LeadMaster pliers for spinners

M
meluvtrout
After seeing what Fishtopher had done with the bell bodies, and thanks to Osmosis for introducing them with a short tutorial, I graduated from Worth Wire Forming Tool to LeadMaster Pliers and I have to admit, these are awesome pliers. I'll post some of my new creations soon, but in the mean time I found a small tutorial on LeadMaster's website, which I thought you might enjoy as well... The only problem I've faced so far is that when you create the loop, it becomes annoyingly difficult to insert a swivel without deforming the perfect loop you created. I guess I need more practice...
 
F
FishFinger
deformation of the loop is unavoidable if you add a swivel unless a notch is kerfed in to the round jaw @ about 90 degrees from the loop twists (in the last picture of the finished loop). I think adding swivels is a good idea may to get out the dremel and modify some tools.
 
O
osmosis
Not entirely true. That notching trick is mainly for the tacklemakers/wire forming tools, though I suppose could be applied to pliers.. You're right that if you continue with the round nose you will have a deformed wire loop - same with when you're adding a hook if you use the round nose..

You're supposed to hold the two eyes (wire loop/hook, or wire loop/swivel eye) between the "anvil" sections on your pliers and you will not deform the loop.

In the above diagram where it says "flatten lead" - that is the anvil section.

I personally find that adding a swivel to the top eye takes a lot of spinners out of balance. I run a black #7 swivel about 18" above the spinner.
 
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F
FishFinger
your right... I was thinkin' one dimensionally. Hold in it the anvil, with enough tag end wire you can easly make your raps w/o buggerin' up the loop. :clap:
 
M
meluvtrout
osmosis said:
Not entirely true. That notching trick is mainly for the tacklemakers/wire forming tools, though I suppose could be applied to pliers.. You're right that if you continue with the round nose you will have a deformed wire loop - same with when you're adding a hook if you use the round nose..

You're supposed to hold the two eyes (wire loop/hook, or wire loop/swivel eye) between the "anvil" sections on your pliers and you will not deform the loop.

In the above diagram where it says "flatten lead" - that is the anvil section.

I personally find that adding a swivel to the top eye takes a lot of spinners out of balance. I run a black #7 swivel about 18" above the spinner.

This afternoon, I don't know how I managed to do it or perhaps it was meant to happen, but the spring on my pliers just died and and the pliers spat it out. I called the company in Dalles, OR and they said every now and then they have one with a deformed spring. So I mailed them back and they'll send a new one. Oh well, I'll continue my quest for the invincible spinner over the weekend...

Osmo, can you send a pic for how you hold the two eyes and wrap it around the body?
 
F
FishFinger
The spring on my set of pliers escaped too. (the ones I got from Sportsman, not from BC angling post). I was able to replace it with a spring from a ball point pen. The spring was/is the same size (perpahs a tadbit longer, which seems to helps keep it in place ) and I haven't had a problem with it since.

Here's how you'd hold the wire while forming the loop with either a swivel or hook in the anvil...

DSCN0611.jpg
 
M
meluvtrout
I see, I was under the impression that I was supposed to hold the eye of the hook/swivel and the eye of the loop in the anvil at the same time. No wonder I got so confused :)
Thanks FishFinger...
 
O
osmosis
I do hold them both Ali.
once the eyes are placed together (without the wire loop completed), when you turn them as far as they go one direction, they bind. turn them until they bind and then grab them both with the anvils.
What fishfinger posted will work great for swivels but would make for a lot of "resituating" of the pliers when you're doing a hook.
 
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F
FishFinger
Ohhhh.... I get it now.... OOPs Please forgive my ignorance... Really I'm only 8 yrs old. I got the same thing Benjamin button had.
 
M
meluvtrout
osmosis said:
I do hold them both Ali.
once the eyes are placed together (without the wire loop completed), when you turn them as far as they go one direction, they bind. turn them until they bind and then grab them both with the anvils.
What fishfinger posted will work for swivels but would make for a lot of "resituating" of the pliers when you're doing a hook.

Thanks Osmo. I think I've got it now, but I'll give it a try and see if I'll succeed when I get my pliers back from LeadMaster...:)
 
M
meluvtrout
FishFinger said:
Ohhhh.... I get it now.... OOPs Please forgive my ignorance... Really I'm only 8 yrs old. I got the same thing Benjamin button had.
Mr Button, let's go fishing next Saturday...
 
F
FishFinger
I don't really have that.. You don't have to call me Mr button, Ben will do. Sat is the 14th wadda you say about going to the Siletz
 
M
meluvtrout
OK, Ben. 2.5hrs road trip? hmmm we need to convince Monsieur Jiggalot first... I heard Wilson was kicking some good fish too...
 
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A
Anyfishisfine
I'm having trouble between steps 3 and 4.

Step 4 says to rotate the wire into the position shown to start the twist.

Is there a missing step where instead of rotating the wire, I should bend the long end to bring the loop flush against the tool, and have the long end pointing down like shown in step 4? I'm not sure the wire should be rotated at all, did they actually mean to say bend?

Doing like I say seems to work OK, but I don't want to miss out on doing it the "right" way.
 
O
osmosis
not the long end, but you continue to bend the short tag end around and when you get the short part to where it touches the upper nose of the plier you rotate it down and finish bending the short end until you get it near 90degrees from what will become the shaft of your spinner. then you do your three wraps and clip the excess.
 
M
metalmania
I do step 1, 3, 2, 4, 5, 6 in that order. Bill from BC said do it that way and I get really nice eyes that way. If you do it in that order and the way it says you should have great looking eyes. I rotate it down just like it says in step 4 and begin the wrap:D.
 
A
Anyfishisfine
Cool, thanks to both of you. Both suggestions help.

Doing the steps out of order matches up with my old tool's way of doing it.

Also, rotating it to finish the bend makes sense, since it wasn't ending up ready for the wrap.

Thanks again!
 
Q
qwapaw
Wow Great work guys. Would any of you mind showing off some of your pride and joys? I would love to see them. Thanks, Dan
 
L
luv2fish
i recently bought these pliers and they work just fine...i never had twisted spinners before but i wanted to do certain kinds which i saw this guy was nailing one after another..( he had a bucket full of em.. with just different beads )...and i did it...some of the loops were kinds..not reallly out of shape..but mostly they were pretty good....i twisted one for summer steelhead with burnished brass and thats one of the best spinner i ever twistred...it just looks like store bought..i'll post some pics later...
i like that leadmaster..
 
F
Fishtopher
qwapaw said:
Wow Great work guys. Would any of you mind showing off some of your pride and joys? I would love to see them. Thanks, Dan

Since you asked, you shall recieve....

Here are my tools;
100_1276resz.jpg

Here's some of the finished product;
100_1275resz.jpg
100_1274resz.jpg
100_1270resz.jpg
100_1841.jpg
 

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