New member with paint questions

[TomFL]

Hi, new member just found this forum. Got a lead melting pot and some molds from my wife for Xmas and have learning a lot since then.

I can honestly say I'm hooked and have found a hobby that is a suprising amount of fun, and there's no better feeling than catching a fish on a lure I've made. Pretty cool stuff.

Anyways, here's my problem: I use a lot of roadrunner jigs mostly in 1/16 oz and 1/8 oz but some smaller and larger from there, and my biggest problem is painting them.

I'm getting better with powdercoating, I don't think this is the best approach but I like the finish it gives. Through more precise heat management I have cut my waste considerably, but it's a lot of labor to make sure there is no powder in the swivel.

I've also just tried vinyl paint, but am having trouble with brushstrokes and an overall poor paint finish, probably because I'm doing something wrong.

Can someone out there offer some tips that would help me understand whether I'm on the right track and using the right materials, or is there a better/easier/faster way to get some semi-professional looking finished jigs?

Thanks

-Tom
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[Roghet]

I just got started too, and boy do I resonate with all your sentiments. [] I like a smooth finish also, but lost interest quickly with the powder paint.

What I have learned so far is that the vinyl paint needs to be the right consistency. Too thick and the strokes are hard to avoid, and adding thinner and making it too thin and there's less coverage. Speaking of my base coat of white, two coats of thinner paint to cover the inconsistencies is often what I end up doing.

I try to load the brush well, and make as few quick strokes as possible, cuz once it starts to dry it's a real challenge once the paint gets tacky... [crazy]

What I'm exploring now, is once I get a good base coat of white, I'm using acrylic artist paints to do some of the colors and details, because they are MUCH easier to control, and are water soluble - and I can use my airbrush for a smooth as can be look. It can scratch off easily, but when I coat it with a clear topcoat, then an epoxy over that, it's as tough as anything else.

Maybe TubeDude will comment, but I thought I'd chime in to suggest something for now.

Have you tried the paints that are intended to be used for the airbrush, or enamels yet? I'm haven't, but I'm curious about them.

Good luck
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[TubeDude]

[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.
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[TomFL]

Thanks to both of you for the feedback. I've gotten my hands on some proper thinner, and will put it to good use tonight with the tips you guys gave.

Honestly as long as the swivel is working on the roadrunners the fish don't seem to mind what the finish looks like, but I'd like to have them easier to work on, and get some better results as well.

Every batch I've made has come out better, with several of the last ones looking store-bought. I'm happy to see I'm going in the right direction here and hope the thinner and vinyl paint will make it easier.

Thanks for the tips! I will no doubt be re-reading them as I'm working on thinning the paint!

-T
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000bf]Good luck. Practice may not make perfect, but it should improve your outcomes. Sounds like you are making good progress.

I pour and paint a lot of jigs. I have just about every color available in the vinyl and I buy the thinners by the pint cans...only about $11 at Barlows and now at Janns too. I keep only a small amount in a bottle at my work area...just in case I knock it over. That stuff is powerful (fumes) and dissolves about anything it comes in contact with. I also use it for cleaning my brushes after using epoxy and for removing various adhesives and permanent marker writings.

Once you get the hang of working with the paints...and the different kinds of jig heads...it becomes much easier to sit down and turn out a batch of good lookin' stuff. It really doesn't matter how it looks to humans, as long as the fishies vote for it.
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[TomFL]

Thanks for the input. I've worked a little more with both the powdercoating and the vinyl paint/thinners as you guys have suggested. By no means am I a pro at either.

With the powdercoating method, carefully heating the lure head and not the swivel, dipping and immediately "knocking" the needlenose pliers on the side of the powder jar to knock the excess powder off, then working the swivel immediately after powder application I'm getting very little to no waste. Also after curing I double-check the swivels and work any that may have stuck, freeing them up before they cool. Doing this I have maybe 1-2 bad ones out of a batch of 50. Smaller sizes take more care but are doable.

The vinyl paints, at least for me at this stage of my learning curve, are much more time consuming and the finish isn't coming out nearly as flat and smooth as the powder ones. But, there is zero waste. Still have a somewhat rougher finish and overall appearance than the powder. Plus the fumes relegate me to doing it outside.

But, I'm getting better each time on both versions, and am excited to see the progress. I have a bunch out of my last batch that are very good (for me) and look store-bought. I will be sending these to my nephew as a birthday gift and hope he will be putting them to good use.

I did have a brainstorm moment the other day and thought I'd share. My wife has a rub-on transfer tool that I used for the eyes, makes life easier than using a brush. Also cleanup is a snap, just wipe clean. They don't sell the exact one anymore, but this is a similiar one: [url "http://www.americancrafts.com/subcategory.php?id=22&sub=126"]http://www.americancrafts.com/subcategory.php?id=22&sub=126[/url] . The one I "acquired" from my wife was plastic and had no ball on the end. Not sure if this one will work exactly the same, but if not it looks like you could easily file off the end and then round it off and it would work the same.

For the pupils I simply used a toothpick and cut the tip slightly depending on the size of the paint drop I wanted. You guys probably have a better way, but this saved me a bunch of time and actually came out better than me using a brush.

Thanks for the input. Funny thing is, since I've been making my own lures, I've yet to lose one. All the while I was buying them I was going through 3-5 a day. Now I've been fishing 2-3 days with the same one, haven't lost it yet. Plus it looks pretty crude, but the fish don't seem to mind as they're hitting it. I've made a bunch that look a whole lot better than that one, but If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right! Go figure.
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[tlspyder13]

Glad to hear its working better for you. Having watched tubedude many times now and hours of practice myself better looking presentations come with repetition.

As for your nephew if he is anything like my son he will love any thing that works. My brother has given my boy several different sets of jigs. The workmanship has improved but all my boy ever says is that was one of Matts. Look dad Matt maid me that one. Hey I'll take a lure that looks like crap that catches fish any day over something really nice but you just wash in the water cast after cast.

Again good luck and feel free to share as you experiment more.
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[Roghet]

[font "Arial"][#000000][size 2] My wife has a rub-on transfer tool that I used for the eyes, makes life easier than using a brush. Also cleanup is a snap, just wipe clean.

For the pupils I simply used a toothpick and cut the tip slightly depending on the size of the paint drop I wanted. You guys probably have a better way, but this saved me a bunch of time and actually came out better than me using a brush.
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On the contrary, your on the same track! I'm am an artist by profession, so I know my way with a brush - but I just can't beat the approach TD taught me - using wooden skewers sanded to size for the pupils. [][/#0000bf]

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Funny thing is, since I've been making my own lures, I've yet to lose one. All the while I was buying them I was going through 3-5 a day. Now I've been fishing 2-3 days with the same one, haven't lost it yet. Plus it looks pretty crude, but the fish don't seem to mind as they're hitting it. I've made a bunch that look a whole lot better than that one, but If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right! Go figure.
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[sly] [#0000bf]I relate! Here I thought I'd be saving money making my own stuff, but with the improved durability of the ones I make - I figure I'll break even after expenses in tools and materials in about a decade! [sly]

Still... for me it's just cool to catch on something I made - and give some away, and not fret like I used to if my son loses a $7 purchased lure!! []

I'm a perfectionist, and would like a glass smooth finished surface too - but after making a whole bunch, I've lost the need - like you said - cuz the fish don't care! []

Maybe someday I'll give the powder paints a better test drive. But I think one of those heat guns is the only way I'd go - but I've got enough to work on for now. [angelic]



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