Jig head epoxy

[milehi]

Been making my own jigs for close to 40 years and have yet to find a clear that doesn't chip, is there such a thing? Always buy unpainted heads cause the painted seem to chip just as quick or quicker, Use fingernail polish for color. any thoughs? Thanks

[jiggin4bass]

Go with Pro-tech powder coat paint

[jiggin4bass]

m.csipaint.com should have what your looking for

[WRB]

I have been making my jigs for a lot longer and powder coating doesn't improve a jigs action, profile or appearance to bass, it's mandatory if you sell jigs.
I have used Testors enamel model paint for decades, doesn't chip, it may get scratched sometimes.
Try Testors enamel clear or pearl white, small bottle covers about 50 jig heads and no issues with paint in the hook eye if you use a small brush.
Tom

[milehi]

Thanks guys. I have found for me powder coat chips like anything else. I am totally stuck in my ways, use only brown or purple, will see if testors make those colors. Thanks again

[mark poulson]

Devcon 30 minute epoxy will protect the nail polish, but it will chip, too. Envirotex epoxy won't chip, but it takes too long to set.
I've found that baking my powdercoat in a toaster oven for thirty minutes at 350 degrees makes it really strong and durable.
I also use clear nail polish over my black, brown, and green pumpkin heads to add glittler, which is mixed into the clear polish. The clear holds up better than the colored polish. I think that's why the nail salons clear over their colored polish jobs.
There is some UV cured nail polish that sets under a UV light, but I haven't tried that yet. I think it might let me put a clear coat over the color without running, which happens now if I don't let the color dry overnight. Even with overnight dried color, I have to load my clear brush, apply it fast, and make sure not to go over a place that's already cleared.

[birdman920]

Pro-Tec poweder coat' cured in oven 30 min @ 350 ! it's the best way to go !....

[jiggin4bass]

When I powder coat my jig heads I use a bernzomatic torch I heat the jig head dip the base coat and then I add up to 5 others colors over the base coat with one heat application then then I transfer them into and Gas oven with fans to circulate the heat starting the heat out at 275 degrees for 10 minutes then up the heat to 325 degrees for 20 minutes the fans push the heat and air around too make the powder coating on the jig heads come out with a swirl pattern on each head all the jig heads come out with different patterns no two jig heads are alike you can match the 100'S of silicone colors that are produced today that also go for round rubber and if your tying hair jigs I like giving the fish a different look with different style of jigs profile make a big difference when your putting the jig down in a bass strike zone

[jiggin4bass]

I left out a little secret when applying the other colors on top of the base coat to make the swirl patterns it how it applied that makes the patterns.

[SObassman]

If you are just looking to get color on bare lead you can soak jig heads in liquid plumber/drano, hang jig heads in a short glass jar and fill until lead is covered, let sit 24 hours then rinse off with hot water and jig heads will turn a dull brown color. This is a chemical reaction and will not chip off. If done several time over color will become very dark and will be darker if older dull heads are used to start with. Use this mostly on darter heads, shaky heads and football heads , have even used it on lead bullet weights.
Robert

[jiggin4bass]

If you fire your jig head in and oven start at a lower temp at 250 for the first 10 minutes this allows the powder coat to set up then move to the higher temp 325 this will allow the powder coat too have a very hard shiny finish if you have access to a gas oven you will see a difference in the finish in the powder coating. Over the years I used zynolyte epoxy rust-mate brush on paint and used the same oven and the finish on the heads came out with a nice chip free finish I've been building jigs since 1977

[milehi]

Wow, that's some great info, never realized I was so low tech. Best for me has always been the clear polish. The only lake I fish anymore is wall to wall docks, have my goods days & not so good skipping jigs behind them so they can take a beating. Honestly don't know if the chipping makes a difference

[Rod Martin]

Wow, that's some great info, never realized I was so low tech. Best for me has always been the clear polish. The only lake I fish anymore is wall to wall docks, have my goods days & not so good skipping jigs behind them so they can take a beating. Honestly don't know if the chipping makes a difference

Dock Fishing . I've been practicing that . But I cannot get a jig to skip

[jiggin4bass]

Bullet head jig wire weedguard 1/4 oz or 3/8 oz wil skip for u

[mark poulson]

Wow, that's some great info, never realized I was so low tech. Best for me has always been the clear polish. The only lake I fish anymore is wall to wall docks, have my goods days & not so good skipping jigs behind them so they can take a beating. Honestly don't know if the chipping makes a difference

Dock Fishing . I've been practicing that . But I cannot get a jig to skip

It's karma for all the christmas trees you dropped into Alondra! Hahaha
P.S. You cost me a ton of terminal tackle!

[Rod Martin]

Wow, that's some great info, never realized I was so low tech. Best for me has always been the clear polish. The only lake I fish anymore is wall to wall docks, have my goods days & not so good skipping jigs behind them so they can take a beating. Honestly don't know if the chipping makes a difference

Dock Fishing . I've been practicing that . But I cannot get a jig to skip

It's karma for all the christmas trees you dropped into Alondra! Hahaha
P.S. You cost me a ton of terminal tackle!

Now how did I cost you tackle

[milehi]

I've given every type head a shot, arkie style by far the best. footballs will not work

[jiggin4bass]

If I lose a few jigs here and there I don't really notice to much I know the guy that builds my jigs he keeps me well supplied

[mark poulson]

Dock Fishing . I've been practicing that . But I cannot get a jig to skip

It's karma for all the christmas trees you dropped into Alondra! Hahaha
P.S. You cost me a ton of terminal tackle!

