Poured some jig heads

Since the Willamette is way out of shape for salmon fishing and the weather is nasty as all get out I decided to spend an hour or two in the shop cooking up some jig heads for lings.  The heads are 3 oz and 4 oz, I did fifty of each.  I think I will pick up the 1 and 2 oz mold too as I like how these turned out. They are on mustad 8/0 permasteel hooks, I wanted to use Gamis or Owners but could not get any that would fit the mold without major mods to the mold.  Thinking of painting them white.  Powder coat is to much $ and time.  Some "regular" rattle can paints react badly with plastic scampi etc.  Maybe that fusion paint?  Insayn, any input.. cheap, easy to apply and non reactive with lure plastics? 

I like those swimbait heads. 

Harbor Freight has the powder paint; black, red, white and orange for 4.99 a pound.  I use an old toaster oven and coat most my jig heads with it.

I have also used rattle can or airbrush paint with a thinned epoxy top coat.  It works well but adds some labor.  I love the rattle can chrome rather than foiling baits.

Here is the cheap powder paint on some heads I poured:



A few lures I have made lately.  They are painted with powder paint, rattle can or airbrushed with epoxy top coats.  Basically painted with what ever I felt like using or had on hand at the time.



The epoxy lasts for a while, I usually loose the jig before it chips off too bad.  The powder paint really holds up well, but you can't really paint detail over it.  I usually use it for the jig heads only, and paint my flutter jigs.

Matt

I like those swimbait heads. 

Harbor Freight has the powder paint; black, red, white and orange for 4.99 a pound.  I use an old toaster oven and coat most my jig heads with it.

I have also used rattle can or airbrush paint with a thinned epoxy top coat.  It works well but adds some labor.  I love the rattle can chrome rather than foiling baits.

Here is the cheap powder paint on some heads I poured:



A few lures I have made lately.  They are painted with powder paint, rattle can or airbrushed with epoxy top coats.  Basically painted with what ever I felt like using or had on hand at the time.



The epoxy lasts for a while, I usually loose the jig before it chips off too bad.  The powder paint really holds up well, but you can't really paint detail over it.  I usually use it for the jig heads only, and paint my flutter jigs.

Matt

What would you recommend in the rattle can realm?  I was thinking that spray "appliance paint" might work? 

Anyone know what kinds of paint "reacts" with soft plastic baits?

I have not really noticed any reactivity with spray paints.  I usually just get the cheap wally world spray paint or left overs from other projects.  The canned latex paints however does react, becoming very sticky.  I initially dipped my heads in canned latex, and found out they reacted the first batch I put my plastics on. 

The plain spray paint scratches off quickly without some sort of protectant.  You can rattle can the heads and coat them with a spray acrylic sealer.  It bonds to the paint and hardens the surface.  Also avoids any reactivity with the plastic/paint.  Just not as durable as epoxy.  Krylon makes a good sealer from a matte finish to high gloss finish, which ever you want.  I use it after painting decoys and guns, and it really provides a durable and clear finish.

Never tried an appliance paint.  It may level well and be a lot more durable than normal spray paint.

I poor my own plastics and just switched to a "green plastic".  I don't think it reacts as much to some of the paints as the older solvent filled plastics.

Matt

What about PlastiDip? I doubt it'd react w/ other plastics, rather easy to coat, and cheap-ish if you're just doing your own personal stash. Might have to dip them a few times to be really durable though. Just a thought.

Z

I'd first suggest the HF powder coat idea.  You can lightly preheat the heads or apply a light steam to them, and sprinkle the pixie dust on, and then bake in the toaster oven.  Or just pony up and get a P-coating gun and do it that way.  You will be P-coating anything and everything you can fit in the toaster oven, or if you decide to get yourself an oven for the shop for bigger projects. 

The other option would be to take a can of Fuzion color of your choice, and spray this directly onto the surface of warm water in a disposable container.  Make the container is deep enough to sink your jig head all the way into, yet not so big that you have to use alot of paint.  The paint will actually float on the surface of the water, and as you dip the head in, it will coat the heads.  I would also recommend preheating and scuffing the heads with steel wool to remove the "shine" slightly for better adhesion. 

Then after these are cured.  Dip them in a diluted bath of "clear" PlastiDip with naptha, xylene, or toluene to make it a thinner coat.  Clear allows your colors show through.
 

I'd first suggest the HF powder coat idea.  You can lightly preheat the heads or apply a light steam to them, and sprinkle the pixie dust on, and then bake in the toaster oven.  Or just pony up and get a P-coating gun and do it that way.  You will be P-coating anything and everything you can fit in the toaster oven, or if you decide to get yourself an oven for the shop for bigger projects. 

