I'm not saying one material or method is the best. I'm just looking to provide concise information for each option to consider for your particular application.
I'll add more as time goes on. If I'm missing something to add , let me know.
Monofilament , Braided, Fluorcarbon Line
Spectra® - Dyneema® Line
This extended-chain polyethylene fiber has one of the highest strength-to-weight ratios of any man-made fiber.
Product Benefits:
- Floats (~0.97 [grams/cubic cm] specific gravity)
- High resistance to chemicals, water and ultraviolet light
- High resistance to flex fatigue
- Low coefficient of friction
- Fair Resistance to abrasion
- Lighter used to seal ends.
- Finger knots or typical boy scout type knots work well.
What’s in a name or Brand? Spectra®, Dyneema® or, UHMWP
Spectra® is a registered trade name of the U.S. firm Honeywell International Inc.
Dyneema® is a registered trade name of the Dutch Company DSM Dyneema, B.V.
“UHMWP” is the name that is often marketed as a generic Spectra® or Dyneema® and is also an Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene. BE CAREFUL TO TEST ANY LOW COST GENERIC LINE!
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Kevlar® Line
Kevlar is the registered trademark developed at DuPont in 1965.
Product Benefits:
- High tensile strength to-weight ratio
- Flexible
- Dimensionally stable
- Resistance to Chemicals, Water and Temperature extremes
- Good Resistance to abrasion
Technora® Line
Available since 1987, Technora® is a very strong para-aramid fiber developed and produced exclusively by Teijin Limited. This aromatic copolyamid (co-poly-paraphenylene-oxydiphenylene terephthalamide) is ideal for dynamic performance applications involving significant motion.
The polymer is closely related to DuPont's Kevlar®.
Product Benefits:
- High tensile strength - Strong and light: weight for weight, Technora® is 8 times stronger than steel per weight.
- Fatigue resistance - Shows little loss of strength even during repeated abrasion, flexing and stretching.
- Dimensional stability - Stiff and highly oriented molecular structure leads to a high modulus of elasticity, Low creep and Low stress relaxation. Low thermal shrinkage, Excellent dimensional stability.
- Chemical resistance - Highly resistant to acids, alkalis and organic solvents; not vulnerable to damage caused by steam or sea water.
Vectran Line
Vectran® HT is a high-performance multifilament yarn spun from liquid crystal polymer (LCP). Vectran® is the only commercially available melt spun LCP fiber in the world. Vectran® fiber exhibits exceptional strength and rigidity. Pound for pound Vectran® fiber is five times stronger than steel and ten times stronger than aluminum.
Product Benefits:
- High strength and modulus.
- High abrasion resistance.
- Excellent flex/fold characteristics.
- Minimal moisture absorption
- Excellent chemical resistance
- Outstanding cut resistance
- Excellent property retention at high/low temperatures
- High impact resistance
Monofilament , Braided, Fluorcarbon Line
- Monofilament Line -
- The most common type of fishing line used for bait and lure fishing. Popular ones are made from nylon and is a single filament resulting from a complex mixture of differenttypes of nylon polymers.
- A cheap, reliable line formed by extruding molten plastic through a die to form a single strand.
- High stretch and low visibility makes it suited for freshwater fishing in streams and lakes.
- Braided -
- Made from Dracon and used to be popular before monofilaments lines improved.
- Strongest type of fishing line, and doesn’t stretch which is very useful for deep sea fishing.
- Doesn’t deteriorate over time and has high durability.
- Floats on water when cast.
- It chafes easily and is easily visible in water.
- There are also braided lines made from gel- spun polyethylene fibre strands, called superlines / microfilaments.
- The fibres can also be fused together to make fused lines with same propertiesas braided lines
- Fluorocarbon -
- Made from a fluorine polymer bonded to carbon.
- Has a refractive index near that of water, so is almost invisible under water and visible above it, helpful for fishing in clear lakes
Stainless Steel Cable
Knots
pending
Crimps
pending
Swivels
pending
General Rigging
pending
Wire Bending:
Spearos are buying and using clips and wire formed products often. Same for the line and reel boys.
I've always been a little suspect of the force rating of products on the market.
- Take a swivel-clip on the market and it says 500 lbs for its rating.
- Sounds good but not really enough information on the rating.
- The product testing was done in a static load of 500 lbs?
- Perhaps a dynamic shock of 500 lbs? This is a totally different test.
- What % of production parts tested for Q/A?
Bending your own parts is not that bad. The tooling jigs for DIY-er types are not that complicated.
Here are a few examples.
Some examples of more complicated tooling.
Below is an Automated Type Wirebender.