Panfish De-hooker

[Kirk Dietrich 0]

After getting a little benchtop lathe a couple years ago for turning popper heads and having that be a flop, I had to find something to use the lathe for. I decided to make some ink pens for family members for Christmas presents and then this year, I decided to use the pen parts and modify to make a de-hooker.
It works pretty good. When I'm fishing and catching a bunch of fish requiring hook removal with the de-hooker, I actually remove the bottom cover of the pen and keep it in my pocket and just leave the top/de-hooker half in my top pocket. I really should attach it to a zinger in case I drop it in the water - the wood one may float but the resin one certainly will not.

 

Kirk

 

This one is made from sinker cypress.

 

This one I made from a blank that a guy made for me out of resin and made custom with LSU colors so I could make a de-hooker for an LSU fishing friend of mine.

 

[Piker20 0]

Ok how much and where do I send the cheque? Might not be more functional than a pair of forceps but damn I love objects used for something they're not meant to be. Have you used a flat head screw driver for the disgorger part? Yet another thing that I wish I'd bought the dremel tool for that was going cheap and I talked myself out of.

[Kirk Dietrich 0]

Thanks Piker, I know, I have foreceps too. I like a de-hooker for panfish poppers as its easier to get contact with the hook and not be tempted to grab the popper head with the foreceps.

I could use a screwdriver I guess but this is a section of an aluminum Crochet needle 5mm dia. They come two in a pack for about $6 and I can make three from one needle. I flattened the end with a belt sander and then made the groove with a triangle hand file, then I sand the anodization off with progressivly finer grit and then polish. This is only the third I've made so I should get better with the metal work if I make any more.

It has about $12 of materials and 3.5 hours of work into it.

[ditz2 0]

That is pretty slick Kirk.....I am kinda a pen freak and I really like the cypress pen.

[Kirk Dietrich 0]

Ditz, thanks, I like that sinker cypress, made the top one for myself. This sinker cypress a friend gave me some boards milled from sinker cypress and I cut them into sticks that I could make pens with. The grain on this tree was very tight and it must have been old as the hills, an no telling how long it was sunk underwater maybe 150 years, the wood from this tree could be over two hundred years old.

 

Kirk

[netabrookie 0]

I don't know how I overlooked this when you first posted it Kirk, but I'm glad that it was brought back to the top of the page. That is really amazing craftsmanship. I like things that are useful and well made and you accomplished both with this idea. My lathe is buried behind a bunch of things at my mom's place so that isn't an option for me right now, but my wife had better keep a close eye on one or two of her crochet hooks if I can think of a decent handle...

Take Care,

Tony

[utyer 0]

Those are really nice. I used to make pens from old rod sections. I still have some around somewhere. Now I have something else to use up the last of my pen parts on. If I can just find them now.

[FlyFishin'Jam 0]

Yeah very nice work there Kirk!

[Kirk Dietrich 0]

Thanks Tony, for the pocket one I did a few years ago out of a crochet needle, I hammered the end flat, on these, I grinded them flat. I've seen people use the plastic crochet needles as well. Just find an old two piece ink pen, take the parts out and glue your de-hooker needle in.

 

Utyer, thanks. The rod sections sound like a pretty cool pen blank. If you have twist pen parts, use a bolt to screw into the twist mechanism to pull it out then insert it into the top section instead of the bottom section, that gives the bottom something to fit snugly onto.

 

Thanks Michael.

 

Kirk

[jimk 0]

Very nice idea Kirk - another use I have found for my lathe is turning wooden crochet hooks (Tony - you could replace the ones stolen from your wife with one of these)

 

[Andy Fisher 0]

Beautiful workmanship. Now that you have the lathe, you obviously need to start turning custom reel seats and grips.

[Kirk Dietrich 0]

Jimk, nice work and good idea for Tony. Man, that olive is amazing looking wood!

[netabrookie 0]

Kirk, thanks a bunch for the idea. My son has gave me a couple of pens with his Army insignia on them and if I can practice on a few old pens then I might try to make him a nice gift if I can get it right.

 

jimk, I just got myself in trouble...I was showing my wife the pictures of Kirk's work and then she scrolled down too far and saw the picture of your work...now I have to try to come up with some type of beautiful wood and dig out the lathe. The lathe is an old one that my Grandfather had and I haven't messed with it in years. He was a machinist and I used to watch him turn things when I was just a young boy. I remember making spools for thread on it for my Grandmother many, many years ago. To give an idea of how old the lathe is, the motor is mounted behind it and a wall mounted idler pulley keeps tension on the leather belt. The dang thing is super heavy too. I hope that I don't have to have another hernia surgery.....

[jimk 0]

Wow - I wonder if that lathe has value as an antique. A word to the wise - turn the handle first, tip last. Ease up on the tailstock when the tip starts getting thin or it will snap. Make the hook with a dremel tool. Tools must be sharp. The wooden hooks are very comfortable to crochet with, the larger handle helps prevent cramping.

[netabrookie 0]

jimk, thanks for the advice. Its been a long time since I used his old lathe. I bought my wife some interchangeable crochet hooks that snapped into a large plastic handle but they seem cheap made to me. That's probably why I never see her using them.<br />Between Kirks de-hooker, your crochet hooks and all of the other projects that I have in mind I am going to have a busy time trying to get them all done.<br />Thanks again and Take Care,<br />Tony<br />