Painting Lead

[gunflint]

This is my first post in this thread. It's a very interesting thread and I hope to spend some more time in here when "more time" becomes available. I went back several pages and couldn't find an answer to my question so I'll ask it here.

What's the best paint and application process for painting lead? Enamel, Lacquer, etc. Should you prime it? Do you need a clear coat? Thanks.

[TonkaBass]

As you know, there are many ways to paint lead. The best method I have ever seen is a powder coat finish. Basically the lead is heated, the powder is applied, and then the lead is baked in an oven to cure. This finish is almost indestructible and there are many colors available including some finishes that simply cant be achieved with conventional spray paints or vinyl dip paints. No priming is needed for this type of paint. Hope this helps!

[Bobb-o]

I do the powder coat on the jigs i paint, but i forego the baking process as i find that it makes a huge mess and it gives the jigs a funny look, I put a coat of CS Seal coat on the top and they are good to go.

[delmuts]

I do the powder paint ,and bake them too, but i did find out the hard way that you don't want to paint eyes on them til after they have been baked! Seems the stuff i us for the eyes creates more heat or something as many of them ran/dripped! The next batch i did with no eyes and no problems.To bake mine i use a wire rack sitting on a cake pan that has been lined with foil, so if any do drip you don't ruin anything. If i remember right it's 20 min at 300 degrees.

[StillwaterAaron]

I do the powder paint ,and bake them too, but i did find out the hard way that you don't want to paint eyes on them til after they have been baked! Seems the stuff i us for the eyes creates more heat or something as many of them ran/dripped! The next batch i did with no eyes and no problems.To bake mine i use a wire rack sitting on a cake pan that has been lined with foil, so if any do drip you don't ruin anything. If i remember right it's 20 min at 300 degrees.

I second this!

I now have 12 colors of powder paint and prefer to bu all my jigs with no paint. Baking them makes the paint sooooo much tougher. I started out hating powder paint because I tried doing it the torch way of heating the jigs. The best way is to use a heat gun and heat up the jig a little swish into the powder and put back into the heat and repeat until you get the desired look.("Fluff" up the pwder before you dip into it to make it coat better) Typically like stated below too much will create drips when you bake. Also with my Ice jigs I like to get lots of the glow paint on so I do not bake the ice jigs. Also breaking the hook eyes open before you bake the jigs is advised. After baking you can throw the jig onto the cement and will dent the jig paint and all intacked!

I spent a long time doing trial and error on painting.

[delmuts]

I forgot about opening the eyes before baking! For get once and you will always remember after that!

[jigginjim]

The only time I have had the heads get goofy is if there is to much power coat on lead. I saw a power coat shaker that kept the power like water. Would apply a very thin coat. If you bake them 15 minutes they get just as hard.

[motley man]

Go with what you like powder, spray, dip. Try a few and decide. Dip and put toothpick in eye and pull it out and dry so eye is open. Very simple and cheap. Easy to redo.

[ddsbyday]

I was hesitant to give my thoughts on this because it is very complex. Powder painting is near indestructable, (Do you plan on loosing a lot of jigs) but time consuming. Each powder color has a different cure temp. Certain colors will flow more. If you want to get a pure powdercoat with no running you need to electrostaticlly paint them. 2 tones would have to be masked for the second color-eyes ect. If you want to make a nice jig with eyes go to Fleet Farm and buy the Vynal paints they sell and top it off with a clear coat to make it worm proof.-Powder coats are worm proof but the vynal has to be coated. You also need a white base for the vynals but they are much easier to work with if adding eyes or 2 tones. Last tip is if they eye has powder in it the jig was too hot. If you cure it you will have flowing. If you are jigging rocks and get a lot of break offs you can powder coat and not oven cure. Long story short-If they are just for you keep it simple.

[hydro]

I've painted a lot of jigs from large to very small and these days I use powder exclusively. I use a hot air gun for the heat source (No torches- too hot!), holding the jig with a pliers. When it's hot enough for powder to stick, I do a hand off to a cold needle nose, grabbing the jig by the eye and swish it in the powder. Another hand off to the hot pliers to fuse the powder at the heat gun until it is shiny, then hang the jig to cool. Easy and no powder clogged eyes. For 2-tone finishes I use a garden hose filter screen glued to a stick, filled with powder. A tap or two and the powder sifts onto the hot jig. Very easy and simple to control.

To paint eyes, I use model paint from the hobby store and a wire or stick to dab a dot of paint. Again, easy, accurate and it makes great eyes.

I do not mess around with curing since almost all jigs are used, lost, or otherwise meet their end before the finish gets damaged enough to matter. An additional plus to powder is that it does not get old in the jar nor dry up. The stuff keeps forever. Buy yourself a couple of jars and give it a try!

[jigginjim]

I have used the power coat on live bait sinkers also, curing does keep the chipping down. If you have alot of jigs bounce around in a box soonyou find paint chips or fine dust in the box.

[Northlander]

Thats exactly why I dont buy Cabelas jigs any more. After a week in the jig box they were all chipped up and a dust was all over all my other baits.

[delmuts]

I remember that problem too with boughten ones. Most of mine now are made to my specks and i paint them. One other thing i do is to put my jigs in small zip lock bags,( i found the 3"X 3" perfect !)this keeps them from bouncing around and getting chipped.

[Shack]

Check this out:

Click Here!