Making windons

I make mine differently as well, using a double wall of spectra.

 

I'm with Kevin on this.
I start with about 8 to 10 feet of hollow spectra.
Mark the center.
I then use a loop puller to pull one leg of the spectra through the other. On the center I clip on a ball point pen to hold my loop.
I slide the outer leg of the spectra up to the top of the loop (this is where the pen is needed as it acts as a stop).
I'll the taper the mono to fit into a hollow needle. Note: On heavier mono a much longer taper is needed to prevent spectra failure at the end of the mono.
I then slide the spectra inner leg onto the mono to the loop, pull the outer leg down to the inner spectra end, glue and serve. This gives me an adjutsable loop with the mono in the loop itself.

 

My process is very similar except I leave off the glue.

I'm with Kevin on this.
I start with about 8 to 10 feet of hollow spectra.
Mark the center.
I then use a loop puller to pull one leg of the spectra through the other. On the center I clip on a ball point pen to hold my loop.
I slide the outer leg of the spectra up to the top of the loop (this is where the pen is needed as it acts as a stop).
I'll the taper the mono to fit into a hollow needle. Note: On heavier mono a much longer taper is needed to prevent spectra failure at the end of the mono.
I then slide the spectra inner leg onto the mono to the loop, pull the outer leg down to the inner spectra end, glue and serve. This gives me an adjutsable loop with the mono in the loop itself.

 

I've been making these damn things for years.
But when I started I had to teach myself with no pc or outside advice.
All I had was a few look-sees at what I came across on a charter in Mexico.

I experimented and tested until my wife thought I'd break the garage floor with the crump of my test rig going off!

Now I can make a 4inch splice, with only 2x1/4inch glued sections, that will take a full 56lb weight off the floor AND jerk it up and down without separating. (and YES that is a four inch splice)!

My experiments made me realise that the answer didn't lie in the LENGTH of the splice but in HOW TIGHT the splice gripped the mono.

So here is my 6cents worth - make of it what you will.
*Spectra will not grip the leader material as tight as nylon.
*For the loop, whippings and leader use only nylon.
*Nylon can be 'shrunk' using easily available rod building materials.
*The leader inside the splice can be weakened by 50% (because the strength is a combination of leader AND sleeve material).
*A new wind-on leader for each good fish demands a quick production time.

So, to make up,
Use a scalpel to make slices into the mono to MAKE it grip inside the nylon sleeve.
Use high quality, hollow core, nylon (available from English Braids UK).
Make 2 or 3, 1/4inch 'out and back in' passes with the leader material as it goes up the sleeve.
Whip only these 'in/out areas with fine rod guide whipping thread.
Shrink the whipped 1/4inch areas onto the leader, using thinned guide wrapping epoxy polymer- 2 coats.
Whip the splice end as normal.

I make my loops 'Tanaka style' which eliminates the doubled sleeve material and makes a smoother and thinner loop joint.

 

Hey Pescador that sounds very cool, but I cannot visualize it! LOL

Do you happen to live around the Dallas area? If so, I'd like you to join the next get together and demonstrate...

If not, do you have any visual to post?

Thanks for the addition to this thread!

 

Sorry Ragman I live nowhere near the Dallas area ...............but somewhere over 2000 miles east!

Pm sent.

 

Ah, well then yes too far!

Thanks for the PM to send me one!

I'll show everyone that's interested to take a look!

 

AFter reading through this a few different days and getting materials in. I just got in a batch of hollow spectra my needles. I just made my first windon. It held up 60lbs from a tree no problem!!!
I reallly do appreciate all of the info on this forum!

 

That is awesome and no small accomplishment my friend, congrats

 

Destructive testing yields confidence in your ability.
Yea it does!
do we have a diagram/schematic of this to post up, Tom?
I, too would like to try this.
-B
I just used the link on the first post. It really confused me at first as I really had no idea how these were made. After I wen tback to it a couple of times I got it. REally I dont think it is that hard. It just takes mega patients with yourself.

 

do we have a diagram/schematic of this to post up, Tom?
I, too would like to try this.
-B

I can show you how to do it at Bret's gathering.

 

i used to make them as well... i would hook up the forklift to the loop end, and 3000# of chain to the other.... mono has an amazing amount of stretch.. I figured it the line broke before the spectra connection.... I was doing something right.... It took me about 5 times before I got whacked in the back of the head with 100# mono!!!! I coulda swore I had been shot witha 50 caliber !!! I dont do that anymore... Luckily the mono didnt break open the skin, cause the ballcap protected my noggin!!!!

 

Haha I have a hook in a tree that I tied one end to and the other to a bucket. I just kept adding weight in until it broke. My dog jumped about 15 ft bacck all at once..haha

 

do we have a diagram/schematic of this to post up, Tom?
I, too would like to try this.
-B

Pescador graciously offered to send me an example of his technique!

When I receive it, I'll post some pics and get my wife to draw an illustration to post.

 

Pescador,
Interesting. I'm amazed at the many different ways this can be done. You have developed it in several special ways; and, I'll have to think about them.

I make double-walled topshots and leave a loop which uses about 16 inches of spectra. For 100+ # topshots, I generally try to make the double-walled part 5-6' long--plenty length for spectra to "grab" the mono w/o using a nylon sleeve or and w/o nicking the mono.(Maybe one day, I'll back off to 5' or even 4' of double-wall; but, I'm in no rush.) That generally works out to require about 14' 6" of spectra. Interestingly, it seems the outer leg almost always takes about 8" more spectra than the inner leg--maybe b/c that corresponds to the additional length consumed by the spectra being expanded to the additional diameter required to accommodate both the mono and the inner wall of spectra. Finally, I think my sequence of steps is different from any I've read before because I begin by inserting the mono into the shorter leg of the spectra and then "pull a loop" starting at the top of the other leg and then pull the mono side thru the loop so the longer leg inverts over the leg with mono in it. (For this step, imagine pulling a loop in a plain piece of spectra, then imagine that the spectra pulled thru--onto which the other spectra is inverted--already had mono inserted into it). I hit upon this only b/c I never managed to make the way described by Jerry (Snagged) to work w/o roughing up the line.

 

It's really hard to tell just how much a fish will pull on the tackle! If the drag should lock down at 20lbs. at strike, I tie up a dumbell to the rod and lift it up, It hangs and I'm positive that it will hold more ? Even better !!! but that's just setting the drag for 100lb. test mono. I wonder how much will a 100lb. yellowfin tuna can pull max.? just deaD WEIGHT, WEIGHT (IN AIR) WOULD BE 100LBS. wHAT ABOUT IF IT IS SWIMMING 30M.P.H. STRAIGHT DOWN . HOW MANY LBS. OF FORCE WOULD THAT BE ? eVENTUALLY THEY SWIM AROUND INTO A CIRCLE AS THEY GET TIRED, AS YOU KNOW, BUT WHAT IS THAT INITIAL BURST OF PULL REALLY AMOUNT TO ?
ANY PHYSICISTS IN "DA HOUSE YO" ???
JUST GUESS YOU KNOW !!!