Powder paint jig heads

[MOPanfisher]

I have used the propane torch to burn the paint out of the eye many times..  not the best method probably but works.  

[Dutch]

1 hour ago, wily said:

Thanks for the tips...i melted a couple heads with the torch to start...suprised me how fast that happened.

The heads turned out pretty good.

I tried to paint 10 or 15 of em...and only had a couple that weren't messed up...most had a big dollop of paint.  I dipped em at least 3 times...some were deformed by the heat...so I don't have that quite right either

I think I'll turn down the heat in toaster oven and try a couple more....maybe grab the brides hair dryer and try that too.  I almost bought a heat gun but didn't.

Wish I could get the hook back on the ones that are messed up...think it would be ok to melt the lead/paint off the hook in the hotpot?

Thanks for the help

Use your torch to melt the painted lead off the hooks.  Keep the paint out of your lead pot.

[wily]

Ok...thank you

[shrapnel]

A fluid bed is cheap, easy to make and the ONLY way to go.  We made one that has T's in the line and 4 cups running off one pump.

[wily]

The paint is still pooling on the head...do I need to let it sit before putting into the heat?  

[Dutch]

You are getting the jig too hot and getting too much paint on it.  Try heating it less, just enough to get the paint to stick and be a dull powdery look.  You might also adjust your oven and baking time, but I'm sure with less paint on the jig your problem will go away.  It is all practice practice practice adjusting as you go until you get it right.

[Foghorn]

Bought  a Lee production pot in the late 70's and am now on my 3rd model.Originally used a 2 part epoxy mix that was time consuming and was all painting the jigs by hand. Have used the powder paint for as long as it has been on the market. I now only cast 2-300 jig heads a year,so I use a candle and a pair of hemostats to heat the lead head .Normally I only dip them into the powder one time and then stick them on a piece of flat styrofoam . I do get paint in the eyes and use a old hook or straight pin to clean it out before I heat them up. The smaller jigs 1/64-1/100 don't take much heat . Too long under the candle flame and the lead melts off. 

[Dutch]

2 minutes ago, Foghorn said:

Bought  a Lee production pot in the late 70's and am now on my 3rd model.Originally used a 2 part epoxy mix that was time consuming and was all painting the jigs by hand. Have used the powder paint for as long as it has been on the market. I now only cast 2-300 jig heads a year,so I use a candle and a pair of hemostats to heat the lead head .Normally I only dip them into the powder one time and then stick them on a piece of flat styrofoam . I do get paint in the eyes and use a old hook or straight pin to clean it out before I heat them up. The smaller jigs 1/64-1/100 don't take much heat . Too long under the candle flame and the lead melts off. 

If you hold the hook eye with your hemos you can keep the paint from ever getting into the eye, thus nothing to clean out.

[DADAKOTA]

Dutch - How hot do you get the oven to cure?  Anyone have plans and parts list for a fluid bed?

[Dutch]

DADAKOTA my old oven has to be set above 400° to get the 350° curing temp recommended.  Each of these cheap ovens vary so you will have to experiment.

Below is a fluid bed tutorial that I put on another forum several years ago.  I hope it helps.

 

A fluid bed allows one to paint baits a lot easier than dipping them into a 2 oz. jar. The lower chamber is filled with air and the air passes through the filter in the bottom of the paint chamber causing the paint to suspend and be lighter. Just a quick swish of a hot bait and it is completely covered with paint. It is a lot more consistent in application than the dip in the jar method because the paint doesn’t pack as long as the compressor is running.

MATERIALS FOR A 3” FLUID BED

LEXAN for the base

PVC coupler for the air chamber

3” schedule 40 PVC I used the stuff with the foam center to make cutting with a hacksaw easier.

3” PVC lids to cover then new paint containers

NEEDLE VALVE with an insert and sleve

CLEAR VINYL TUBING

FILTER MEDIA I have used brown paper grocery bags, vacuum cleaner filters and coffee filters.  Paint varies by company and color so one media may not work for all colors.

AQUARIUM AIR PUMP
...

MAKING THE AIR CHAMBER

First you have to drill a hole in the bottom 1/2 of the coupler the size of the threaded part of the needle valve. Mine is 3/8”. Carefully thread the needle valve into the hole. Place the coupler on the lexan base and identify its location. I used a felt tip marker on the inside and outside of the coupler. Take your adhesive material (I used silicone from Wal-Mart) and put it on the lexan where the coupler will be. Put the coupler on the sealant and press it down. Add some weight to the top and go away for at least 24 hours.
...

MAKING THE PAINT CHAMBERS

Take your pvc and cut it into 4” sections. Then make sure one end has a flat surface. I rubbed mine on sand paper laid on the work bench. Clean it up and adhere your filter to that end. (I put it on a filter, drew around the inside and the outside of the pvc with a felt tip marker, put silicone in the marked area and pressed the pvc down, then put a couple of books on top to hold it down.) Go away for at least 24 hours. Tomorrow take an exacto knife and trim the filter to fit the pvc.
...

ASSEMBLY

Once you have the base chamber made and some cups made with filters, you are ready to put it all together. Put one end of your tubing on the pump and the other end on the valve. Make sure both are secure. Put a paint chamber in the top of the air chamber and put about 2” of powder paint inside it. Screw the valve closed and plug in the pump. Slowly turn on the valve. If you don’t see the paint raise then gently stir the paint. Air will lift the paint and you may see some paint volcanoes. If you do, lower the air pressure. You are ready to paint.
 

If you let humidity get in the paint it will be more difficult to get it to rise so it is a good idea to put it back in the original container and seal it until the next use.