Food

Living

Outside

Play

Technology

Workshop

How to make your own permalok needles

by ch5 on August 16, 2011 Table of Contents How to make your own permalok needles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Intro: How to make your own permalok needles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 1: What you will need . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 2: Cut the rod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 3: Clean it up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 4: Drill the back of the rod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 5: Threading the inside of the needle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 3 4 4 5 8

Step 6: Testing it . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Step 7: Shaping It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Step 8: Finishing it off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Step 9: Final thoughts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-your-own-permalok-needles/

Intro: How to make your own permalok needles

Those of you messing around with paracord probably know what these are already. If you don't, they're basically large diameter needles that thread from the back, parallel to the needle body, so they don't create extra thickness from threading them on large diameter stuff ( paracord, leather...). Although not essential, they can make your knot related work much easier and enjoyable. I thought these needles were gadgets, and have always been able to make all my fancy knots without such tools. But I must admit that since I began using my first homemade needle, the hobby went even more enjoyable than it was before, give 'em a try ! My problem is that where I leave ( France ) these are impossible to come by. Buying them online was the obvious alternative I've considered for some time, but I would end up paying three times as much in shipping costs than I would for an actual set of these. So this is where DIY kicks in. There's nothing really complex about these, and if you have a slightly equipped shop, it should only be a matter of minutes. ( My first try probably took me 20-30 min, half the time being spent looking for the right tools. But since I wasn't able to find any resource online concernig making them yourself, I decided I might just publish my own attempt at it so others could benefit from it. ( Actually I've found some instructions on making lacing needles by hammering and filing brass pipes, but did'nt like their aspect at all.Also, it limited sizing options too much for me .) These are easy, cheap, and work awesomely well ! What are you waiting for ? Oh, and there are also a couple other advantages in making them yourself: - You can quickly make a new one for most sizes of cord, string or anything. - You can make them the shape, the length, the size, and nose form you need. - This includes curved ones for works on coverings etc... I will be covering the making of a needle designed to fit standard 550 paracord in this Instructable. Have fun !

Image Notes 1. A freshly made needle will look a bit bright. 2. But after a couple days and some handling it will oxidize back to a nice brass color.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-your-own-permalok-needles/

Step 1: What you will need

Here are the few tools you will need to do this. You might get away with less tools and more ingenuity, but this is the "basic" toolset that will make the whole process a breeze. - One brass rod , ( For 550 paracord, I used a 6mm rod, which seems to be just perfect ) - A drill press ( This might be the hardest to source for some of you, but it will allow you to drill a nice straight hole down the rod easyly.) - A dremel tool for the cutting/finishing of the needle. - Various cutting, grinding and polishing bits. - A set of threading taps matching the diameter of your rod. For paracord and a 6mm rod, I used 4X0.70 mm taps. - A drill bit, choose it accordingly to the kind of tap you're using. I used a 3.2 mm bit. It should have been 3.3, but that's close enough. - Optionnally, a bench grinder That's it ! If you choose alternative ways of construction, you might also find usefull to have: - a hack saw - sand paper - a lathe ( this would surpass the whole drill press thing on any aspect, but most of you won't have the privilege of owning one, so I will describe the "poor man's" drill press way here, as they are way more common ) Once again, this is only one way of doing it. Depending on your tools or skills you might find many more.

Image Notes 1. A cutting disc 2. Sand paper wheel 3. 6mm brass rod 4. A finishing disc 5. A drill bit ( 3.2 mm here, should have been 3.3 but that'll do) 6. A pair of assorted 4x0.70 taps.

Image Notes 1. Your favorite cutting tool

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-your-own-permalok-needles/

Image Notes 1. Optionnally, a bench grinder

Step 2: Cut the rod

This shouldn't be to hard :) Pick up your selected brass rod, and cut it to desired length, maybe just leave a Cm or so more than you need. This will help should you mess up the shaping process. For my first needle , I used 6mm diameter plain brass rod and cut it to a ~8cm ( ~3 Inches ) blank. Dont bother making the cleanest cut yet, this will be ground down later anyway.

Step 3: Clean it up
I tried a different technique for cutting the rod while taking these pictures... It ended up ugly. If this happens to you, just run one of the ends ( the threading one ) on a bench grinder to clean it up. Don't worry about the other end, you'll be shaping it later.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-your-own-permalok-needles/

Image Notes 1. Ugly...

Image Notes 1. clean !

