Powder Painting Jigs

[Dark Cloud]

34 degrees and raining hard here today, figured i'd share some powder painting info. The powder is a very nice product - very durable and easy to use. Not as fast as dipping with epoxy but not bad.

Heres my jig lab - a comphy chair in front of a TV and a tray full of gear...

Lock your jig in some forecepts and hold the jig over a flame. About an inch or so above and kind of wave it back and forth a tad and roll around. Smaller jigs may only take about 10 seconds. After a while you get a feel for how long...

Dunk the jig in the powder and imediatly shake off the extra. A good wack or two on the side of the jar with the forcepts does the trick.

The jig should look about like this - coated but fuzzy. Now back over the flame for 5-6 seconds and re-dunk and shake.

Back over the flame till it looks like this. You may need to re-dunk a few times to get a full even coat...

This jig is gettng a two tone - so while its still warm I carefully dip the belly of the jig...

You may need to carefully re-dip and heat...

They make a "glitter" over coat I like. Same deal, dip and reheat. when the temp is right you'll get some glitter. Too cold not much glitter, too hot - too much glitter...

Now let the jig cool completly. I set it aside and paint another one. Then go back and clean the eye out.

Now you have to " cure the paint. You can hang a bunch in the oven at 350 for 20 minutes or re-heat over the flame for around 15 seconds. This sets the paint and makes it very tough...

Now some eyes or a pattern. You can either use epoxy type craft paint of a ultra-fine point sharpie. Not for shakey people or wobbly pops...

Add some stripes and you have a baby perch...

There you have it - multitask while watching the tube. And the best part is useing something you made to catch fish and haveing something nobody else has except your close friends!!!

[Fullmoon]

Nice pics Jay! Having fished some of your works, I know they work. I've got too much free time, I just may have to start making lures. lol Sure hope we get out to try a few of the newest ones before NEXT season. Darn warm & rain

[harvey lee]

Agreed, very nice looking jigs.

[CNYFrank]

Jay . . . I have source for free forceps if you need any. NO I don't use them for that . . .

[Scott M]

Wow, that was well done. Awesome job Dark Cloud!!!!!

[Northlander]

Free? Man I go through at least 2 a year. I would take some off your hands. Just dropped a pair into lake superior the other day.

[CNYFrank]

I can drop a few in the mail if I have an address

[Northlander]

My e-mail is under my posts

[Fishingking]

Very nice Jay gotta be a great feeling catching fish on your own jigs

[Otis1]

Thanks Jay! I think I've got the confidence to start painting!

[CNY Tim]

I know Jay's white/ red widow maker vertical ant worked good early on the sunny D's. Good post Jay!

[PierBridge]

The White with Pink has to be a go too jig for ya!

[backlash 1]

DC

Where do you get a mold of pouring small ice jigs?

[Dark Cloud]

BackLash - I dont mold any myself. Not many small molds out there. Some go down to 1/32 but I dont consider that small in terms of icefishing. Do a search for jig molds or "do-it" molds and you will find some molds. I have a friends who makes a few and the rest of my jigs I bought off HSOList or Janns. I search every few days looking for small unpainted jigs or molds..

[MarkAlm]

dark cloud i love the avatar, email me about some unpainted jigs

that i know of . thanks

[Bob/Mn]

Dark Cloud:

What procedure do you use for cleaning the paint from the eye of the hook??

[mrklean]

thats prety cool step by step wish my jigs could look that good. what type of marker is that?

[mrklean]

Another question how long does the marker stay on there? WOuld it work for my other jigs that i use for casting?

[river rat316]

it will stay along time of you coat it with a 2 part epoxy before you are done (I use devcon 2 ton)

[Dark Cloud]

Removing the paint from the eye is a pain but I use a #5 jiggin rap that was un-useable after a walleye busted off the rear fin. So I took off the trebel and the rear hook. This makes a nice handle for chipping out the paint. My fingernail gets the paint around the outside of the eye. Removing the paint before baking or re-flaming makes life much easier...

The marker I used is a ultrafine point sharpie. It stays on quite well and seems more durable if you give it some heat after putting it on, 6-8 seconds over a flame does the trick...

[delmuts]

Dark! thanks for all the great tips!

years ago i borrowed a mold from a buddy that had a slot for the 1/80 oz. size. i poured alot of those, but thought it was more of a pain than what it was worth.(just easier to buy)i had to use a tweezers to place the hook after the first couple do to the mold being hot; then trimming them was a pain also.

cleaning the eye is easier before hardening! for scraping off paint on the sides, i use an old toe nail clippers. just lightly clamp on the eye and twist the jig back and forth.

[Otis1]

After playing around, my first attempt at powder paints was a success. I did learn that the most important thing is keeping the paint fluffed up. My first dozen jigs were very clumpy. Keeping the paint louse and fluffed up was key to getting a nice even coverage on the jig. Thanks DC!

[Dark Cloud]

Otis - With the lid on I give the powder a good shake once in a while to "fluff" it. And when dipping the jig I use a side to side swirl motion. Im getting your care package together...

[Otis1]

Thanks DC! Did you get te second batch of darts and ultra's? Let me know when you're ready for another!

[Dark Cloud]

Otis1 - Yep I got em. Thanks! I haven't even fished those those ultra's yet and I know im gonna like them. Im tying up some for you, Timmy, and Thunder in 1/8-3/8th. Todd loves fishing hair and he'll give em a good working over/ field test...

Dont sent more till you get your return package but the 1/8, 1/4, and 3/8th will go fast.