Painting jigs?

[AllenW]

The posts on the sinker molds got me to start thinking about making some more jigs for next spring, I have been using the powder stuff to paint them, but not having all that much good luck.

Any recomandations for paint to dip them in??
tia

Al

[Reelmn]

Construct a fluid bed for your power paint.

[AllenW]

Your saying melt the powdered paint into something then dip the jig in it??

Al

[KHedquist]

http://www.do-itmolds.com/prodpaint3.aspx?c=248

Allen what are using to heat your jigs? I use a cheap toaster oven.

[KHedquist]

http://tjstackle.com/FluidBedProcess.htm

[Nimstug]

Some years ago the local school district offered a lure making class. We used a heat gun similar to this:

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_364408_364408

Hold the jig with pliers in front of the gun, then dip it into the powdered paint, and tap off the excess. After painting, we'd hang the jigs on a wire rack and bake for about 10-15 minutes at 250 degrees to harden the paint. Make sure the jigs aren't touching or they will stick together.

As I recall we used the Pro-Tec paints.

We also used the same system for spinner baits and buzz baits but it was a tricky to dip the bodies in the powder.

Nimstug

[AllenW]

Thanks all, the oven worked great till we got a new one and the wife put the stop to it, something about not stinking up the house and dripping paint in her new oven....after we argued the point and I told her how it was gonna be, I got enough band aids on to stop most the bleeding and headed for the garage...

There I tried with a propane torch..to cold, to cold..ooops burnt it...

I'll check the listed sites out guys, thanks.

Moreyes you want to get together and make jigs let me know, I'm headed for cabella's soon to buy hooks.

Maybe we can compare what molds we have?

Anybody else in the twin cities is welcome too.

Thanks all.

Al

[jigworks]

vinyl paint is the duability key.to a long lasting jig.we use air brushes we paint hundreds yearly.for twister use or i tie a lot of bucktails..we used to dip.we have designed a system that allows painting as the jigs spin on wooden dolls.we can paint 90 jigs in about 20 min.per coat. i have many molds do-it products work well for us..once you use vinyl paint nothing else comes close to quality,and durability.give it a try experiment a little.

[jignpig]

I too second Vinyl paint...I would not even consider that powder stuff...If you have some buddies and can split the cost of vinyl Paint it is the way to go!

There is nothing more durable or easy to use. PM me if you want and I can give you some tips for painting with it. I dip, and have had great luck.

Jigworks- I'd love to hear you reasoning for going to an airbrush over dipping...

Todd

[AllenW]

Any suggested brands or just any vinyl paint??
Dipping prob easier in my case.

Thanks

Al

[jignpig]

Component paint is the best and I think one of the few out there... Make sure you order thinner with the paint, they tell you not to thin it too much, but it is very thick right at the get go.

www.csipaint.com

[jigworks]

JIGNPIG HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD.CS paints and thinners.Cabela,s handles all componets you will need.Barlows,Do-it.remember if you use vinyl paint vinyl paint thinner,is the only thinner that will workfor viscosity purpuses,and cleaning your tool
s and air brushes etc.we have been experimenting with glow paints.thru trial and many airs it has worked.for air brushin the key is the thickness of the paint.1 oune of paint can go a long way.if mixed right.my view on dipping,this is my view only even if you mix a small container of paint and the thickness is not what you are really looking for.you can always add paint or thinner.shake well and you are back in the game.with a air brush you just keep spraying for desired color or paint depth,either up your flow of paint by controlling the brush.or air compressor.air brushes are great for multi-colored jigs.painting sonars are a breeze.the vinyl paint thinner is not cheap like the paint.I have found that vinyl is rock strong mixed correctly.and this paint will not fade.we paint hundreds a year for friends and family.a hand full of jigs will catch any fish on gods green earth...FISH,HUNT,EAT,SLEEP,WORK,SEE YA ON THE WATER...

[pikeman007]

If you are interested in powder painting and need help in buillding a fluidbed just email me and I will send you the instructions and pics I have to build one. I heat my spinnerbaits I make with a heat gun and dip in my fluidbed.

[pikeman007]

If anyone is interested just email me at fishcrzy1@mail.com

[dewyg]

I use a candle to heat up my jigs then I dip /swish in the powder paint. It takes a little practice to get it right but it is a fun way to spend the winter night in front of the tv. I then bake them in the oven when my wife is not home!

[Stoic Cynic]

I cant stand vinyl paints; they are destroyed by the plastics I use. I used baked on csi powders with a thin coat of epoxy for most of the jigs I make. You can beat the crap out of them, most last until the hook wears out barring loss.; buy mustad ultra points and they are just about unbeatable...

[Mattman]

I heat my jigs with a heat gun. (Alcohol lamp before I got my gun)

I then dip in Pro-Tec in a fluid bed. Much better results than dipping into the jar. No drips either.

Bake in oven. I use an old toaster oven and its set upside down so I can hang from the rack inside.

Coat with Devcon 2-ton epoxy if you have stick on eyes.