Step 4: Drill the back of the rod

This is the only tricky part of the process, drilling a nice straight hole along the needle's length. I will show you a trick I learned on hackaday that will make this really easy . If you're lucky enough to own a lathe, you'll probably know how to achieve the same result with it. But since drill presses are way more common, I'll show how to use one for the same purpose. So basically: 1) You put your drill bit in the press chunk, only in reverse ( the cutting part inside the jaws) 2) Don't tighten it to much, light hand-tight is enough, you just want it to stay there, without crushing it. 3) Without running the press, lower the reversed bit down to the jaws of the vise. 4) Grab the end of the drill bit in the vise jaws, and then fix the vise to the working area as appropriate.Take care not to move the bit around while tightening. 5) While holding the press down ( don't let the whole thing jump back on itself ), gently release the chuck, freeing the bit, and let the press go back up. 6 ) Put the brass rod in the chuck, tighten it good, and then drill your hole with this setup. We're basically emulating a lathe here. A fixed tool, with a moving working piece. I've found that center punching the hole might help if you have a cheap press, but you shouldn't need this with this technique The depth of drilling isn't critical at all. I made mine somewhere around 1/3 of the total needle length deep. Don't panic if you don't get it perfectly straight. Alignement isn't that much critical anyway. As long as the hole doesn't pop out of one side of the needle, it should remain totally usable. Got it right ? Good ! Let's move on.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-your-own-permalok-needles/

Image Notes 1. The drill bit put in reverse. Don't overtighten !

Image Notes 1. Lower the bit between the vise jaws without bending it in any direction. THE PRESS IS OFF FOR ALL THESE STEPS !

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-your-own-permalok-needles/

Image Notes 1. Fix the vise once you get it in the right place 2. After fixing the vise , open the chunk, and slowly let your press get back up.

Image Notes 1. Then put your working piece in the chunk, tighten accordingly and...

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-your-own-permalok-needles/

Image Notes 1. ...process to drilling to the desired depth.

Image Notes 1. "Close enough "...

Step 5: Threading the inside of the needle.

The next step is to thread the inner walls of the needle. Your taps should come in sets of 3. - A taper Tap ( for beginning the work ) - A plug Tap ( for the main job ) - A bottoming Tap ( if your tap needs to precisely go to the bottom of your hole, our doesn't) We'll be only using the first two. Begin with the taper tap, to set the thread. Then , make a second pass with the plug tap to make it nice and smooth. When doing this , turn the tool back 1/4 turn every complete turn down, this will help "cleaning" the path, and avoid chips clogging the way. Also keep in mind that taps are very hard tools and therefore equally brittle. Take care not to put any side pressure on the tool while using it, he'll be thankful for that. I didn't go all the way to the bottom. Actually, I also only passed the plug tap on the first 2/3 of the tread, so the size of the hole would reduce down the needle, I've found this helps to trap the cord inside, but feel free to experiment there. While we're at it, how do you choose the appropriate drill for any given set of taps ? If your tap reads 4x 0.70 like mine does, simply pick up a 4 - 0.70 = 3.3 mm drill . It's that simple :)

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-your-own-permalok-needles/

Image Notes 1. The taper and plug taps. Both read 4X0.70 mm

Image Notes 1. Begin with slight vertical pressure. Then, let the tool do it's job. Don't forget to back up 1/4 turn every turn to clean everything. Also empty the hole between 2 consecuttive taps. 2. Brass is soft, use a cloth around it so you do'nt damage the sides. Don't do anything this kind near rotary tools though !

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-your-own-permalok-needles/

Image Notes 1. Nice internal thread :)

Step 6: Testing it
At this point, test if the thread is correct for the intended use. Pick a length of paracord, and melt one of the ends if not already done. Any shape that tightly fits inside the needle should work, from the leather working trade, most people recommend you cut your cord to a 45 angle to ease the setup. Then just screw the end of your cord in the needle as far as it will go whitout requiring excessive force. Your cord should now be trapped safely in the needle, and not come out whitout a significant amount of force being applied. I've found that the melted plastic ball at the end of the cords just perfectly adapts itself into a neat thread to follow the one on the needle. Should you find the grip too loose at this point, just try making it all again with a smaller diameter hole. If you followed the sizes I used, it should hold perfectly strong on regular paracord.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-your-own-permalok-needles/

Image Notes 1. At this point you might want to test the fit with some paracord before goint any further. I must admit I was quite surprised to see how well this holds.

