I am making some bead head jigs, and on the beads whats the easiest way to enlarge the hole so i can fit the feathers, and string under the bead?

ive been turning the bead on a pair of scissors and i know there has to be a easier way,(blisters) i was thinking about heating like a nail and putting the bead on the nail??

any ideas? thanks

btw anyone who doesnt make jigs.... you should its super easy and i get em the way i want

casey

Hey, Casey, I'll try and give you some pointers on how to get the beads to fit better.

You can heat up a large needle or nail like you said and melt a larger hole or use a drill to make it bigger too. Drilling the hole works well if you don't need to make the hole too much bigger, but you'll crack the bead a lot of the time by doing it that way.

I'm over here in the greater Seattle area and there are bead shops all over the place but I haven't been able to find the flourescent red/orange beads with the large diamater hole.

Oh yeah, your Vision sample is coming soon too

hey justin check ship wreak beads its in oly.. i believe its the largest bead place in washington. ......

good deal about the sample comin.. im been checking the mail every day waiting

I have never liked bead jigs. While I agree there are alot of different colors and sizes of beads to choose from, the majority of beads float. The natural bouyancy of the beads are working against the lead head to sink the jig. I think you want your jig to be directly under your float or bobber. Adding floating beads allows the current to slightly pick the jig up and carry it. This affects how your line moves thru the water and how your float or bobber floats on the surface...however so subtle. I am talking primarily with 1/8 and 1/16 oz jigs, anything bigger will probably be ok.
Just my observations and my .02

Dremel moto-tool with the smallest diamond bit available works great. Plastic melts to it but chips off easy with a knife or blade, and it can drill through lead, too. Scissors, huh? You must have some patience. HT

LOL somthing like that, i tried the dremel before you posted that, and it worked like crap.. and i tried to use the nail but melted to many beads to count.. geez.. im stuck with turning the bead on a pair of scissors.. hard work but it does work

I don't know whether the beads float or not, but the FirstCast beaded jigs absolutely crush the steelhead. Give me a couple of FirstCast beaded jigs, pink and white on the nickled jig head will do just fine, and no steelhead is safe. Even from me!

I might be using a softer bead. They're called super eggs and are available at some fly shops. I just keep a file nearby, do a quick run through the bead with the dremel, file off the stuck plastic, and make a quick run through the other side. You just have to be quick in and out or the bit will actually stick to the plastic and you can't get it off.

clamp you're drill in a vise,grab bead with pliers and drill slowly....or buy beads with the right size hole to start with...good luck...Os