for all you powder coaters

[Gr8wall]

hey guys. well to save money, i bought a jar of powder coat (pro-tec) so i can save some dough and have black weights. well i started out small with 1/32 weights, and ended up melting two of them, coating two decent ones, and making 21 of them look retarded. then i moved on to half oz. weights and they came out even but with chips around the hole (same on some of the smaller weights). i was wondering if anyone had any advice on how to correctly powder coat or at least direct me to a wep page that can. also what kind of tools do you use to hold the weights? any advice that would facilitate powder coating would be greatly appreciated. thanks for looking guys.

[Siebert Outdoors]

You will have to bake it at 350 for 15 min.  The powder coat will turn rock hard after it cools.  BTW make sure there isnt any in the hole or you will never get it out.

[Gr8wall]

what do you use to hold the weight and also clear the hole???  it jsut stinks caus ei notice while i try to clear the hole is when i chip it an such.  can anyone give me their exact process including tools used?  thanks guys

[bugman]

A propane torch gets the lead to hot. I have found that a butane lighter that is made to light cigars works best. This is not your standard Bic lighter but the kind that is like a lighter sized torch. I found them at local drug stores but all cigar shops will sell them. They are more expensive that disposable lightes but are refillable and will be cheaper in the long run. Another nice thing about these lghters is that you can hold the jig/weight with pliers and heat all sides with this type of lighter and not burn your hands. I thread bullet weights with thin wire or small paper clip and hold the wire with my pliers so that all areas of the weight are coated.

[Gr8wall]

cool, i will give them paper clip/wire a try next time.  yeah im using a butane torch but i feel i might be heating them up too hot...any sign  (besides melting off) that i heated the weight too hot?  also, for baking, you powder coat it first right then put it in the oven?  if so do you need to suspend them so the powder (if it gets soft) doesnt get deformed or stick to anything and such?  thanks a bunch

[Siebert Outdoors]

you will have to suspend them some how.  The extra material will drip off them too if there is any.  

To heat I use a candle.  Cheap and lasts a long long time.  

[ominousone]

Ok, I haven't done this but I thought when I did finally start to dip some jigs in powder paint I knew what most people were doing.... Anyway this was my impression, could you put jigs in the toaster oven that you were going to cure in after to heat it?  Then dip in fluid bed, or jar if you don't have a fluid bed. Then hang off of normal toaster rack in toaster oven that is turned upside down to cure.(I guess toaster oven would have to be upside down for both parts of the process.  Anyway maybe I"m way off base.

[jigfisherman]

I use a peice of wire to put in the holes, I bend the end at the bottom so they won't slide off, the wire helps hold them also and you can use it to hang them with to cool. You can use vasoline to put on you wire so it won't stick and cause chips as bad. After I have dipped them and they have cooled down I always loosen them from the wire with a knife before I put them in the oven.

[rgreenbank]

I hang my lead heads by the hook on the oven rack and turn on the heat. When the oven has preheated I take a pair of pliers or oven mitt pull out one head and dip it then hang back in the oven. I can do about 4 before the opening of the oven door cools the heads. I then wait a couple minutes and do a few more. When I'm finished I usually just shut off the oven and let the heads cool completely.

Works great for me.

[Gr8wall]

thanks for all the great suggestions.  now would you be able to powder coat tungsten?  i just bought some this weekend and was just wondering?  thanks again

[Fedxpress]

Go to Lowes and get a heat gun 1000 deg one for about 25 dollars it works great. hold the jig with a clamp(roach clip is what they called them in school not sure what the medical name is) this locks on to it and you want drop it. I heat the jig dip it in the powder and then reheat it with the heat gun to melt the powder. Then you can stick them in the stove later.

fedxpress

[mikel7]

I USE CANS OF STERNO IT IS USED FOR HEATING FOOD WHEN CAMPING ( WALMART ) IT IS EASY FAST AND ONLY GETS TO ABOUT 300

I THINK IT IS AN ALCOHOL GEL AND IT WILL NOT SMOKE YOUR JIGS. I USE NEEDLE NOSE PLYERS TO HOLD FOR ABOUT 5 OR 10 SEC.