Step 7: Shaping It
If you're satisfied with the grip of the needle on the intended material, proceed to shaping it's head. I initially planned on sticking it inside my dremel tool, and running It against a grinder wheel to get a smooth perfectly round shape. But I didn't have the proper dremel chunk at the moment. So I just stuck the piece in the drill press again, this time threaded end up, ran it, and worked the needle head with grinding bits on my dremel. If you have a set of small flat files, they might be more appropriate for this step than the Dremel tool. It would probably be easier to shape the tip evenly with filesthan with a thin cutting disc. Please note this is not actually the intended use of the drill press,which is not meant to support side pression, so dont use too much force when working this way, just in case. This part is up to you, make the head the shape the way you like it. Just remember to keep the point a bit rounded, so it doesn't pierce your cord when you're working with it. Unless of course this is the feature you're looking for for any particular application. When finished, I got the needle out of the press, put it back in reverse, and also clean shaped the thread end of it, just to get off this "cut from stock brass rod" look. This is just a matter of putting a small angle on this end. It also helps when pulling the neede out of your ropework after a mistake.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-your-own-permalok-needles/

Image Notes 1. In the press again, for some shaping. This time the threaded end is up.

Image Notes 1. Work the head the shape you want it. Grinding bits might be more appropriate, but I only had a cutting disk at hand. Just go slow and gently.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-your-own-permalok-needles/

Image Notes 1. gradually shape the head...

Image Notes 1. ...untill the desired shape is achieved. Don't forget to round the tip.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-your-own-permalok-needles/

Image Notes 1. While we're at it, also taper the edge on the threaded end of the needle.

Step 8: Finishing it off

When the desired shape is achieved, it's just a matter of giving it the desired finish. I chose the easy/lazy way, and went on as I did so far. I kept the piece turning in the press, while finishing it off with various sanding/polishing/finishing bits on my dremel.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-your-own-permalok-needles/

Image Notes 1. For finishing work, use your rough tools first, then move on with finer and finer ones.

Image Notes 1. The rough 1st pass form the sanding wheel

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-your-own-permalok-needles/

Image Notes 1. The picture doesn't do it justice, but this is smooth to touch after the 2nd pass

Image Notes 1. Enjoy the finished product !

Step 9: Final thoughts

You're done ! You can now thread this little fella on the end of some paracord and enjoy it changing your life. Well...maybe not, but at least the tricky knot tying part of it :) Here are some additional thoughts : - I'm only showing one way of doing it here, you might find some better ones according to your skills/available tools - Using a lathe would be a better substitute for the whole drill press if you own one. - Since It's all home made, don't fear experimenting with various head shapes. Round, diamonds, dull, sharpened... - You can make it as long as you wish for any particular purpose. - You can adapt the process for various sizes of ropes/cords...Smaller ones make many splicing jobs so much easier :) - You might find it useful sometimes to have a curvy needle for some work , just so it can go in, and pop out of your work near it'e entry point. Try bending some once you've done a few. I hope you enjoy trying this out, and using your very own tool. Feel free to post any suggestions of further refinements in the comments. I'd also really like to see actual pictures of anybody ducplicating this instructable or ones of the fancy knots/ropework this might have helped you with :) As an end note, it would be nice if you posted the exact drill/rod/taps sizes if you make it any other size , so everybody can learn from it. I will feature any comments meeting one of these criteria so everybody can profit. Ch5

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-your-own-permalok-needles/

Image Notes 1. Getting expert kitty approval for any string related stuff is a must.

Image Notes 1. The expert enjoyed it so much , she grabbed the whole thing and ran away with it. Ffffffuuuuuuuuuuuuu.....

Related Instructables

DIY Paracord Fids (Permaloklike Needles) by MacGyver9

Making a Paracord Whip by SAI Peregrinus

How to make a Paracord Leatherman Pouch by stuwegie

Nalgene Cap Paracord Fix by rstupplebeen

How to make a survival bracelet by legomaster92

How to make a Knife Sheath from Leather by minerug

Comments
20 comments Add Comment

Lextone says:

Jan 23, 2012. 6:40 PM REPLY Great Ible. Gotta try that technique for drilling rod....but its not a good Idea to use a bench grinder for Brass (or aluminum, wood or any malleable metals for that matter). Being soft it will clog the pores on the face of the wheel. This can cause over heating and the wheel can have a catastrophic failure causing injury. You can however use a file and your drill press to form the tip just as you would do on a lathe. Just be sure to use a wooden handle....or you may wind up in the emergency room. (The pic below is a friend of mine who didnt do that) Be careful and apply common sense!

