The Rigging Bench

1: Heavy Walled Binocular Swages

Mainly used for heavy wire. Shorter crimps, or swages must be heavier gauge to secure wire effectively.

2: Aluminium Tube Crimps

These are used for crimping nylon leaders.

3: Shrink Wrap

Heat Shrink tubing is easy to use for various tasks such as restrictions to lessen the chance of hooks fouling.

4: Standard Binocular Crimps

Also known as Figure 8 swages are used mainly for wire cable.

5: Tape Measure

The tape measure should be able to measure long leaders up to 30 feet.

6: Files and Honing Stones

Keep files and honing stones handy for touching up hook points.

7: Thimbles

Thimbles are usually used on wire or nylon at the rig end of the leader where there is a high risk of damage.

8: Shackles

Shackles are a good way of joining things to each other such as hooks to leader as they are very small and very strong, and allow quick and easy changeover of leaders or hooks.

9: Rubber Washers

These are used to stop the back of the lure damaging the nylon leader where it enters the crimp.

10: Chafing Springs

These small stainless springs are used to protect nylon end loops.

11: Chafe Tubing

Any form of nylon or Teflon tubing can be used for chafe protection.

12: Parrot Beak Wire Cutters

Parrot beaked wire cutters make a very neat, clean cut in wire and nylon making it easier to fit tight crimps.

13: Lures

Try and rig similar sized lures at the same time as you can process items much more efficiently.

14: Leader and Wire

Try to be consistent with the range of wire and leader types and sizes as this makes it easier to fit the right sized crimps.

15: Multi Crimping Bench

There are many types of crimping tools each with their own capabilities. This one can do many sized crimps. The jaws are quite narrow which is good for light tackle rigging.

16: Heat Gun

Heat guns make using heat shrink tubing very easy as it heats the areas evenly.

17: Bench Crimper with Cutter

A heavy duty bench crimper with wire cutter makes using the wire jig very easy. The narrow jaws mean that larger crimps need multiple pressings.

18: Wire Jig

Using a jig is an easy way of measuring wire consistently.

19: Hooks

Hooks should be sharpened and checked for cracking or corrosion before being used in rigging.

20: Spring Loaded Flat Jawed Pliers

These pliers are used for holding wire taut when crimping.

 21: Spikes

An assortment of spikes is used to form round loops in wire of consistent size.

22: Wide Jaw Crimping Press

This is a heavy duty bench press for medium and heavy tackle rigs and leaders. The jaws must be changed for each size crimp.

23: Nylon Cutters

Neat cuts are essential for fitting correct sized crimps. Use specific cutters just for nylon.

24: Hand Crimping Pliers

Each type has it's own advantages such as incorporating wire cutters and doing varying crimp sizes with various sized jaws.