Crimping tool recommendation / Spearline

[Mr. X]

I will need to replace my spear line this season or next. Further more, I just spent £35 replacing a broken cable assembly on a garage door -- I could have save myself a lot of time, work and cost if I could have made my own cable (the crimps and cable are significantly thicker than even Rob Allen spear line though).

I wondered what you guys currently recommend & where to get it. I have seen a new "2006 model" in the fishing magazines:

Mustad Trolling Sleeve Plier S2990for £19, "polished, corrosion resistant stainless steel finish", crimp 1mm-2.5mm crimps.

Do you think it would be up to the tasks? I like the idea of stainless steel -- this is a tool I don't want to buy more than once, because it will be rarely used, and I don't want it to rust up.

There was a website, LeaderTec, that offered some substantial crimpers for £18, they look like the green handled crimper used by Miles. "...will crimp copper and alloy sleeves from 0.5mm-2.2mm"

I recall Bill Lawrence uses a huge crimper, like a small set of bolt-cutters, like these:Leadertec Ltd > CH-18 heavy duty hand swager (£76 though). "...crimp aluminium and copper sleeves from 1.0 mm through to 4.5 mm".

[For the pros, check out the bench crimper here: http://www.beauline.com/tuna.htm]

Also, guidance on the crimp sleeves & mon would be appreciated. I'm thinking of ordering bog standard RA Mako line -- if it is reasonably priced (mono fishing line is dirt cheap these days), which I think is tuna fishing line. I can't see any point upgrading to dyneema - what do you guys normally use?

I seem to recall Foxfish using needle nose pliers. I'm also not adverse to using other tools or a bench vice, as long as the result is good & reliable.

 

[land shark]

I do a lot of crimps at work. If you do them and sell them then you better buy the best. If you do a lot of them then a good pair would be in order.If your after the fish of a lifetime??... well you have to come to grips with that one.
For the most part the cheaper ones get the job done. Not very comfortable but how many times are you gonna use it? I wouldnt trust my life with the crimp though it may hold but for sporting purposes what the the hell after all whats a box of golf balls cost?? If your young like the rest of us it may become an hand me down. Therefore you may wish this to be a greater gift some day so spend somemore. Bottom line the more expensive the crimper and the more it is dedeicated to the task the better job it does and the more of a pleasure it is to use.

just my 2 cents

 

[Mr. X]

Interesting thoughts, I recently took possession of some of my father's tools so the hand-me down aspect resonates more that it would normally (I'm also concious that I have very little that belonged to my grandfather - the only grandparent alive when I was born). Also, I agree with your sentiment that there is pleasure/satisfaction to be had from using the right tool, or something of quality.

I have no idea how much a box of golf balls cost -- although I recovered 5 while diving last year (4 were new), so I doubt if I will ever need to buy them!

I knew a mature student that re-wired & swaged his smaller climbing "nuts" ("wires"). He had access to a proper workshop and presumably knew what he was doing -- he was literally trusting his life & his partner's to his swages. They looked good. I wouldn't do that though -- climbing equipment manufacturers use special equipment to test the strength of their products...at least, I hope they do!

I saw a pair of small bolt croppers recently (in Lidls) that looked a lot like the large crimper above for just £3.50 recently. I wonder if they could be modified to the task?

 

[Mr. X]

Swaging vs. Crimping. Swagers vs. Crimpers.

Well, I caught the one day window of perfect weather for spearing on Saturday...and since then its been pouring with rain. So I have been catching up on DeeperBlue and repairs/chores.

Came across this interesting article today. The guy explains the subtle but important difference between swaging and crimping: Fishing Tips
(It's near the bottom, it's called "Crimps vs. Sleeves. What's the difference?" by Erick Vaaler)

To confuse matters, Leadertec sell swagers but include an excellent tips page on crimping: Tips & Techniques*>*Basic crimping techniques. Leadertec, who seem experts in this, use the terms interchangeably e.g.:
"Crimping tools. Superb quality swaging tools to crimp monofilament or wire leaders from 0.5 mm to 4.5 mm" .

From the Leadertec site, it sounds like as long as you've got a "cup-to-cup" tool (most are) you've got a good chance of swaging/crimping successfully. The green handled Leadertec swager seems the most popular design with spearos. Has anyone tried the new stainless steel Mustad trolling pliers? If they can do the job as well as the green ones, I would prefer to get the Mustad tool.

