I've used Z-Poxy in the past, but it isn't fool-proof by any stretch.

I thought I rememered reading a post in th past where someone reputable used a product that worked so well that the screw eye would fail before the threads turned; I can't seem to find that thread.

Just wondering what some of you have used that worked best. I normally don't care too much about a little looseness, but I'm making some for giveaways and want tem to be as solid as possible.

Thanks in advance.

Eric

I used to take the screw eyes out of the old Gibbs darters and fill the hole with systems three penetrating epoxy then put the screw eyes back in. Never had an issue and those plugs caught for me very well in the past. Used thin wire to make sure the epoxy was way down the hole.
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I use devcon 30 minute stuff for that and wiring darters. Don't use the 5 min stuff it won't hold up too brittle. The longer it takes to cure the more durable it will be. Sys 3 clear coat will work well too.
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Ah hell...I was too impatient this morning and went with the 5 minute Z-Poxy; I guess my use of this explains why these have turned in the past.

So, Paul, if your suspending needle has issues with the screw eyes turning after a fish, you'll know why. :)

Lesson learned about using a longer-curing epoxy for this step (I think this is plug building lesson #1,324.)

LOL. I hope I get a fish that big to cause me that problem.

i think you could(a) get away with using some liquid nails
that cleans up with water .....

I read a great post on another site about screw eye testing. the poster lifted 100 lbs of dead weight with his plug. I believe they were .072 eyes.
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using what glue?

Screw eyes won't pull out. If put in with epoxy. And I think someone here tested them to be stronger than through wire many years ago.

The problem you run Into with them is if you hammer the plug and take tons of fish on them eventually they will loosen and become wobbly.

Tough to do if you epoxy them in but then again I have been successful at tearing the bottom half of swivels off of plugs I have used so much.

You never know when you might stand on a rock for 8+ hours with fish mid 20#'s to high 30's every cast.
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using what glue?

It was with Devcon 2-Ton I believe. The process involves drilling a pilot for twice the diameter of the screw for half of its length and filling the void with epoxy. I could see doing that if you're using a soft wood like pine, but in my opinion hardwoods wouldn't need it.

The test was for pullout -- I think the more common issue is the screw just turning after a fish, requiring it to be turned back into place.

You never know when you might stand on a rock for 8+ hours with fish mid 20#'s to high 30's every cast.
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I wish for a dilemma like this :).

I wouldn't go strictly with screw eyes, but I do use them for suspending (or slow-level-sink) plugs because it's just easier to balance the plug when you remove the variable of air being trapped in the through-wire/center-weight voids.

Here's something I saw used yrs ago. Drill a hole where the screw eyes are gonna go.Mix pc-7 epoxy then fill hole with it. Then screw in screw eye and smooth epoxy around base of screw eye. Pc-7 is the same epoxy many of us rod builders use for tuna rod handle assembly and many other IGFA rods. Ist time I saw this used was on a Goo Goo eye plug next on a Gibbs Darter.

I have a block of pine that I put a bunch of screw eyes in with diff. length and they stay in pretty good. I will have it with me on Sat.

Another vote for the Devcon 2-ton....thats what I use as well. just a little dab before you screw them in and you will be fine.

Stay away from Gorilla Glue...breaks down in saltwater