DIY Jig Head Painting ?

Post your Jig, Spinners and spoon photos and directions here
User avatar
bcalvert
Lieutenant
Posts: 265
Joined: Wed Jun 24, 2009 1:08 pm
Location: Mount Vernon, WA

RE:DIY Jig Head Painting ?

Post by bcalvert » Tue Jan 25, 2011 11:00 am

I have been researching making my own jigs. One of the tips that i found for keeping the eye clean when using powder pait is to take some play-dough and make a small ball. Form the dough ball around the eye prior to painting. When you bake the jig for the final hardening process for the paint, the dough will become brittle and can be easily broken out leaving a clean eye.

I have not tried this myself, but it sounds like a sound solution.
Washington State Pond Jumperz
Washington's First Electric Only Bass Club
Hosting five open entry electric motor bass tournaments in 2012.

For the rich, there is therapy. For the rest of us, there is FISHING!

User avatar
Toni
Sponsor
Sponsor
Posts: 3183
Joined: Mon Apr 30, 2007 10:47 pm
Location: Graham

RE:DIY Jig Head Painting ?

Post by Toni » Tue Jan 25, 2011 8:53 pm

Gringo Pescador wrote:Toni

Did you switch from Vinyl to powder? If so, which one did you settle with? I started tying my own jigs and painting is the next logical step. In my experience, the jigs I have bought, the vinyl ones seem to hold up better and have brighter colors so I am tempted to go towards vinyl (especially since I have the time & space to dip & dry).
No, still vinyl. Paper clip pushes the paint out of the eye.
Look for Wannafish A Lure on FaceBook
He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

User avatar
HillbillyGeek
Captain
Posts: 755
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2008 2:50 pm
Location: Lake Stevens

RE:DIY Jig Head Painting ?

Post by HillbillyGeek » Mon Apr 25, 2011 4:22 am

Gringo Pescador wrote:Toni

Did you switch from Vinyl to powder? If so, which one did you settle with? I started tying my own jigs and painting is the next logical step. In my experience, the jigs I have bought, the vinyl ones seem to hold up better and have brighter colors so I am tempted to go towards vinyl (especially since I have the time & space to dip & dry).
I absolutely LOVE powder paint. To get a rock-hard finish, you've got to "cure" them in an oven. As someone else mentioned, holding the jig eye with needle nose pliers while you dip will keep paint out of the eye. There is a catch: hold it by the hook when you heat it over a candle. Then grab the eye with pliers and dip. Why? Because you don't want the pliers to get hot enough for the paint to adhere.
I'm going to be unemployed in four days, so I'll post a tutorial with pics.
Mixing different colors is fun, but it takes a lot of tweaking to get it right. The powder in the jar is not the same color as it is after being cured in an oven. I make a "shrimp orange" that looks more like bubble gum before being baked.
Some colors have different properties than others. For example, pearl and gold do not drip or make jigs with beaks -- regardless of how hot you get them. Other colors are notorious for dripping. Black is one of my favorites, but getting the jig head the right temp is critical.
Powder paint can also be touched up with fingernail polish. Sparkle blue polish over a black powder coat is very cool. Again, I'll post pics when time allows.
Last edited by HillbillyGeek on Mon Apr 25, 2011 4:27 am, edited 1 time in total.
Piscatory Geekus Maximus

User avatar
HillbillyGeek
Captain
Posts: 755
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2008 2:50 pm
Location: Lake Stevens

RE:DIY Jig Head Painting ?

Post by HillbillyGeek » Mon Apr 25, 2011 4:39 am

Pouring your own jigs will save a lot of money. I highly recommend the Lee bottom-pour furnace.
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?p ... ber=637732
Piscatory Geekus Maximus

User avatar
Gringo Pescador
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 2564
Joined: Wed May 23, 2007 8:35 am

RE:DIY Jig Head Painting ?

Post by Gringo Pescador » Mon Apr 25, 2011 1:26 pm

HBG - I ended up going with vinyl. The reason being (for me) the vinyl doesn't seem to chip as easy as the powder (this is with store bought jigs, I have never powder coated my own). It is a longer process to paint them, (longer drying time and multiple coats) but since I am not doing mass production that is not a problem. I set up a little oven and can coat (single dip) and hang 150 in about an hour and have them ready for the next coat the next day.

As far as paint in the eyelets - still experimenting with that one. I tried just using a large needle to poke a hole into the eyelet, but what ended up happening is that I was losing jigs on every little snag and fish, it seemed that the left over paint in the eyelet was weakening the line and breaking it. Once I cleared the hole out completely, never had another issue. So, the batch I am doing now I put a little ball of playdough (about the size of a BB)over the eyelet and let it dry before painting. We'll see how easy it is to remove once the paint is finished.