The other option would be to take a can of Fuzion color of your choice, and spray this directly onto the surface of warm water in a disposable container.  Make the container is deep enough to sink your jig head all the way into, yet not so big that you have to use alot of paint.  The paint will actually float on the surface of the water, and as you dip the head in, it will coat the heads.  I would also recommend preheating and scuffing the heads with steel wool to remove the "shine" slightly for better adhesion. 

Then after these are cured.  Dip them in a diluted bath of "clear" PlastiDip with naptha, xylene, or toluene to make it a thinner coat.  Clear allows your colors show through.
 

Could I thin white (I assume they make white) plastidip and then just dip them in that.  The non thinned stuff seems a little thick.  I use quite a bit on other fishing/boat projects.  I do like the Fuzion dip idea, as I am thinking of putting eyes on these and it would allow me to base color the jigs, apply the eye, and then "clear coat" them.  Where do you get clear plastidip?

You guys are totally fish geek cool! 

Nice pile o'jigheads Pelagic and I'm lovin' the custom Crippled Herring MattS!

Thanks for sharing!

Yeah they make white, and dilute it with one of these (naptha, xylene, or toluene) as I mentioned above.

I got the clear at my local ACE hardware, and it works awesome.  I used it on my DeLorme GPS receiver.  Since it was designed to be used on the dash, and I needed it out on the fender due to my camper over hang, I needed it water proof.  I went ahead and dipped it far enough up the cord that it is completely sealed, yet doesn't effect the GPS function. Can still read the small print on the back.  It actually looks like it was factory done.

The trick with thinning PlastiDip is to not introduce air bubbles as you stir in the thinner.  The less you add, the less will show up on your product. You can always thin it, and let is sit sealed for a few days to let any air bubbles rise to the surface naturally. 

Another thing..once you open the container you will have to do a good job sealing it, or it can harden on you after you put it away.  What I do is push Suran Wrap down on the goo to block most of the air, and then cover the opening with fresh tin foil and then the plastic lid it come with.     

Yeah they make white, and dilute it with one of these (naptha, xylene, or toluene) as I mentioned above.

I got the clear at my local ACE hardware, and it works awesome.  I used it on my DeLorme GPS receiver.  Since it was designed to be used on the dash, and I needed it out on the fender due to my camper over hang, I needed it water proof.  I went ahead and dipped it far enough up the cord that it is completely sealed, yet doesn't effect the GPS function. Can still read the small print on the back.  It actually looks like it was factory done.

   

Craig,
I'd like to see that some time...I can picture a few other uses for that technique.

Jay

Craig,
I'd like to see that some time...I can picture a few other uses for that technique.

Jay

Jay, get your mind outta the gutter.
It is slow to dry and cure, so you might fall asleep before ya get to actually "use" it.   

Awesome work there!
A guy I know who paints his own jigheads suggests coating first with a base layer of white, and then coating over that with the colored paint.

My cousin makes (or used to make...don't know if he's still doing it) "Dungeness Stingers" and powder coated them. These are painted lead Candlefish flutter lures. He originally called them "Sanford Stingers," but sold the lure to Luhr Jensen, who renamed it the "Dungeness Stinger." My cousin then later got the production rights back, but retained the more recognizable name.

He was having the lead bodies poured by a local gal in Sequim, who later became concerned with the health hazards of pouring a lot of lead all the time, and then quit. Lead releases toxic fumes when melted, and extended exposure to this has been proven to cause health problems. He sent the production to China.

So wear a respirator, have plenty of ventilation in your work area, and don't melt lead in your kitchen. Set up an area where you won't poison yourself!

Does anyone else here ever whip by the tackle shop on the way to fishing, and pick up some new unpainted lead jigheads and a few plastics, and then just go ahead and fish 'em painted only with anchovy or shrimp oil?

Does anyone else here ever whip by the tackle shop on the way to fishing, and pick up some new unpainted lead jigheads and a few plastics, and then just go ahead and fish 'em painted only with anchovy or shrimp oil?

I catch most of my fish on non painted heads.. I am painting these more just for the fun of making some customized gear.  For salmon and steelhead I paint up some custom stuff (plugs,spinner blades etc.) that really makes a difference but for lings and rockfish I don't think it matters all that much

Does anyone else here ever whip by the tackle shop on the way to fishing, and pick up some new unpainted lead jigheads and a few plastics, and then just go ahead and fish 'em painted only with anchovy or shrimp oil?

This is how I fish everything. If it comes painted, I use it that way. If it's bare, that's how it gets wet. I haven't noticed that salty fish care much either way.  my 2c

Jay