[jignpig]

If you use the right kind of top coat you want have any issues with the paint and platic reacting... Also, the right top coat makes the near indestructable finish of vinyl ever tougher... Fishing rocks and rip rap the jigs my buddies buy at the store loose paint and chip... My jigs hold paint til I loose them or change colors.

[bob888]

I use cheap fingernail polish and then a coat of long curing (e.g. 2 hours) epoxy.

Takes several coats of fingernail polish.

Slow process but winters are long.

Very durable.

[OOC]

I do not bake my jigs after painting.I simply reheat them over the heat gun.They are durable enough for my purposes. I can bounce them on the garage floor and the paint stays on.This method is quick and easy and no major production if you just need a couple particular size or color.

[AllenW]

Do you have to bake with vinyl?

Does a fluidbed make power coating easier?

Can vinyl paint be bought cheaper than Cabella's or is it all close enough that it doesn't make much difference?

Anybody know what the thinner for vinyl is?

Thanks for all the info.

Al

[walleyehunterCO]

I don't know the answers for the vinyl paints. I have never painted with vinyl. When you paint with Powder Paints a fluid bed will help if you have a lot of items to paint or you have larger items, ie: spoons. The fluid bed just keeps the paint loose so painting can be quicker. You said that you were having trouble with the Powder Paints. The main problem people have with Powder Painting is they don't keep the paint loose in the jar. A full jar of paint is hard to use. What I do is take some of the paint out of the jar and put it in a clean container. Now you will have enough room to get the paint loose. After you take some of the paint out, put the cap back on the jar, turn the jar upside down and then right side up. This will loosen the paint. Now you are ready to dip. Heat up the jig. (I use a heat gun) Dip the jig and tap to get any access paint off. If you heat the jig to hot, the paint will bubble on the jig. To cool and the paint will be dull looking. Always error on the side of to cool. That way all you have to do is heat the jig until the paint melts. You can also dip again if need be. Paint a few a jigs (3 or 4) then put the cap back on the jar. Turn it upside down and right side up again. Always keep the paint loose. After you have painted the number of jigs you want. Bust the eyes out and bake. When done, put the paint that you took out of the jar bake in the jar. You can do 2 and 3 tone jigs with Powder Paints as well. But that is another lesson. LOL

For all you "air brush" guys out there, There is a new water based paint out there that needs no mixing for your air brushes. Easier clean up and very durable. Let me know if you want to know more.

[AllenW]

Thanks walleyehunterCO, you describe many of the problems I had...:)
Good tips thanks.

I emailed for the plans on the fluid bed, that may help also.

Lots of info on painting jigs here, ought to be able to figure something out from it, appreciate it.

Al

[walleyehunterCO]

Thanks walleyehunterCO, you describe many of the problems I had...:)
Good tips thanks.

I emailed for the plans on the fluid bed, that may help also.

Lots of info on painting jigs here, ought to be able to figure something out from it, appreciate it.

Al

No problem. Glad I could help. If you need anything else...Give me a shout.

[pikeman007]

Terry F you sent me an email and I tried to reply to it and it didn't work. If interested in the fluidbed instructions please email me again.

Powder painting is the way to go. Easy to do and no messing with mixing and thinning paint. I made my fluidbed with parts we had laying around at work. I had to pay 11 bucks for the bubbler and 6 bucks for the toaster oven for baking the lures to harden them at good will. The biggest expense was the heat gun I bought from home depot. I bought a multi setting one. Alot easier using a heat gun versus a flame from a torch, but it can be done that way just takes more practice to get the jig you are painting the right temp to melt the paint. It was all worth it, now I have some nice spinnerbaits in the color I want and they don't chip up and lose there paint right away or fall apart and break like the expensive ones I was buying before from bass pro or cabelas.

[Captain Jay]

Powder paint is the best for jigs, or any lures that will be coming into contact with the bottom. Lake Erie is full of zebra muscles, and will take the paint off almost any jig, except ones dipped in powder and baked.

Here is a small sample of what you can do with powder paint. Some of my blades have over 100 hours of jigging on Lake Erie's bottom, and dozens of walleye, and I could sell them for brand new. You can not see one scratch in them!!

Captain Jay

[no1son]

Do you guys have some way to mask off the hook eyes before painting the jigs or do you just clean them manually?

I expect with the powder paints you would want to clean the eyes before you bake the painted jigs. Probably easier to clean vinyl before it completely cures, too.

Cleaning hook eyes is one of my special gripes. Pretty petty of me, I suppose, since it is really not much of a job, but that is just the way I look at it. Plus I have a feeling that once in a while busting eyes leaves a sharp edge or nick that can cause a break off, especially with light lines.

[butter101]

try www.uvfishvision.com (http://www.uvfishvision.com) its a new state of the art paint and i have had great luck with it

[walleyehunterCO]

Do you guys have some way to mask off the hook eyes before painting the jigs or do you just clean them manually?

I expect with the powder paints you would want to clean the eyes before you bake the painted jigs. Probably easier to clean vinyl before it completely cures, too.