Now how did I cost you tackle

All the T rigs I snagged and lost on your trees!

[Rod Martin]

It's karma for all the christmas trees you dropped into Alondra! Hahaha
P.S. You cost me a ton of terminal tackle!

Now how did I cost you tackle

All the T rigs I snagged and lost on your trees!

Now you've lost me what is an Alondra and when did I put trees in it

You know who I am right?

And we've done a good job of highjacking this post

[jiggin4bass]

OK back to the problem of solving the problem of paint chipping off your jig heads

[milehi]

Hey, fun post.

[Doug Warren]

http://store.do-itmolds.com/Seal-Coat-_p_807.html

This works really well for me..

[jiggin4bass]

Doug the seal coat you posted is sold by CSI paint
www.csipaint.com
Milehi take a look at the CSI web site they may be able to help you solve your problem with your jigs it a very good company and they'll will work with you to take care of what you may need

[milehi]

Hey jigging4bass, thanks so much for your help, I will check that site out. A million years ago I used to make ball head jigs for myself & some friends, unpainted, always worked great. What do you think, do we make to much of it? Course I'm on a lake with no real pressure. Thanks again

[jiggin4bass]

Your welcome I remember when I first started out pouring painting and building jigs what a great hobby this was going to be then I let a store owner talk me into making them for his store to sell then another and another and before I knew it
It wasn't a hobby anymore now I'm back to doing them for me and a couple of my fishing buddy's but I've been ask to start making jigs again I'm going to just keep it as a hobby from now on I still make Arkie head Bullet head Standup head Football head slider head walleye head round head and flipping jigs buzz bait and spinner bait heads I've built all my own fluid beds for my powder coating for the jigs and buzz and spinnerbait body's I deal with 1 company for all my silicone material if I want a custom color they make it for me I also deal with a company that make custom fiber guards for me in 9 11 18 21 fiber guards my shop still set up to go but it's back to being a hobby shop for me from now on.
The puffball jig still live on.

[milehi]

Sounds like a business to me! I've seen your jigs, long ago, things of beauty. I have a good friend who makes great working topwater swimbaits, beautiful paint jobs, much in demand by locals on the lakes he fishes. so far has stuck to his guns & make only what & when he wants. thanks, all the best

[WRB]

Do-It's Mold vinyl paint works good but for me it's a 3 step process, coats the hook eye and takes about 3 days to complete and not worth the effort. If you want a finish that doesn't chip vinyl is a good solution.
I hear AH has been producing some good smallies! Last May killing some time from shore at BB with 50 degree water temps I was surprised with a pair of 5# & 6+# LMB, some better fish are showing up!
Good luck with your jig project.
Tom

[jiggin4bass]

With all the rain forecast for this week I can get caught up making a new batch of jigs for me I can never have enough

[Cooch]

Milehi,

CSI''s Pro-Tec, as mentioned by a couple of previous posters, are the innovator in this technology. Yet there is a science to getting the desired finished product that won't chip. Each of their base coatings will nicely coat your jig heads smoothly and with a gloss finish, if baked and cured at the proper temperatures. Yet, if used alone, they will chip, CSI's best hardening product is the CLEAR, when baked, cooled and cured properly, your jig heads will turn out with as hard a coating as you can get with a single coat. By tinkering with portions that you're mixing the CLEAR Hardener with your base coats, will create a better hardened base color solution.

You can also do a double dip process using your base first, then the CLEAR. This again will require some tinkering in your process, as you will have to play with initial dipping, cooling and cure time for the first coat, then dip a second time with the CLEAR hardener, cool and cure again. The temperature, and the time it heats, to which you first prepare your jig heads for that initial coat, is critical, as is the cooling process before the next coat. You then must re-adjust your dip heat and duration as you prepare the second Clear hardening coat, cooling, then the final cure period to properly harden to the max both coats. When using this double coat process, it's imperative to get that first coat applied and proportionally cured, before applying the second coat and final cure. If that first coat is not done properly, it will stress and crack beneath the clear finish, eventually resulting in the outer finish chipping too.

The dipping process to properly coat your jig head is too, a science all in itself. Your flow cup, or in our process the use of a large fluid bin where we coat 100 jig heads at a time, MUST have the proper air flow, to allow the paint to adhere with the proper thickness and even supply of paint on the lead. The angle you dip the head must be correct so as to properly coat the bottom of the head, which when fishing is the surface that comes in contact most often where chips in the paint occur. This is where temperature is critical, ya gotta have it hot enough so the paint properly adheres to the lead. If the lead is not hot enough, you'll get a rough, grainy finish, yet if it's too hot, it will smoke and burn the paint. Either of these two miscues, will cause the paint to improperly cure and chipping heads are an inevitable result.

Last year, when Johnny and I took over TNT Baits, this was my first project before we started to tie and put a single jig out to anglers. It took me about 3 weeks, working 10 hrs a day to get our jig heads to the standard I wanted. Bill at CSI was very helpful in explaining the full process to me, which I have given you above. Then it was up to me to spend the time tinkering with the processes to where we got the desired results. It's not rocket science once ya understand how it all works, yet it's not as easy as heat, dip & tie either! Hope this helps, good luck!

[milehi]

Think I'll just keep carrying a touch up bottle of nail polish in the boat

[mark poulson]

Think I'll just keep carrying a touch up bottle of nail polish in the boat

If you wear gloves, they will protect your nails in the boat.

[milehi]

gotta look good at the ramp