DIY SIMPLE GREAT TOOLS
AND A FEW NEW IDEAS AND SOLUTIONS
THE FLASH A BOO—BOO —
The Jacobs Flash-A-Boo-Boo for the neat organization of a pain in the ass — Flash material in plastic bags — Simple , cheap parts and leftovers to keep flash material neat — All using the same materials left over from jobs with overages or in the case of the black bases you see, my buyer went with a one man elevated lift instead of a staircase and I had twenty of these black stair plates from Home Depot.
I work in metal more so than wood — I can easily, with two 7/16 sockets or wrenches, build, rebuild, re-design, alter, change or modify. I have eight or nine gizmos made with these parts. All 1/4 x 20 in findings and rebuildable— Split rings, lanyard holders and wire ties, two connectors and two round screws bent open to hold the crossbar.
Enough parts to build a staircase.
THE JACOBS DRYER RACKS IN TWO SIZES
“ I Went Nuts With Bolts — On These Projects From The 1/4X20 Junk Draw !
The rotating grip screws, actually nuts on the base act as a mini-clamp, simple efficient holders, for any small objects, they are called “ Tarp Clamps" — Used during Hurricane season in Florida . They are popular for the outside Florida shutters found at Home Depot — 1/4 X 20 Thread — in wood section — With two on a bolt facing each other, hooks or objects can be held at any angle to dry — eyes up, eyes down whatever.
Hints: In between the threaded tarp nuts nuts I place two rubber coated one side washers to act as anti-slip, no scratch surfaces for delicate stuff. If I used powder coat for the base I use the clamps for holding the eye upward, so as not to get clogged — The top shaft is offset so hooks will not drip or contact the lower deck —
All these parts were salvage or leftovers from other projects — About twenty-eight years work of proto-typing or projects that were disassembled — I call re-building or reconstruction “ Johnny Five it”. Why waste money when you have your own junkyard and Home Depot in your garage, package to prevent rust, like a good retail outlet and my favorite is ACE hardware, their product better quality than Home Depot which is entirely made from Chinese sunken Junks.
I added Rubber base legs so as not to slide and a magnet mid stream for my work benches — If I do something during the build , I can easily take it apart and make something else. The other thing you might notice is all my builds are 1/4x20 nuts, bolts and screws which use a minimum of tools as the nuts and bolt heads are the same size on about everything.
The top bar uses a small mending plate to offset the rod so drips don't land on the lower rod…
❖ Tools need: Two 7/16 wrench's — No power tools
❖ Extra parts needed— 1/4 x 20 threaded connectors
❖ Tinka Toy construction you can stand on—
❖ No Chinese plastic parts to deteriorate —
❖ Easily “ Johnny Five” DeConstruction and back to parts —
❖ Bigger Brother can hold over 100+ when I am white powder coating or gelling Jig heads —
❖ Threaded rod usage hold hook in separation if you have to move them while drying —
— The Jacobs Line Puller, Hand Saving Knot Tightener —
— And a Word About Barracudas —
Braided lines and Fluorocarbons will slice your hands to pieces and for those that use their hands without gloves on the larger Saltwater reels as a drag shortly will find out when the blood drips on that nice white boat.
You need gloves, good ones. Heavy or padded leather if you are a dragger. Some fish never got the message and many have teeth. Many cut one or two finger open for cell phone or electric reel use.
When making rigs and harnesses using mono or braid use these cheap
( Inexpensive ten minute construction) tools and really tighten down on those knots testing their strength at the same time.
I know of a mate who thought those kitchen kevlar anti-slice gloves would be a great idea. So did the huge barracuda he was thinking of being brought into the boat.
The gloves might protect from a slice but not a puncture. The ER resident guy thought it was great too as it was a slow day and he practiced micro stitching him up.
I guess a picture would be relevant and more important, but I keep gore on this site to a minimum.
❖ Another problem is tightening a spliced line. Wet the knot ( usually spit is used ) and wrap the two sides on the two handles about three turns. Saves fingers.
❖ Those carabiners serve a purpose, when snelling hooks you now have control of the hook and the loop on the other end
❖ Thats rubber shrink tubing on the out side so even braid doesn’t slip when pulled tight, shrink tubing is available with internal glue when heated and makes it bullet proof.
❖ When separated the two pieces will float!
❖ Tools: PVC cutter or saw and a drill to make pilot hole for the screw eyes. Use either stainless, or marine quality with washers and a lock nut.
❖ I use bathroom-kitchen clear silicon on the loop eye and nut to maintain buoyancy if it goes overboard.
❖ Two feet 1/2 inch PVC, eight caps, (Un threaded just caps) glue for PVC, four 1/4x20 bolt screw eyes and shrink tubing. ❖ Glue is obviously last step… and be sure to seal the can after use, it will dry out on you.
❖ One of the mates down at the dock did me a favor and I made him a set. He just used a length of para-cord and made a nice knotted shoulder sling connected to the instead of that little carabiner as he works on a commercial tourist fishing bay boat and always tying lines, he thanks me every-time he sees me. Since it’s on a para-string string it hasn’t developed feet yet and no unauthorized ownership.
❖ Cost about five bucks for four pieces, makes two pair. Give one to a mate, you’ll have a friend for life and really tight knots instead of tight nuts.
BARRACUDA — Somethings Else Wants Your Hands —
So if the line doesn’t slice you, invite a pissed off Barracuda into the boat. I think of them as the torpedo of the sea observing them while diving. They are fast, aggressive, with badass teeth and attitude. Almost impossible to hit with a spear gun if attacked.
