01-24-2009, 12:55 PM
[cool][#0000ff]I also use Roadrunner (pony head) jigs a lot. The adding of the little swivel to the head DOES make the painting process more difficult. There is no way you can use powder coating to paint them without messing up the swivels. Well, maybe there is, but I don't know of it.
I use vinyl paints almost exclusively. I have no problems with the "brush stroke" issues. The most important thing is to maintain proper thinning. The paint needs to be thin enough to flow on smoothly, leaving no marks, but thick enough that it does not run or sag while setting up.
It takes some practice and experience to be able to get the thinning right. After you learn the properties of the paint, and how to apply it to different jig heads, you will get a better finish.
My process is to take the lid off and then stir the paint with a stir stick...to mix the thicker and thinner parts of the paint. Then, I lift the stick out of the paint and observe how thin it is by how quickly it runs off the end of the stick. In most cases the paint thickens up a bit between uses and I need to add some thinner...with medicine dropper I keep beside the thinner bottle. I will add and stir until I get the right consistency.
The white undercoat is probably the most important to get right. Properly thinned white vinyl paint should go on smoothly, level quickly, and not be so thick that it runs. It should be thick enough to cover in one coat. Too thin and you need to apply a second coat. Too thick and you get the "brush stroke" lines before you are finished painting.
One of the things I do, when I detect that I have probably put on too thick of a coat of paint, is to rotate it around while blowing gently on it for a few seconds, to partially dry the surface. That stuff does set up quickly...and that is good.
When painting the pony heads, I hold the jig in a pair of hemostats (for control and reduced "finger painting"). I begin by making slow deliberate brush strokes from the back to front, on the swivel side of the jig head. I go around the swivel on one side and then the other. Once I have that done, without getting paint in the swivel, I finish the rest of the jig head.
Use small brushes and only get the tip of the brush in the paint. Only load up the brush if you are painting large simple jig heads or spoons that need a lot of paint.
No doubt about it. Using powder coatings is faster and simpler. But, there are many jig making situations that require more "hands on" to get a good paint job...or to get the special colors and patterns you want.
[/#0000ff]
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I use vinyl paints almost exclusively. I have no problems with the "brush stroke" issues. The most important thing is to maintain proper thinning. The paint needs to be thin enough to flow on smoothly, leaving no marks, but thick enough that it does not run or sag while setting up.
It takes some practice and experience to be able to get the thinning right. After you learn the properties of the paint, and how to apply it to different jig heads, you will get a better finish.
My process is to take the lid off and then stir the paint with a stir stick...to mix the thicker and thinner parts of the paint. Then, I lift the stick out of the paint and observe how thin it is by how quickly it runs off the end of the stick. In most cases the paint thickens up a bit between uses and I need to add some thinner...with medicine dropper I keep beside the thinner bottle. I will add and stir until I get the right consistency.
The white undercoat is probably the most important to get right. Properly thinned white vinyl paint should go on smoothly, level quickly, and not be so thick that it runs. It should be thick enough to cover in one coat. Too thin and you need to apply a second coat. Too thick and you get the "brush stroke" lines before you are finished painting.
One of the things I do, when I detect that I have probably put on too thick of a coat of paint, is to rotate it around while blowing gently on it for a few seconds, to partially dry the surface. That stuff does set up quickly...and that is good.
When painting the pony heads, I hold the jig in a pair of hemostats (for control and reduced "finger painting"). I begin by making slow deliberate brush strokes from the back to front, on the swivel side of the jig head. I go around the swivel on one side and then the other. Once I have that done, without getting paint in the swivel, I finish the rest of the jig head.
Use small brushes and only get the tip of the brush in the paint. Only load up the brush if you are painting large simple jig heads or spoons that need a lot of paint.
No doubt about it. Using powder coatings is faster and simpler. But, there are many jig making situations that require more "hands on" to get a good paint job...or to get the special colors and patterns you want.
[/#0000ff]
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