Painting Jigs

[paper]

I've ordered a bunch of lead ice fishing jigs and also some paint powder.. From what I'm told I'll pre-heat the jig, dip, and then hit it with flame again to give the paint a final flash..

Any suggestions beyond this?? 

[GCD]

I prefer the flameless method. I use 2 cheap toaster ovens from Walmart ($20 each). I preheat both ovens to 350*F, Then I load the first oven with the unpainted jigs to heat up. After the jigs are heated I take them out one at a time and swirl them around in the powder, then I place that jig in the second oven to cure the paint and get another jig out of the first oven to swirl in the powder. The painted jigs need to cure 20 minutes at 350*, longer won't hurt them. If your paint drips off the jig while curing it means your jig was too hot when you put it in the powder. Turn the heat down to 325 on the first oven.

If you plan to paint bright colors use a base coat of white powder paint first, after the white paint has cured you can put the jig back in the first oven and swirl it in the colored paint.

It'll take some practice, but once you get a feel for the painting and curing you'll have a very durable paint job on your jig that won't chip off.

[GCD]

This is how I hang my jigs in the oven:





Notice the oven thermometer, this is important for knowing how hot the oven is to keep your jigs at the proper temp.

[2MuchStuff]

nice job GCD, good pics . That makes it look easy.
I used to paint them with an air brush one at a time.
it took forever, and was about as messy as you would think.
with the clean up and the thiners.
I might even give it a go again

[paper]

Thank you very much for the info and photos.. I'll be stopping by Goodwill on the way home for a toaster oven or two.. 

[Kevin23]

You are okay doing it that way for lead jigs.. But be aware that most ice jigs are made out of solder. Pretty hard to powder coat without the solder melting on you. Ive powder painted 20,000+ jigs and i still cant find an EASY fool proof way to do ice jigs with powder. I have a bunch of tungsten blanks laying hookless from my attempts.

[GCD]

Oh, remember to clean the paint out of the hook eye before curing. Much easier to do it while the paint is weak than after it's cured. The point of a utility knife or a wire the size of the inside of the loop works well.

If you forget to clean the hook eye before curing you'll have to heat up a wire red hot to burn through the paint on the inside of the eye.  That cured paint is TOUGH!

[Kevin23]

If your hook eyes are getting clogged you have the jig way too hot when dipping.

[kevs]

Using a torch or other source of flame based heat produces inconsistent temps of jig heads and uneven heating which can result in to heavy or thin layers of powder coat, or worse a melted jig head.

[paper]

I THINK they're lead.. I bought a bunch from a guy in Vermont that makes them himself.. I just emailed him to find out if they're lead or solder.. I bought a bunch of rockers and teardrops and they should arrive in a day or two..

[Kevin23]

The only way to make rockers and teardrops that i know of is to solder the hook to the blank. Unless they are poured lead in the shape of a teardrop, in which case a #8 would weigh about 1/16oz.

You will have to use fingernail polish, airbrush, or vinyl paint on solder jigs.

[paper]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/161724564483?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

That's what I bought..

I'm a Stainless TIG welder, not a soldering guy, so any info is good info..

I got an email back from the seller and they are solder... But he powder paints them all the time and sells them on eBay also. I guess I'll just have to be careful. I'm sure there'll be a learning curve..

[GCD]

If your hook eyes are getting clogged you have the jig way too hot when dipping.

Nah, my hook eyes don't clog. I just don't like any paint on the eye.



I did have those problems when first starting out, but when I got the 2 good ovens and put the thermometers in them for accurate temp reading all my problems like clogged hook eyes and paint dripping when curing went away.

[GCD]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/161724564483?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

That's what I bought..

I'm a Stainless TIG welder, not a soldering guy, so any info is good info..

I got an email back from the seller and they are solder... But he powder paints them all the time and sells them on eBay also. I guess I'll just have to be careful. I'm sure there'll be a learning curve..

Those look like pure lead to me, solder and tin are much shinier.

[paper]

I'll post some photos of the completed items.. I'm thinking a Sharpie for making eyes on them.. Dunno... Not the artistic type.

[eriksat1]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/161724564483?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

That's what I bought..

I'm a Stainless TIG welder, not a soldering guy, so any info is good info..

I got an email back from the seller and they are solder... But he powder paints them all the time and sells them on eBay also. I guess I'll just have to be careful. I'm sure there'll be a learning curve..

 You can try a good heat gun and practice you can probably powder paint the solder jigs as long as you don't get too hot to melt the solder. Time how many seconds under the heat gun. A torch is no good if anything a alcohol burner.

[paper]

Well, I'm closer today than I was yesterday..

