Curing powder paint?

[Pour Dennis]

I have a small dilemma with curing powder paint. When I heat my jig heads and dip them in the fluid bed the paint comes out with a high gloss finish. But after Curing them in the oven they come out with a matte finish. Am I heating up the jigs too much when I dip them?

[greg516]

I do alot of steelhead fishing and we use jigs, tie em and paint em.

When we powder coat em... For like 1/8th oz we heat it for 3-5 seconds, stick it in the powder real fast and tap it off on the edge.

What type of powder coat are you using?

[cadman]

Whos brand of powder are you using and what temp are you curing your powder on and for how long.

[harshman]

Sounds like you are heating the jigs up to much before you dip them. Personally I use a toaster oven to heat my jigs before dipping, you get much more evenly heated jig head than with a flame, second you still want the paint to look powdery after dipping not glossy, the paint should stick to the head and not brush off easily, if it does clean it off and start over. You might find that a 1/4 oz jig might take 1 min to pre-heat and an 3/8 oz might take 2 min. you have to experiment but keep good notes that you can refer to later if you are painting the same jigs later on. If your jig is glossy you had the jig head to hot and have to much paint sticking to the head now which can lead to coning problems when you cure. Last I cure the jigs in the toaster oven for the recommended time and heat on the jar of paint, not using their specs might be what is baking your paint and turning it colors.

Harshman

[Pour Dennis]

Thanks for the replies. It looks like I am heating them too hot before dipping them. I will try less heating time. I cure them in a toaster over at 350 for 20 min like the bottle recommends.

[Siebert Outdoors]

put an oven temp thermometer in your oven and check it.  It could be way off.

[Stevie b]

Sounds like you are heating the jigs up to much before you dip them. Personally I use a toaster oven to heat my jigs before dipping, you get much more evenly heated jig head than with a flame, second you still want the paint to look powdery after dipping not glossy, the paint should stick to the head and not brush off easily, if it does clean it off and start over. You might find that a 1/4 oz jig might take 1 min to pre-heat and an 3/8 oz might take 2 min. you have to experiment but keep good notes that you can refer to later if you are painting the same jigs later on. If your jig is glossy you had the jig head to hot and have to much paint sticking to the head now which can lead to coning problems when you cure. Last I cure the jigs in the toaster oven for the recommended time and heat on the jar of paint, not using their specs might be what is baking your paint and turning it colors.

Harshman

I pretty much do the same thing.  I paint several hundred jigs at one time.  So I load up the tray in the toaster oven, usually 100-150 1/4 or 3/8oz jigs.  I turn it up to about 350º, and let them sit in there for a good solid 15-20 min.  That way the lead is at 350º all the way through out the jig head.  Then I grab the hook with a pair of needle nose pliers and swirl it around in the poweder paint.  A couple quick taps to get the exccess off and your jig  should look nice and glossy.  Hang it on a rack and let it cool.  That's it.

If your baking to let them cure, make sure they are hanging, if you just let them sit on a flat surface the paint will re-liquify and your get bare spots on the jig heads.  20 min at 350º is the general rule.