Powder Painting Quality

[Barry70Stang]

Guys,

I've been pouring and painting my own heads for quite a while now, but I'm not really satisfied with the consistency and quality that I'm getting. When I look at some of the heads that guys are selling, I think they are better quality than mine. How do they get the eyes so dang clean? The paint job is flawless. I have to take something sharp and bust the paint out of the eye. From looking at theirs, it appears they are doing something to keep the eye from getting painted when they dip them. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Barry

[tlefire]

Harbor freight....get the smallest heat shrink they have. I think it's 1/8 or 1/16. One inch piece and put it on your eye. Heat shrinks it to the eye, dip in paint, then pull the heat shrink off. Clean eyes.

You can use the same piece a few times before it gets so covered in paint it won't go over the eye anymore. Cut that part off and keep going.

[Barry70Stang]

Harbor freight....get the smallest heat shrink they have. I think it's 1/8 or 1/16. One inch piece and put it on your eye. Heat shrinks it to the eye, dip in paint, then pull the heat shrink off. Clean eyes.

You can use the same piece a few times before it gets so covered in paint it won't go over the eye anymore. Cut that part off and keep going.

Thanks man, I appreciate you sharing that with me. I knew there had to be some trick to it.

[Snagged again]

Hey Barry,
To use heat shrink to protect eyelets here are the sizes I like For size 6 hooks try 3/64"
for 4,2,1, try 1/8"
for 1/0 and larger try3/32"
I like about a 3/8" piece of shrink with a small space allowed at the base of the eyelet to allow the paint to cover that area of the jig.
I have bought all my shrink on ebay in 100' rolls...it is low cost and of good enough quality to protect eyelets.
Another thing I have done for years is to use 1/4" stainless steel tubing( 6" sections) to heat shield hook eyelets and/or crane swivels from the heat before dipping in the fluid bed paint.It minimizes wasting paint that will stick to the heat shrink otherwise.
Lastly I use round tooth picks to remove paint from hook eyelets when making road runners as I can "heat shield" the crane swivel or the eyelet but not both with the stainless tubing.I do use heat shrink on the crane swivel and the eyelet.
Good luck

[Barry70Stang]

Hey Barry,
To use heat shrink to protect eyelets here are the sizes I like For size 6 hooks try 3/64"
for 4,2,1, try 1/8"
for 1/0 and larger try3/32"
I like about a 3/8" piece of shrink with a small space allowed at the base of the eyelet to allow the paint to cover that area of the jig.
I have bought all my shrink on ebay in 100' rolls...it is low cost and of good enough quality to protect eyelets.
Another thing I have done for years is to use 1/4" stainless steel tubing( 6" sections) to heat shield hook eyelets and/or crane swivels from the heat before dipping in the fluid bed paint.It minimizes wasting paint that will stick to the heat shrink otherwise.
Lastly I use round tooth picks to remove paint from hook eyelets when making road runners as I can "heat shield" the crane swivel or the eyelet but not both with the stainless tubing.I do use heat shrink on the crane swivel and the eyelet.
Good luck

Thanks! Good information. I'm trying pour some heads this morning. This brand new Jacobsen mold is giving me a tough time. It seems like the throat needs to be drilled out a little.

[Snagged again]

My appologies...I got your heat shrink sizes wrong...just noticed today.
Size 4,2,1....use 1/16 not 1/8
Also on a #12 crane swivel try 3/32

Sorry about the mistake...

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

[Snagged again]

Hey Barry,
To use heat shrink to protect eyelets here are the sizes I like For size 6 hooks try 3/64"
for 4,2,1, try 1/8"
for 1/0 and larger try3/32"
I like about a 3/8" piece of shrink with a small space allowed at the base of the eyelet to allow the paint to cover that area of the jig.
I have bought all my shrink on ebay in 100' rolls...it is low cost and of good enough quality to protect eyelets.
Another thing I have done for years is to use 1/4" stainless steel tubing( 6" sections) to heat shield hook eyelets and/or crane swivels from the heat before dipping in the fluid bed paint.It minimizes wasting paint that will stick to the heat shrink otherwise.
Lastly I use round tooth picks to remove paint from hook eyelets when making road runners as I can "heat shield" the crane swivel or the eyelet but not both with the stainless tubing.I do use heat shrink on the crane swivel and the eyelet.
Good luck

Hey,
I realized just now my heat shrink size info had a mistake....Sorry
for 4,2,1 size hooks try 1/16" NOT 1/8"
Also for a # 12 crane swivel try the 3/32"
My apologies

[Barry70Stang]

Hey,
I realized just now my heat shrink size info had a mistake....Sorry
for 4,2,1 size hooks try 1/16" NOT 1/8"
Also for a # 12 crane swivel try the 3/32"
My apologies

No problem, thanks for the clarification. What do you use to heat the head before you dip it into the powder cup? I'm using an oil lamp. I hold the hook with a pair of forceps, 4 second count on each side of the head for 1/16, then dip it into the cup. 3 seconds for 1/32.

[Snagged again]

No problem, thanks for the clarification. What do you use to heat the head before you dip it into the powder cup? I'm using an oil lamp. I hold the hook with a pair of forceps, 4 second count on each side of the head for 1/16, then dip it into the cup. 3 seconds for 1/32.

Hey Barry,
I have an electric heat gun from True Value that sets pointing upright.I also do seconds counting ,one thousand one,one thousand two ,and so on.I tackle-craft in an outside shed that is unheated.Occasionally use space heater in winter months.Depending on shed temp ,jig size ,and the paint itself the amount of time varies. Anytime I can be of any help you are welcome to PM me.Good Luck and enjoy your tackle-crafting.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

[skiptomylu]

No problem, thanks for the clarification. What do you use to heat the head before you dip it into the powder cup? I'm using an oil lamp. I hold the hook with a pair of forceps, 4 second count on each side of the head for 1/16, then dip it into the cup. 3 seconds for 1/32.

I have used an alcohol burner for 15 years, don't care for the noise of the heat gun and also the other issues I have with it, like the chord getting in the way as well as other things. I know lots of guys like the heat gun, I stick with my clean burning alcohol burner!

Skip