[GCD]

Well, I'm closer today than I was yesterday..

(Image removed from quote.)

You'll want a white base coat with those bright colors to make them even brighter. Go ahead and paint a few and see what you get. If you enjoy painting them you'll be buying more paint and different colors anyway.

[big_guy_13021]

I use a lot of powder paint I just hold the jig with needle nose use a lighter for 3-5 seconds dip it and there fine I never cure my in oven either no need to really paint stays on just fine..I never under coat them either all my colors come out fine..

[paper]

No toaster oven found at second hand stores, but Walmart had a nice unit on sale for $15.. Also picked up a can of black to dot some eyes on them..

I kicked around the white base coat, but white's the same cost as the color and I decided that I'll just try double coating a few to see if I can get them whiter..

Forceps are ready, as is my camp stove to pre-heat. Once melted I'll put a black dot on a few and all will go bake in the toaster oven. Should be a fun task and I have a hunch I'll be doing more, as well as getting some plain lead head jigs for twister tail work.

[GCD]

You can use one toaster oven to heat and cure, just load half the oven with unpainted jigs and let them heat up. When the jigs are heated grab one out of the oven and paint it, when you put it in the empty half of the oven grab another hot one and paint it. This is quicker than heating each jig individually.

Double coating won't make the color much/any brighter, but you'll find that out for yourself. There's a lot of trial and error that goes with painting jigs, but it's also a lot of fun... and when you catch a fish on your painted jigs it gives you a sense of satisfaction.

[Kevin23]

Double coating will just give you a thicker overpainted jig.
You have to do your eyes after the jig has cured.


Good luck, and remember colors darken after curing if you dont do a base coat.

[AllenMorgan]

I use an oil lamp to heat my jigs before dipping into powder paint.  Grasp the jig at the eye with hemostats, give it a 4-mississippi count, flip, another 4-mississippi, then dip.  I usually just hang the uncured jig on a rack, and keep going until I have the number of jigs I need.  Cure in a toaster oven.

[paper]

I ended up preheating with a candle and dip/swish and then gave them a light re-warm to gloss and make sure the paint melted.

I baked at 250 for 25 minutes. The orange and green stayed nice, but the yellow tended to sag, all at the same temp at the same time.

The teardrops were easier than the rockers. The rockers didn't like to be preheated too much. They'd split if heated too much. I had maybe 4 of them split.. And I did the teardrops first and found the melting point on a couple of them, too. 



Thanks for the help everyone!! Looking forward to doing more. And oddly enough not much powder was used, I can do a lot more!!

[Kevin23]

Lookin good!!! Youll be able to do an easy 1000+ per oz of powder.

[Idahogator]

All you jig painters are onto Glow, Inc  ?

It's worthwhile to read what they know & offer.       

                   http://glowinc.com/

[kasilofchrisn]

I paint soldered ice jigs all the time.
I use a heat gun that is adjustable.
Set it low enough so it doesn't melt the solder and you can't ruin one.
I use the brush tap method.
Dip a brush in the powder and tap over the heated jig.
Clean the back off with a Q tip dipped in lacquer thinner because there may be a little paint that gets on there.
Powder painted front and a shiny blade on back.
I cure mine in racks from TJ's tackle.
350* for ~ 20-
25 minutes
With the racks the excess paint runs down the hook shank where it is easily removed and no more nippple jigs.
 A fluid bed is easy to build and use.
A quick dip prevents excess paint.
Try Cadman's custom jigs for some cheap white powder paint. You can buy a pound of white for what some places charge for 2 ounces I believe I  paid $7 for a pound of cheap white.
Check out the jig making section of iceshanty for more tips and tricks.
I own a jig business and will help when I can.

[riverfisherman]

When you guys do the  white base undercoat do you need to cure that in the oven then reheat and paint them or just let them cool and then reheat and paint? Also wondering how a person can add glitter to them? Thanks 

[kasilofchrisn]

When you guys do the  white base undercoat do you need to cure that in the oven then reheat and paint them or just let them cool and then reheat and paint? Also wondering how a person can add glitter to them? Thanks

For me I dip in white and then dip in the primary color on the same heating.
No need to cure the white first or let it cool.
To add glitter buy some cheap small paint brushes dip in the glitter then tap over the jig.
I usually mix the glitter with clear powder paint at a 10/1 ratio and tap it on with the brush also.
You can do it in a fluid bed also. Like I  said mix your glitter and clear.

[GCD]

All you jig painters are onto Glow, Inc  ?

It's worthwhile to read what they know & offer.       

                   http://glowinc.com/

At those prices I'll stick with my regular Pro-tec glow paints.