Looking forward to your tutorial (good idea), if I get some time maybe I will post one up for vinyl also.
I fish not because I regard fishing as being terribly important, but because I suspect that so many of the other concerns of men are equally unimportant, and not nearly so much fun. ~ John Volker

User avatar
blurock
Warrant Officer
Posts: 197
Joined: Fri Sep 11, 2009 10:43 pm
Location: Shoreline

RE:DIY Jig Head Painting ?

Post by blurock » Wed Jun 22, 2011 6:07 am

(I know it's already been covered but thought I'd throw in my two cents haha)

Rapala makes an Eyebuster too, I got one in a gift set or something, somewhere along the line. I tried it a few times, and it never worked very well for me. My best result always came from using the hook point of another jig head or hook (the jig head was easier to hang onto)
Last edited by blurock on Wed Jun 22, 2011 6:10 am, edited 1 time in total.
Fish Like A Girl

User avatar
jens
Commodore
Posts: 1257
Joined: Sun Apr 29, 2007 11:55 am
Location: In the woods away from the pollution

Re: DIY Jig Head Painting ?

Post by jens » Mon Dec 12, 2011 1:01 pm

I have been cutting very small pieces of foil to cover the eyes. I crimp them with small pliers. Very time consuming, but well worth it IMO.

User avatar
Toni
Sponsor
Sponsor
Posts: 3183
Joined: Mon Apr 30, 2007 10:47 pm
Location: Graham

Re: DIY Jig Head Painting ?

Post by Toni » Mon Dec 12, 2011 4:53 pm

I use a bodkin now. Eyebuster was a bust.
Look for Wannafish A Lure on FaceBook
He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

User avatar
Gringo Pescador
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 2564
Joined: Wed May 23, 2007 8:35 am

Re: DIY Jig Head Painting ?

Post by Gringo Pescador » Tue Dec 13, 2011 7:41 am

I sit and watch TV, roll a BB size ball of PlayDoh and smash it over/into the eye. Hang it over night and it hardens. Paint, dry, then just peel away with a cheap pocketknife.
I fish not because I regard fishing as being terribly important, but because I suspect that so many of the other concerns of men are equally unimportant, and not nearly so much fun. ~ John Volker

User avatar
Bodofish
Vice Admiral Three Stars
Posts: 5401
Joined: Sun Apr 29, 2007 12:59 pm
Location: Woodinville
Contact:

Re: DIY Jig Head Painting ?

Post by Bodofish » Wed Dec 14, 2011 8:27 pm

I've been using the eye buster for a while now and it's nothing but a slam dunk. It operates like fingernail clippers but one side of the jaw has a hole in it. Stick the eye in, squeeze down the point, give it a twist and you're done. It takes an entire 3 three seconds, including getting it out of your pocket.
Build a man a fire and he's warm for the night. Light a man on fire and he's warm the rest of his life!

User avatar
Toni
Sponsor
Sponsor
Posts: 3183
Joined: Mon Apr 30, 2007 10:47 pm
Location: Graham

Re: DIY Jig Head Painting ?

Post by Toni » Wed Dec 14, 2011 9:02 pm

The eye buster I used had a triangle part that poked into the round hole of the eye. I didn't want it scraping the inside of the eye, possibly causing scraps that could cause the leader to fray.
I use a bodkin that just takes a poke into the hole in the eye.
Look for Wannafish A Lure on FaceBook
He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

User avatar
Bodofish
Vice Admiral Three Stars
Posts: 5401
Joined: Sun Apr 29, 2007 12:59 pm
Location: Woodinville
Contact:

Re: DIY Jig Head Painting ?

Post by Bodofish » Thu Dec 15, 2011 5:07 am

I can understand your fear but the steel the hooks are made of is much harder than the eye buster. It doesn't even come close to scratching the eye's. In fact it's marginally harder than the paint.
Build a man a fire and he's warm for the night. Light a man on fire and he's warm the rest of his life!

User avatar
G-Man
Admiral
Posts: 2682
Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2008 9:01 am
Location: Bellevue, WA

Re: DIY Jig Head Painting ?

Post by G-Man » Thu Dec 15, 2011 3:24 pm

I just use the pointed end of a hook to clear the eye, works every time. Once you break through, push it in to the barb, wiggle it around a bit and the paint should flake off completely.

User avatar
racfish
Rear Admiral Two Stars
Posts: 4701
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2007 4:11 pm
Location: Seward Park area

Re: DIY Jig Head Painting ?

Post by racfish » Thu Jan 05, 2012 1:00 pm

I know this is a late answer but I use finger nail polish (enamel) for my lures that I paint. The color selection is awesome. I use that for my salt water jigs for squidding. The polish lasts long time.

Post Reply

Return to “Hardware How-to's and Swap Event”