Cleaning hook eyes is one of my special gripes. Pretty petty of me, I suppose, since it is really not much of a job, but that is just the way I look at it. Plus I have a feeling that once in a while busting eyes leaves a sharp edge or nick that can cause a break off, especially with light lines.

Yes...You have to bust the eyes out before baking them. You will not get the paint out if you don't. I have always used an eye buster to get the paint out. I have heard of some people putting a piece of a tooth pick in the eye also.

[daveddd]

Use vinyl paint.Only one vinyl paint to use components.Does not chip & simple to use.Just dip your jig in it.That's it.Drys to touch in 10 minutes.We paint up to 50,000 jigs a week & after 30 years i have tried it all.We could sell it but you cannot ship flammables by mail.

[AllenW]

Use vinyl paint.Only one vinyl paint to use components.Does not chip & simple to use.Just dip your jig in it.That's it.Drys to touch in 10 minutes.We paint up to 50,000 jigs a week & after 30 years i have tried it all.We could sell it but you cannot ship flammables by mail.

Little confused, you say only one vinyl pait to use then the word "components" not sure what you mean by that.

I'm betting your nowhere near the Twin Cities either? :)

Can you tell me the brand and I can see if I can get it here?

Thanks for the post.

Al

[butter101]

stop advertising on Walleye Central!!!

if you would like to by an ad and help support the site we can help you with that

but no freebies please!!!!!!

[AllenW]

Thanks Terroreyes, I have a tendency to disreguard multiple posts like his and you made it even easier...

Gonna try the vinyl paint from Cabella's first, headed down to their store to pick up a pistol that's on sale and more hooks for the jigs, so might as well kill two birds with one trip..:)

I have the plans (thanks btw) for a fluidbed and will try that when I get it together, still a lot of winter left so I should have time

Al

[Stoic Cynic]

Little confused, you say only one vinyl pait to use then the word "components" not sure what you mean by that.

I'm betting your nowhere near the Twin Cities either? :)

Can you tell me the brand and I can see if I can get it here?

Thanks for the post.

Al


I'm assuming he was reffering to component systems vinyl paint...

[walleyehunterCO]

Here are some blade baits and jigs that I just painted with Powder Paints!!!

[AllenW]

Here are some blade baits and jigs that I just painted with Powder Paints!!!

Muliple dippings for the different colors?

Thanks.

I work for a HVAC company and its been so busy (10-13 hour days) I haven't had much time to even look for new hooks, but I do have several choices for painting and hooks now, thanks all.

Al

[walleyehunterCO]

Muliple dippings for the different colors?

Thanks.

I work for a HVAC company and its been so busy (10-13 hour days) I haven't had much time to even look for new hooks, but I do have several choices for painting and hooks now, thanks all.

Al
No...I do not double dip. I use a paint brush for the 2nd and 3rd colors. Load the brush up with paint and tap on the brush to apply the paint.

[RJT]

Chalk another one up for Powder paint! After the jig is painted you can touch it in 1 minute or so. TJ's Tackle has a great website that was posted at the beginning of this thread. There is, or use to be a couple video's showing you how to put multiple colors on. Here's a picture of the jigs I paint.

[River 1]

Any suggestions on how to paint jig using 3 colors either with Powder,vinyl,and airbrushing? Or any combinations that have worked?

[rdbalmer]

I have been casting and painting my own jigs for over 30 years now and have used both the vinyl paints and the protech powder paints. I have to say that I do prefer the powder paint for several reasons. #1 it doesn't smell bad and I can use it in the house without stinking it up. #2 it is allot easier to do a multi-colored paint job. #3 the paint is extremely durable, especially if you do bake it after you paint it. Personally I don't do that because in the lakes I fish the average life span of a jig is less than 15 minutes anyhow.(we have an over abundance of small northerns that make short work of them). There are a couple of very informative videos on Youtube that I would recommend to any one who would like to learn some pretty cool methods of applying the powder paints. They will take years of trial and error and possibly allot of frustation out of the picture. I know they sure helped me. TJ's tackle are the ones I am refering to. I still use the vinyl paints also as they are very durable also and not all that hard to apply but it does involve a bit more time. You have to paint one coat of white under any of the flourescent colors or they will be a dull color that I doubt any one would be satisfied with. The primary colors don't need it though. I also clear coat all of them to give them a nicer and more durable finish. With the powder paint it doesn't seem as necessary but there are some clear coats available, some ewith glitter that do give your jig a more professional look. I use a heat gun to heat my jigs before dipping them. I hold on to the jig with my bare fingers and when you start to feel the hook getting warm go ahead and quickly dip your jig and quickly tap off any extra paint. If you are carefull you don't even have to get paint in the eye. If your paint didn't melt evenly or of you want to add some other colors just briefly hold the jig in front of the heat gun again. To add another color do as the videos show and apply by tapping another color on.Like another postr said, it is very important to keep your paint loose inthe jar if you don't use a fluid bed. I don't have a fluidbed yet but I do intend on getting one. It is very easy and lots of fun. Check it out. It is a fun hobby and after your initial investment you will save wads of money.