Making My Own Jigs

[Vic Nightingale]

I made some new jigs and I noticed the powder paint is starting to chip. After I powder painted them, I cured them in a toaster oven for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. I thought that would harden the paint, but now they are starting to chip. Should I be doing something different?

[Jig Man]

If you don't want them to chip then don't throw them in the rocks. Where I fish a jig's life is about 3 casts so I don't worry about chips.

[Will Wetline]

You want a finish that doesn't chip? Use vinyl paint. I've seen a jig dipped in vinyl smashed with a hammer and the jig flattened and this paint conformed to the new shape without a chip.

However, applying this paint may be the most tedious process you've ever done.

I'll be using this procedure on bismuth/tin alloy jigs in a few weeks and try to put up a post with pics.

[cadman]

billy,

I'm going have to agree with the two guys posted before me. With powder paint you have many colors you can choose from. Vinyl paint is limited. I've heard that vinyl paint is more forgiving than powder paint,however I have never used vinyl. So with that said, if you throw your jigs in a lot of rocks don't expect the paint to last. I mainly fish open water and weeds and if I can keep a jig on all day without losing it than the bottom of the jig has minor abrasions. If I fish rocks, they get chewed up pretty fast. That's the way it is, or try the vinyl paint.

[River Rat316]

I disagree with the above posters, I use powder and it does not chip, is stronger than any vinyl and is a breeze to apply, there are some "secrets" to powder the first thing you need to do is throw a thermometer in your oven and check the temp, it sounds off to me lots of toaster ovens have horrible temp control, it probably initially gets up to 350 but then cools back down to 250 anf then back up to 350 and you never get your full cure, you can also leave it in the oven for longer it won't hurt anything and will help it cure if the temp isn't great , I cure at 365 and have digital ovens, 365 is 365. If your temp is not high enough the paint will chip. The other "secrets" are usiing as thin of a coat of powder as you can to still get full coverage, watch the temperature that you are dipping the jig at, if you remove it from your cup and it already flashed you are going to have to much paint on it, you want it kinda flat looking when removed from the powder. Temp control on both baking and dipping are your two most important factors

[tholmes]

I agree with RiverRat, sounds like you're not getting the jigs hot enough, for long enough. for a proper cure.

Re: vinyl paint. It IS tough, but the big downside, in my experience, is that it will react with some soft plastics, causing it to soften and peel. you can overcoat it with epoxy, but that adds one more step to an already PITA process.

Tom

[Will Wetline]

I bass fish in Massachusetts which, as you may already know, has banned lead jigs and sinkers that weigh less than one ounce. Therefore I am molding with a bismuth/tin alloy that melts at 281 degrees. This informs me that I cannot properly cure powder paint. So . . . drip . . . drip . . . drip . . . I will continue to use the vinyl, PITA process that it is.

[smalljaw67]

Toaster overs are notorious for being inaccurate so I would get an over thermometer. Also, even with a good cured powder they will eventually chip at some point, I've used vinyl and it too will eventually begin to not chip but peel and even with good ventilation vinyl paint will cause you the most massive headache you ever had...lol. Maybe not but it made my head hurt everytime I used it and I also hated putting a coat of white paint on and then let it sit and then finish, powder is so much easier.

[jig]

I wouldnt worry about them chipping to much if i were you.Bottom line is we paint them so they look good for us,because the bass dont care.You could put a painted jig next to a unpainted one and they are both going to get the same amount of bites in my oppinion.I dont put them in oven ,and yes, they do chip,But never do the bass stop biting them.

[Brian Needham]

Listen to River rat.......his jigs DONT chip, period.

[Vic Nightingale]

Thanks for all the responses. I was throwing a football jig head in open water and dragging it on the bottom. The only thing I could feel were shell beds. If I was throwing it into rocks, I would be ok with the chipping. I just can't believe that shell beds will chip paint. From now on, I think I'm going to cure them at a little bit higher temp for slightly longer periods. River rat, thanks for the advice. I will do that with the next batch.

[River Rat316]

Listen to River rat.......his jigs DONT chip, period.

HAHA they do chip, it just takes awhile, and its ot really a chip the paint just eventually wears off,, you know you got the paint good when you can take a cured jig head and repeatedly smash it against concrete and the paint isn't chipped off, the head will be deformed but the paint still doesn't chip.