"Ned Simmons" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 30 Jul 2008 12:02:41 -0700, "Bob La Londe"
wrote:

"Lloyd E. Sponenburgh" lloydspinsidemindspring.com wrote in message


OTOH, if you're VERY careful, use heat-sinks around the area, and use a
tiny pencil flame, you can partially anneal just the sections of the
drill rod that require bending, and leave the working length full-hard.

I like that idea. I just ordered some 17-7 .093 wire to play with for
this.
Its a little heavy, but the commercial beam I have uses wire this thick.
Actually closer to .098. The hooks on my home made beams are only .079.
If
I can't handle the thicker wire I may search for some a little smaller.

Would you oil quench it when finished for moderately quick cooling and
hardening?

17-7 is a precipitation hardening alloy - forget everything you know
about annealing and heat treating simple steels. The heat treat is
dead easy if you've got a furnace, but you're not going to be able to
do much for 17-7 with a torch.

Personally, I'd get hold of some 302 spring wire and put the effort
into figuring out how to make the forms you need with that. 302 and
the other austenitic stainless steels (304 and 316 are the most
common) are hardened by cold working, not heat treating. If you anneal
them the only way to get the strength back is by more cold work.

You should be able to bend 302, 304, or 316 into the shapes you need
with little fear of cracking. The austenitic stainless steels have
very high elongation properties, i.e., they'll yield and stretch
without breaking.

I have made a set of prototype snap hooks out of the 17-7 .093 wire, and I
think I have a bending jig (three attempts) and a final wire design that
will work. I'm not sure what the life of the hook will be, but probably
indefinite if the end user does not try to over flex and reshape it. I can
grab both loop ends of the hook and pull it apart, but it takes nearly full
strength to do so. With one more tiny bend I can probably totally eliminate
that even. Since most folks will be hanging a 1-3 pound fish off of it, I
doubt they will ever even see a distortion to the hook. I'll post pictures
of my prototypes when I finish my coffee and walk out to the shop later.

I think I will make one more bending jig. My first three attempts were made
out of 1/8" steel plate, 3/8 rod, and 3/4 rod. I would get a neater looking
final jig with straighter rod alignment if I used 1/4 or 3/8 plate for the
base. I could also then drill one edge of the plate to make a tip hook
bending jig instead of the pliers I am using now to put the starting hook
bend in the wire.

I do have some lighter 302 .080 spring wire ordered to try, but they 17-7
..093 does a pretty good job so far. It is pretty hard on my forearm to bend
and form. (I've got a sore arm from to much flipping and pitching.
(fishing))

I have a couple ring ideas to try, but have not figured it out fully yet.

Bob La Londe
www.YumaBassMan.com