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-your-own-permalok-needles/

curious youth says:

ouch. did he lose any mobility ?

Jan 26, 2012. 12:05 AM REPLY

Lextone says:

Jan 26, 2012. 12:25 PM REPLY Luckily no. It mostly went through the fatty tissue of his hand. No nerve or muscle injury. His First Aid training kicked in when it happened and he fought his initial reaction to pull it out. Having it removed at the Hospital more than likely saved him from any further damage. In this pic he is all jacked up on pain killers in the Hospital waiting on the Doctor to come.

curious youth says:

Jan 26, 2012. 3:30 PM REPLY Wow. such a lucky guy and lucky he knew first aid. i know from mine that if he pulled it out it would be much much worse. Everytime i look at the picture im feeling a massive throb in my hand.

MadBricoleur says:
Wowow, that is a great idea for center drilling small diameter rods. I'd have never thought of that. Thanks so much!!

Jan 7, 2012. 9:22 PM REPLY

solomonhorses says:
AWESOME! I love the upside down drill bit trick! Keep up the good work!

Dec 19, 2011. 8:26 PM REPLY

Robotic_mage says:

Aug 21, 2011. 2:05 PM REPLY Great Instructable. I but knitting needles, which are hollow aluminum, cut to size, then just a quick threading with a tap. I can usually find a pair of needles for $0.50. Paul

aristide202 says:
you'are great !

Dec 9, 2011. 4:40 PM REPLY

Aaronius says:
Brilliant!

Nov 8, 2011. 11:48 AM REPLY

micraman says:

Oct 8, 2011. 3:48 AM REPLY Great stuff! shoulda made one of these ages ago :D I was thinking, since I don't have a drill press, maybe i'll get a brass tube and tap both ends. One end for the paracord, the other for the tip. For the the tip I'll just shape it somehow (with lots of elbow grease!) and then put it in a die to make a threaded end. This would allow me to change tips too! Whadya think?

tech_monkee says:
I love this instructable. on a side note for some that might want a thinner needle:

Sep 17, 2011. 2:48 AM REPLY

a few years ago i bought some "portable" stainless steel chopsticks online for like $5.00 usd shipped. these chopsticks unscrew from each other. the pointed end being the part where the paracord would screw into. i used these to make a few cases for my phone and it was very easy to thread with. that said - i will be making some of those fatter diameter ones to have more options :) thanks for the instructable.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-your-own-permalok-needles/

zazenergy says:
Great instructable, very thorough instructions. Thanks!

Aug 23, 2011. 11:11 AM REPLY

rimar2000 says:
Very interesting. I like specially the step 4.

Aug 21, 2011. 7:09 PM REPLY

That One Eegit says:

Yes, step 4 is very creative.

Aug 23, 2011. 9:17 AM REPLY

mblack3 says:
Excellent! I have wanted to do this for a while and your instructable helped immensely!

Aug 22, 2011. 4:58 PM REPLY

diyoutdoorsman says:

Aug 22, 2011. 9:13 AM REPLY Your needle is also called a fid. You can find them in various hardware stores and boating/maritime suppliers. I noticed a couple of different sized plastic ones in my local hardware store the other day.

richie_114 says:
Read yours right after posting mine, Man.. I hate reposting something someone else said.... Sorry!

Aug 22, 2011. 4:31 PM REPLY

richie_114 says:

Aug 22, 2011. 4:30 PM REPLY Ohhhh.... I was trying to figure out what a "permalock needle" was, I think I remember them being referred to as a "fid" basically a hollow needle you weave ropes with (not just hollow braid either) Aug 22, 2011. 9:23 AM REPLY

CementTruck says:
Really good idea! Great follow through.

I was struggling with an idea on how to make my own Permalok needle a few months ago. I dug through my Box-O-Stuff where I toss things that might come in handy in the future and came across some proprietary IBM cable male/female gender benders. They had stainless steel screws that held 2 cables together. I cut the thumbscrew off the female screw and sharpened the tip. it works fine, but is a little short. I like your idea much better. Kudos.

craftydan says:
Nicely done -- a thorough instructable with a few good fabbing tricks.

Aug 21, 2011. 3:07 PM REPLY

There is a (IMO) simpler procedure over at KHWW (but when was simpler better for a weekend project?). Involves small gauge copper tubing, a self tapping screw, a hammer and some finishing supplies. It's little less machine intense, but I've got a feeling yours is a bit sturdier.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-your-own-permalok-needles/