Quick 'n dirty wire rope swaging die

[MushCreek]

Well, as usual, I want to do something, but it costs too much. I need to swage some eyes in 3/16 wire rope, and a die is $$$. They do have hand tools, but at $60, why should I buy one to do a handful of eyes? after digging deep on-line, I finally found out what the proper dimensions of the finished joint should be. Easy enough from there to create a die. I made it out of tool steel, but didn't harden it. It should hold up for the half dozen eyes I need to make. I just close it up in the mill vise. The dowels maintain alignment. I tried to destroy the eye with a big pry bar, and it didn't budge. The ones I need will never see more than a couple hundred pounds (for my rowboat lift), so it should be overkill.

 

[txvwnut]

Very nice. If you hadn’t showed the tool nobody would know.

 

[jack stand]

Your like me, spend $60 or make one... all day.
What's the satisfaction in spending $60?

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

Nice, I cheated, and just asked wWest Marine if I could use theirs for a minute.

 

[rkevins]

makes as nice a crimp as a nic tool

 

[mike93lx]

You can save all kinds of money by just applying time and thousands of dollars worth of tools!

Nice job OP, looks great.

 

[jsaw]

Your like me, spend $60 or make one... all day.
What's the satisfaction in spending $60?

The satisfaction is saving $60, and of course the satisfaction of using your tools to create something neat

 

[MushCreek]

Now that I'm retired and living on SS, I'd much rather spend the time rather than the money. This stuff is what I do all day.

 

[jack stand]

I think you guys misunderstood my point. I find satisfaction in building my tool or solution even if it may not make sense from the perspective of your time. I generally find no satisfaction in spending $60.
Particularly these days.

 

[mike93lx]

I think you guys misunderstood my point. I find satisfaction in building my tool or solution even if it may not make sense from the perspective of your time. I generally find no satisfaction in spending $60.
Particularly these days.

I don't think anyone misunderstood. We are just heckling over the real cost of making stuff like this

 

[metlmunchr]

To paraphrase an excellent post from another forum re the make or buy question....

"No one gives me free money to buy things, but since I'm retired I get 24 free hours every day to make things"

 

[Muckin_Slusher]

Nice, but next crimp do a flemish eye loop before the crimp, then you KNOW it's not going anywhere.

 

[MushCreek]

The eyes are going to have thimbles in them.

 

[Muckin_Slusher]

The eyes are going to have thimbles in them.

Thimbles fit in flemish eyes.