How Does This Look?

[smoothlures]

There's a lot more detail to the head, but the camera and the clear coat doesn't help you see it any.

[luvjign]

Looks good, Smooth........... If you don't mind me askin...........Is that powder-coat? What size head/hook? Do you clear-coat after you put the eyes on? Thanks

[smoothlures]

It's vinyl paint with a 1 part epoxy over it. I dip in 2 coats of white, 2 coats of red, waiting until the paint FULLY dries between each coat (I've see people say it doesn't work and stays gummy...this is why, you must let it dry quite a while), then put the eyes on and then dip it in a jar of clear 1 part epoxy. I then blow on the jig getting it out of the cracks around the eye so it still looks 3D, wipe what gets blown to the other side off, then repeat on the other side then hang up to dry.
It's a 1/8th oz. head with a number 1 hook.
Thanks for the feedback.

[luvjign]

Just went and got the vise and other goodies to try this tying thing (cause my partner has started tying, and all the jig-tying posts on the forum done flung a cravin' on me to try it!!!) So............is vinyl paint better and easier than powder-coat? Where do you get your paint and eyes? Thanks

[willsjwills]

try Barlow's Tackle or Jans Net Craft for the paints. Bass Pro and Cabelas also have them.

[skiptomylu]

Don't mean to knock what you are trying to do, but you are pending a lot of time on the probably the least important part of the jig. Just my opinion, but I really don't even think the head color make hardly any difference most of the time. I would paint way less of my personal jigs if the lead didn't just keep getting darker and darker dull gray. I put Silver or Clear coat on more jig head that I use then any color.

I do use Black, FL/ Red on a couple of jigs I like and maybe a few with Chart, but way more of my jigs in my box are Silver or a clear coat.

[smoothlures]

I agree, most of the time when I fish with one of my jigs I don't ever bother to paint it, but these are being sent to someone, so you gotta please your customers.

[TAE73]

Looks good smooth, I also have this same mold. It does a good job at catching fish. I paint mine both ways some using the vinyl paint 1 coat white 2 coats color then put the eyes on then 2 coats clear and just using powder paint. Worse part is the eyes are not cheap, unless you get a bait shop to give you a good deal if you buy 1,000 or so at a time.

[joejv4]

Nice looking paint job.

Almost makes me feel bad about using unpainted heads almost exclusively. I lose a ton of jigs on logs and stumps, so go with unpainted, just to keep my expenses down.

If you weren't trying to impress a customer - I'd tell you to follow Skip's advice and keep the paint jobs real simple on the jig heads - and save the fancy work for the stuff you tie onto it.

I hope your customer is paying you well for putting in so much time and effort! It really looks like high quality workmanship - I'd want to put it in a display case instead of in the water where I might lose it!

[ejones1961]

I like the way those eyes look.