Ornament Hooks

[mbevington]

I make my ornament eye hooks, out of copper wire and some small pilers. I'm having trouble making them as consistant as I want them.
I was just wondering what everyone else does for there eye hooks?
Also is there a good way to find the right place to put the hook, so the ornament hangs straight?

Mark

[Just Carving]

Mark,

I buy my eyes from the crafts store. You probably could get them at Rag Shop, Michael's, A.C. Moore, any hardware store, or Home Depot, Lowe's, Walmart, etc.

As far as putting the eye in the right place, I usually center it as best as possible. I suppose that might not work if the carving wasn't balanced to begin with. You could fashion a temporary eye hook out of stiff wire, or even a straight pin, and push it in to the carving temporarily. Hang the carving so it hangs freely to see how it hangs. Move the pin untill you get the carving to hang the way you want. Once you know the spot, then put the eye hook in permanently. Then fill any pinholes with wood filler.

[Ron D]

i usually just buy my eye hooks there not that much.but i usually try to put them in dead center of my ornament i dont really have a method i guess
ron

[Bartster]

mike,

i buy my eye hooks also,fom woodcraft shop in bettendorf iowa, i have also used fish hooks by just cutting the hook off and drilling a small hole and using glue.

bart

[Thor]

I don't know if this can apply, but sometimes, I just drill a hole through the wood before I start carving it so that I can just put a string through it without having any hardware at all. Since I do medieval hanging tokens, the brass eyehooks are inappropriate. The hole barely shows up once I carve it, but it makes a mess if I drill the hole after it's done.
Thor

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

I either use eye hooks I buy at the hobby shop for a few bucks for 100..or I drill a hole with a tip drill (welders tip cleaning drill) and glue in a piece of fishing line with a loop in it. (I do that if I don't want to be able to see the hook.

[Kenny_S]

Eye Hooks or 24 gauge wire wraped around a 10 penny nail and twisted to make a long enough shank to glue in to a 1/16 hole. The easiest is the eye hooks. Just screw in. However, I drill a pilot hole aand glue and screw.

Looks like the EYE hooks have it!

[Mark N. Akers]

I buy fishing hooks,catch them on special at Walmart.I then take a pair of wire cutters and cut the hook end off leaving a straight piece,and then use a pair of pliers and push it in the top of a ornament.I generally buy the gold color hooks also.

[AlArchie]

But then, how do you tie the hook to the leader?

Al

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Duct tape?