a plastic rigged on my DIY option will swim ok, I'll find out next time I get on the water.

Right now I think I'd still buy TT's if I can get to a tackle shop...but, I had some fun, and if I can get this working, I can save a bit of money as well as get exactly the weight/hook combinations that I want.

@frankS thanks for the tips and inspiration. I think it will be satisfying if I can nail a fish on a home-made SP snap!

Mike