[For the "big picture", here's a link to Miles' excellent rigging article/thread: http://forums.deeperblue.net/beginner-hunting/64504-dummies-guide-rigging-speargun.html]

 

[Mr. X]

Came across these Shimano fishings tools while looking for a split-ring pliers:

New Shimano Heavy Duty Blue Water Pliers

"A multi-purpose tool designed as a non-corrosive plier that can cut up to 900 lb. braided cable and also be used as a crimping tool. The stainless handles, and stainless hardware keep these pliers as a multiple-use tool. "

 

[Bill McIntyre]

I have that CH-18. It may be overkill for mono, but its necessary for crimping cable or crimping sleeves on the rear end of slip tip cable.

Even on mono, the wide jaws let you make one squeeze in the middle of each sleeve, leaving the end flared a bit so that the sharp edges are not cutting into the mono. The hand crimpers require you to make two squeezes side by side, and its hard to make them perfectly uniform and parallel.

 

[dave]

I crimp a lot of mono setting up guns for customers. I am a big fan of the CH-18, it does a super neat job, and when you have 20 sets of shooting line to crimp in one sitting only having to make one squeeze makes a difference!
The Mustad crimpers are ok (you can get the same tool with several other brands on them), but they are made of that special Chinese type of stainless which rusts, so I would still not take them out on a boat.
cheers
dave
Spearguns by Spearo uk ltd finest supplier of speargun, monofins, speargun and freediving equipment

 

[Seacidal]

If you need a good crimper, then a bench mounted one is by far your best bet.

But I like to have something a bit more portable. So, I have a hand-held crimp tool that I've found to be the best for its size and cost. You can usually find it for $130-150, and it is solidly built, and easily calibrated. It accommodates five crimp sizes: 1/32, 3/64, 1/16, 3/32, and 1/8. (Crimps from .79mm to 3.17mm.) And is only 14" long. I don't rig up without it.

 

[miles]

Hiya

Does anyone have a link for a DECENT STAINLESS STEEL crimping tool?

I've just thrown away 2 of teh normal green handled ones. After less than 3 months use on my boat, EVEN with washing and spraying with Q20, Tackle Oil, etc, they've both rusted up beyond usage!! These things absolutely HATE salt water!! I think they'll start rusting even if you just show them a photo of sea-water.....rofl

Regards
miles

 

[Mr. X]

Hi Miles, just saw your post -- sounds like stainless steel might be the way to go. I meant to post this earlier -- these are the crimpers I was planning to get, they are in the British sea angling ads. quite often at the moment; reckon they might be of interest to you to (although having just read Spearo Dave's post ... maybe not!). They look similar to the green handled Leeder crimpers but are stainless steel and about the same price.

I asked Mustad if their new tool would be suitable for crimping spear lines. I was impressed that they got a European Marketing Manager, Enrico, to respond as, being Italian, he had been a spearo in his youth.

Anyway, here is the main response:

Dear X


"Thank you for your inquiry.


The tool you mean is the Mustad tool 5 – Trolling sleeve pliers. It is suitable for Double sleeves from mm.0,5 up to mm.2,2


That means you can crimp sleeves and wires leaders (7x7) up to 800lbs, a tuna monofilament of mm.2,20 is about 300lbs. For what concerns Dyneema 100% lines, the maximum size we have in fishing tackle is mm.1,60 that holds 562 lbs


I do not understand exactly the difference you mean between crimping and swaging.


Please do not hesitate to contact me again if you may need further infos!


Kindest regards


Enrico


Enrico Ravenni

Market Manager

O.Mustad & Son A.S"

(For reference, I believe Rob Allen Mako spear-line is a special form of 300lb+ tuna line. I'm sure Miles can correct me, if wrong).

Thank you Enrico:king & Mustad - excellent response.

 

[Seacidal]

You might want to try spraying the tools with Boeshield T-9. I use it on my crimping tool, as well as knife blades, brass scales, etc.
Spray it on and let it dry. You're good to go. Rust doesn't stand a chance.

 

[Mr. X]

Boeshield T-9® 12 oz. aerosol Information window Interesting product. I wonder if bike chain lubes might also work (e.g. Shimano aersol chain & cable lube or Finish Line Cross Country), which spray on thin like WD40, displacing water, and but then dry leaving a thicker protective lube coating.
e.g. Lubricants, cleaners and polishes

 

[Mr. X]

Something new

Something new - the "Adjustable Crimp Kit" from Breakaway Tackle, Ipswich. Saw an add for this in Total Sea Fishing magazine (incs. a free spool of 20lb Memorx snood line on the cover this month):

Breakaway Tackle

RRP £6.99
​

Not sure if it's suitable for the 1.6-2mm mono lines commonly used for spearfishing. [I've been using a cheap, rusty old pair of bi-cusped electrical crimpers, which do a fine job as long as you are careful. For extra security, I always mushroom the end on the mono with a flame before hand & pull that tight up to the crimp before crimping. Then I finish up with some cheap, thin super glue.]

