Line Clip Bender

[Brian Massey]

I've been catching up on my reading, and caught an article in the May/June 2006 Stunt News on making your own line clip bender; thank you Derek Moran. My question is what type/size of wire is best? In the article Derek used .051 hard stainless, of which I have none on hand.

I practiced with 1/16 piano wire for several; they easily took a 50lb pull test (the max of my fish scale). I have some 3/64 wire on hand, and that would be easier to bend, and probably look better. Thought I would pose the question here and see what others are using; and perhaps by others experience, I'll know what not to use.

Edit: After posting I looked at a wire website (http://www.mcmaster.com/#metal-wire/=fi7wpv),. No way am I a "metal" guy, so what's best; "bend and stay" stainless, "spring back" stainless or plain old steel wire? Pricing wasn't all that different.

Brian

[Russell Shaffer]

I've used some 1/16 stainless welding rod.  It is quite springy but not nearly as hard to bend as music wire. They will easily stand a 35 pound pull (each clip) so I think that is plenty.  Bill  got the wire at a welding supply outfit. 

[John Fitzgerald]

Lure Parts Online has the McMahon/McRosco type stainless snaps for $3.80 for a 10 pack in either 80 or 110 pound test.  I got two of each.  Enough to last as long as I should need any.  Those were cheap enough as to not be worth bending any (to me).

[Brian Massey]

Lure Parts Online has the McMahon/McRosco type stainless snaps for $3.80 for a 10 pack in either 80 or 110 pound test.  I got two of each.  Enough to last as long as I should need any.  Those were cheap enough as to not be worth bending any (to me).

Thanks, I've book marked that page. I want to build my own for several reasons, one being able to accurately make them in 1/16th inch length increments to compensate for line and leadout length differences. Then my plan is to build a non adjustable hard point handle . . . and not glue it to the bottom of my flight box.

Brian

[Tim Wescott]

I just pull tested some of my home-made 0.039" wire line clips, they went over 35 pounds of pull without permanently deforming (but were a bit scary to look at).  At 45 pounds they permanently deformed but did not pull out -- my courage failed me at that point, and I did not go up to 50 lbs.

This is music wire, which has what McMaster calls "spring back" or "spring temper".  "Bend and stay" means "soft, soft, soft".  I wouldn't go with anything other than spring temper -- it's the ability of the wire to resist bending that's keeping the whole shebang from unfolding on you, so you want it as stiff as you can.  The only place to go from spring temper is "brittle", and that's not what you want.

I've used the music wire clips for over a season in Oregon weather and they're showing no sign of rust.  I'm not sure at this point if I'd even try stainless wire -- for one thing, I have something I know works, and for another thing, buying wire from the local hobby shop is a lot more cost-effective than buying it from McMaster-Carr.  Further, unless you polish it or get the really expensive ground stuff, it's not necessarily going to be shinier than music wire.  But if you do get stainless, get the spring temper stuff.

If you do go with stainless, you probably want to pull test before you fly.  For the same temper the stiffness of the wire is going to go up by the cube of the wire diameter -- but the bend radius you'll achieve going around your mandrel will go up with bigger wire, too, and I rather suspect that the pull-test strength decreases with increasing radius.  It's all very complicated and my head would hurt if I tried calculating it (and I'd be wrong, to boot).  So pull test.

Check Small Parts for alternative sources of wire.  Their price per foot is worse, but it comes in longer lengths -- this may make sense for you, or not.

http://www.smallparts.com/stainless-steel-17-7-condition-straightened/dp/B003R5025S/ref=sr_1_5?sr=1-5&qid=1324781473

They have annealed wire for a humongously lower price, but then you'd have to heat treat it...

[Jim Fruit]

I just pull tested some of my home-made 0.039" wire line clips, they went over 35 pounds of pull without permanently deforming (but were a bit scary to look at).  At 45 pounds they permanently deformed but did not pull out -- my courage failed me at that point, and I did not go up to 50 lbs.

This is music wire, which has what McMaster calls "spring back" or "spring temper".  "Bend and stay" means "soft, soft, soft".  I wouldn't go with anything other than spring temper -- it's the ability of the wire to resist bending that's keeping the whole shebang from unfolding on you, so you want it as stiff as you can.  The only place to go from spring temper is "brittle", and that's not what you want.

I've used the music wire clips for over a season in Oregon weather and they're showing no sign of rust.  I'm not sure at this point if I'd even try stainless wire -- for one thing, I have something I know works, and for another thing, buying wire from the local hobby shop is a lot more cost-effective than buying it from McMaster-Carr.  Further, unless you polish it or get the really expensive ground stuff, it's not necessarily going to be shinier than music wire.  But if you do get stainless, get the spring temper stuff.

If you do go with stainless, you probably want to pull test before you fly.  For the same temper the stiffness of the wire is going to go up by the cube of the wire diameter -- but the bend radius you'll achieve going around your mandrel will go up with bigger wire, too, and I rather suspect that the pull-test strength decreases with increasing radius.  It's all very complicated and my head would hurt if I tried calculating it (and I'd be wrong, to boot).  So pull test.

Check Small Parts for alternative sources of wire.  Their price per foot is worse, but it comes in longer lengths -- this may make sense for you, or not.

http://www.smallparts.com/stainless-steel-17-7-condition-straightened/dp/B003R5025S/ref=sr_1_5?sr=1-5&qid=1324781473

They have annealed wire for a humongously lower price, but then you'd have to heat treat it...

If there is concern about stainless steel rusting, one should use Type 316 in lieu of Type 304. This is because the 316 has more chromium in its content and less carbon steel. Type 316 is what we always specified for exterior applications at wastewater plants. If it survived that atmosphere, it will surely endure our intermittent exposure well. If you have the two types of stainless steel rod in front of you, there is an easy way to tell them apart. A magnet will adhere well to the Type 304, but not well - if at all - to the Type 316. This is due to the difference in the carbon steel content of the two Types.

Jim Fruit

[Crist Rigotti]

Jim Lee has these benders and sells the stainless steel wire for the clips.


http://stunthanger.com/smf/index.php?topic=6425.0

[john e. holliday]

I am using .042 or .045 music wire from the local hobby shop.   Tried some from the local Ace Hardware and it bent way too easily.   I make mine on the adjustable clip maker Carl Shoup sells.   It was bought before Jim Lee started making his.

[Brian Massey]

Well I made a clip using the 3/64 (.046875) music wire. Grabbed the fish scale and the clip showed no stress up to the scale's 50lb max.

My question is answered, that's the wire I'll use.

Thanks all for the input!

Brian