Some will even jump into the boat unprovoked and unhooked, recently it put a woman in the hospital. Barracuda attacks on humans, including completely unprovoked ones, are far more common than recognized.
☠️ Verified, Some Names Withheld, Privacy Respected, These guys are nasty —
After an unprovoked barracuda attack amputated my left little finger and the side of my hand in Cozumel, DAN saved my life. No diver should be without DAN coverage!
The world’s most recognized and respected dive safety organization, Divers Alert Network (DAN) has remained committed to the health and well-being of divers for 40 years. The organization’s research, medical services and global-response programs create an extensive network that supports divers with vital services such as injury prevention, safety and educational programs and lifesaving evacuations. Every year, hundreds of thousands of divers around the world look to DAN as their dive safety organization. WWW.DAN.ORG
- Covers diving, non-diving and named water sports accidents & injuries
- Pays 100% of eligible accident medical expenses up to US$500,000
- Available for divers age 70 and over in the U.S. and Canada
After my attack I received close to a hundred personal descriptions of unprovoked attacks and near attacks by barracudas. These do not include attacks on spear fishermen, who are hundreds of times more likely to be attacked by barracudas (or sharks) going after their catch on the end of their spear, or that they are holding in their hand, or towing on a string.
- Koral Wira, 14, was fishing with her family in the Gulf of Mexico about four miles off the Venice Inlet. Suddenly, from out of the blue, the Venice girl was attacked by a 45-inch barracuda — while sitting inside a boat. According to the family, the barracuda jumped from the water, flew across the boat like a bullet, clamped onto the girl's left arm and left it looking like "raw hamburger," reports the Herald-Tribune. The incision-like bite wounds from her elbow to her wrist required 51 stitches to close.
- A spokesperson at Mote Marine said it would be possible for a barracuda to jump and attack if it was feeding time, or if the fish had been hooked and was fighting, reports the Herald-Tribune. And it looks like that is exactly what Wira's father was doing: He said he was fishing for barracuda and shark and found his bait and hook inside the barracuda's mouth — but the hook hadn't penetrated its mouth, reports the Herald-Tribune.
The fish, meanwhile, was flopping around and “ trying to bite anything it could," said Wira's father. As the fish was on its side, he was able to kneel down behind it, killing it with a filet knife by stabbing it between the eyes, reports the Herald-Tribune. - When coaching kids base ball I had whats called a “ fungo bat”, a short bat made for coaches to use in one hand lofting a ball for infield base players practice. I don’t coach anymore but it makes a great larger fish pacifier if they are going crazy in the boat. I added a wrist strap and carabiner.
The Jacobs Line Removal And Line Rinsing Device
A line removal device thats waterproof, fast and your line can be washed on it. It’s made from an inexpensive electrical cord reel from Amazon but sold in most big box or hardware stores in the garden or electrical department.
- I took a simple electrical line holder from Amazon for five dollars and change.
- I corrected the sloppy molding by nerds and ends by trimming with a Box Cutter and Medium file ( Advantage of trim — No cost, not for esthetics, couple sharp edges)
- I corrected the sloppy crank with two washers and some aircraft bearing grease from my airplane .( No cost and totally waterproof)
- I added a ten inch stainless bolt drilled through the handle part, lock washers and connected it to a Manfrotto Super Clamp from my Photo Studio. You can use any kind of clamp you wish. Just use your imagination and a drill.
- Note: I used one marine grade stainless bolt, nuts and now you can dip and dunk expensive fly lines after saltwater usage. That is a big deal — And the basin in my garage is a great fly line cleaner. The large spool prevents kinks and sets.
- A touch, more like a glob of aircraft grade lubricant for airplane landing gear, hard stick grease or similar on the track and VOILA! As long as it’s waterproof .. You have a great line changer, storage and cleaner device and two make moving lines fast and easy.
- A second duplicate holder mounted permanently on the opposite wall allows the fly lines to travel between the two holders shuttling the line back and forth with line dressing or “ Slick preservative “ products old at tackle stores by LOON, Rio, Scientific Anglers and Others.
The Jacobs Spin-A-Rooni Brass Body Shiner —
Degree Of Difficulty: 0-.2
Cost: .5 to .6 Cents
Parts List: One 1/8 Rivet, One piece Shrink Tube
Bottom Line: Excellent Results
Errata — Tech Support: 24/7/365 Absolutely none whatsoever.
Parts list — N o parts, send me a self postage envelope and I’ll send you the parts built. Enclose a few bucks by check made out to St. Judes for Children, a charity which I support if you are inclined to help.
Genius’s Note —
- Many lures I rebuilt had brass bodies, plus new ones not being painted and needed polishing. This took about two minutes to design, build and finished ten bodies of lures in brass in about in an hour. Clean , Polish, Repaint if needed.
- After they’re polished I alcohol 93% washed them, clear coated them, with Sally Hansen Top Coat worked fine or UV clear.
- I also used a fine wire brush for dull finishing brush and red striped some of the bodies in the groves and then clear coated after they dried.
- I made them in many sizes from metal stock to paint lure bodies with and added a magnetic cheap drying rack made from a computer monitor base and a magnetic strip.
The Shrink Tubing Keeps The Body
On The Mandrel From Moving…
1- Brass Polish 2- Alcohol 3- Sally Hanson Clear
3a- Or Uv Clear 3b- Or Red In Groves
Custom Dubber — One Of A Kind —
I custom built this for a Commercial Builder who does a lot of wet or deep flies, nymphs etc
06/04/2021 aljacobsladder.com