 

[Magpie]

It's not suitable for spearing full stop as the crimps used in it have a soft plastic inner lining which is designed to slip up and down mono line when it's been crimped to allow you to adjust the position of rod fishing snoods. Slipping crimps is the last thing you need for spearing!

 

[Mr. X]

Thanks for the info. Magpie - interesting. BTW the crimper I used is similar to this but not Draper, so probably even cheaper:

[ame=http://www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-Value-18071-crimping-tool/dp/B0001K9Q90/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=garden&qid=1252612118&sr=8-5]Draper Value 18071 4 way crimping tool kit: Amazon.co.uk: Garden & Outdoors[/ame]
​

 

[jtkwest]

Thanks for the info. Magpie - interesting. BTW the crimper I used is similar to this but not Draper, so probably even cheaper:

Draper Value 18071 4 way crimping tool kit: Amazon.co.uk: Garden & Outdoors​

that is for electrical parts, and will not work at all. buy the cheaper pair of crimpers that have the lever and keep them in your house and they will be fine, you dony need stainless unless you plan on doing your crimping on the boat or at the beach,(neither of which is applicable i would think) the regular cheap metal ones are good. i got a pair for 25$ us at the fishing store and they have made dozens of crimps over 2 years, and they are still in perfect shape. almost nothing can withstand salt water. but crimpers dont need to if you leave them at home

 

[Mr. X]

that is for electrical parts, and will not work at all...

That's simply not true, they work just fine. Had I known how soft the crimp sleeves are, I might not have started the thread. Some of these crimpers look capable of extreme force but it's not needed, in fact my main focus is on ensuring that I don't overdo it - by feel. I guess the advantage of a fancier, more precise crimper might be that you can just close it up completely without having to worry about overdoing it. But with the various size/styles or crimp around, you'd still need to select the correct slot (not always obvious).

 

[jtkwest]

That's simply not true, they work just fine. Had I known how soft the crimp sleeves are, I might not have started the thread. Some of these crimpers look capable of extreme force but it's not needed, in fact my main focus is on ensuring that I don't overdo it - by feel. I guess the advantage of a fancier, more precise crimper might be that you can just close it up completely without having to worry about overdoing it. But with the various size/styles or crimp around, you'd still need to select the correct slot (not always obvious).

why go through so much effort to search far and wide for a tool to substitute for the one MADE for the task at hand. if you want to crimp mono filament buy a set of mono crimpers. why buy elecrical ones that have the wrong grooves. is it a money issue? i own both tools you are referring to, one i use for electrical crimps. one i use for mono crimps. they really are not even close to the same tool, the electrical crimper is designed like a pair of pliers,: all the leverage is generated by your hand, the mono crimpers are designed like bolt cutters and use levers to generate force in a controlled manner, and the grooves have numbers on them that correspond to the numbers on the packages of crimps. why fight it? the electrical crimps cost about 7$us and the mono crimps cost 25$ a difference of 18$ if i screw up one crimp and shoot a big fish and he swims off with my spear, it will cost me more than 18$ to replace it. but then again i spend alot of money on this sport, arguably too much. so if you can make the cheap ones work , more power to ya' i myself wouldnt risk it.

 

[jtkwest]

i just tried the elec. crimpers out on mono. it worked. seems ok, cant be sure but it looks good, maybe you are onto something.i still like the proper ones better, but you definately can make do with the other ones. i stand corrected

 

[Mr. X]

Hi jtkwest, thanks for sharing your insights & following this through.

My original speargun was an RA railgun - they have super-strong, thick (2mm) spearline with big, perfect crimps. You could probably use an RA railgun for 3-5 years with the original "Mako" mono spearline in British waters, where the fish sizes are quite modest. So crimping is only needed once every, say, 4 years - so I didn't want to make a major investment in equipment. If I still lived in the USA, no doubt I would have just purchased a set at a reasonable price from a local store. The first proper mono crimpers I saw in the UK seemed greatly overpriced to me - your quoted US prices are about half the typical typical UK prices. Shipping is often another $15 within the UK (yes -it's crazy -- we're currently in the process of getting rid of the current government though).

I already owned a cheapo electrical crimper (for maybe 25 years). The proper mono crimpers often have long arms and a "cantilever" arrangement -- a very powerful combination, so I thought great force must be required. But when Foxfish kindly sent me some crimps, I soon realised that they are quite soft and that using too much force (with the wrong size gap) is much more likely to be a problem. I think Foxfish said he used sniped-nosed pliers -- you could use almost anything but the electrical crimpers have the advantage of several sizes of bi-cusped holes designed for crimping.