Making a traditional "Bell" plummet
- Watermole+
- Chub
- Posts: 1053
- Joined: Thu Mar 15, 2012 11:07 pm
- 12
- Location: Devon & Cornwall border
Making a traditional "Bell" plummet
As promised, here is how I made the traditional plummets, using the old Myford lathe with the help of the vertical slide attachment.
If you are only making one for yourself, it could be done with hacksaw and file.
The first thing was to sort out the material, in this case, all my offcuts of 5/8" copper and brass...
The next step was to clean it up, face off one end and cut it into lengths of 5/8"..
I am making these as a batch..
The compound slide was then removed from the lathe and the vertical slide substituted..
With a 5mm milling cutter, a 3/16" deep slot was cut in to each piece..
All ready for the next ops..
Now you have to turn these to the traditional bell shape.
The problem now, is that you have to cut very close to the end, which only gives you about 1/8" to hold on! The answer was to quickly turn up an aluminium holder that you can grip in the chuck jaws..
Be very careful when you do this. Copper is a very ductile material and "grips" at the slightest provocation. The first thing you will know is when it suddenly comes flying out of the chuck, wrecking itself-and your holder in the process....So be warned..take only light cuts of no more than say 0.030" deep...
When all are done, make the little loops by bending some 1/16" brass wire with round-nosed pliers like this..
Next, I drilled the holes for the wire loops. I used a 1.7mm drill to firstly allow for spacing error and secondly, to allow a gap for the solder to run into..
When the holes were drilled-and again, be careful that your drill does not "bite" in the copper...keep the speed down! ..the loops were soldered in place..
After soldering, they were washed well in warm, soapy water to neutralize the acid and cleaned up..
Time to cork up.
I firstly cut some slices of cork..
...and sanded them down to thickness. I made mine 1/2mm over thickness to make a good, tight fit, then cut them into lengths and sanded them flat.
Don't forget to put a little chamfer in the top inside corners.
Now they were pushed into place with a spot of glue..
...and allowed to dry.
After which, the ends were trimmed off and here we are..all ready to use!
Hope that you liked that!
I will be posting them off to you as soon as the ordered mailing bags arrive..
Kind regards,
wm+
If you are only making one for yourself, it could be done with hacksaw and file.
The first thing was to sort out the material, in this case, all my offcuts of 5/8" copper and brass...
The next step was to clean it up, face off one end and cut it into lengths of 5/8"..
I am making these as a batch..
The compound slide was then removed from the lathe and the vertical slide substituted..
With a 5mm milling cutter, a 3/16" deep slot was cut in to each piece..
All ready for the next ops..
Now you have to turn these to the traditional bell shape.
The problem now, is that you have to cut very close to the end, which only gives you about 1/8" to hold on! The answer was to quickly turn up an aluminium holder that you can grip in the chuck jaws..
Be very careful when you do this. Copper is a very ductile material and "grips" at the slightest provocation. The first thing you will know is when it suddenly comes flying out of the chuck, wrecking itself-and your holder in the process....So be warned..take only light cuts of no more than say 0.030" deep...
When all are done, make the little loops by bending some 1/16" brass wire with round-nosed pliers like this..
Next, I drilled the holes for the wire loops. I used a 1.7mm drill to firstly allow for spacing error and secondly, to allow a gap for the solder to run into..
When the holes were drilled-and again, be careful that your drill does not "bite" in the copper...keep the speed down! ..the loops were soldered in place..
After soldering, they were washed well in warm, soapy water to neutralize the acid and cleaned up..
Time to cork up.
I firstly cut some slices of cork..
...and sanded them down to thickness. I made mine 1/2mm over thickness to make a good, tight fit, then cut them into lengths and sanded them flat.
Don't forget to put a little chamfer in the top inside corners.
Now they were pushed into place with a spot of glue..
...and allowed to dry.
After which, the ends were trimmed off and here we are..all ready to use!
Hope that you liked that!
I will be posting them off to you as soon as the ordered mailing bags arrive..
Kind regards,
wm+
"Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? Yet one of them shall not fall without your Father knoweth" ..Jesus of Nazareth, King James AV
- LuckyLuca
- Barbel
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Re: Making a traditional "Bell" plummet
Superb WM. Simple beauty, beautifully made!
I walked across an empty land
I knew the pathway like the back of my hand
I felt the earth beneath my feet
Sat by the river and it made me complete.
I knew the pathway like the back of my hand
I felt the earth beneath my feet
Sat by the river and it made me complete.
- Loop Erimder
- Wild Carp
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Re: Making a traditional "Bell" plummet
Wow......amazing
If there are any spare.......
If there are any spare.......
Chance is always powerful. Let your hook be always cast; in the pool where you least expect it, there will be a fish
- Keston
- Tench
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Re: Making a traditional "Bell" plummet
How fabulous , thank you so much for sharing how you made these lovely plummets.
John
John
- Wallys-Cast
- Pike
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- Joined: Tue Mar 20, 2012 11:02 am
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- Location: Durham.
Re: Making a traditional "Bell" plummet
A great tutorial on how to make lovely looking plummets.
Looking forward to seeing what's next.
Wal.
Looking forward to seeing what's next.
Wal.
- Bob Brookes
- Zander
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Re: Making a traditional "Bell" plummet
Well made and very well described. I enjoyed that a lot WM+.
"You do not cease to fish because you get old, you get old because you cease to fish"
- CrayCane
- Chub
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Re: Making a traditional "Bell" plummet
Each one a little gem, marvellous.
Pete
Pete
- Muscavado
- Grayling
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- 7
Re: Making a traditional "Bell" plummet
It's amazing how WM turns such a mundane item as a Plummet into a thing of beauty
I wish that I had known him in the 60's, I would have introduced him to one of my girlfriends.......
John
I wish that I had known him in the 60's, I would have introduced him to one of my girlfriends.......
John
- RBTraditional
- Catfish
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Re: Making a traditional "Bell" plummet
Absolutely superb!
" Angling is not an escape from life, but often a deeper immersion into it..."
https://thepiscatorialraconteurs.co.uk/
https://thepiscatorialraconteurs.co.uk/