Powder Painting Jigs with Weedguards

[fished-out]

Tried this a few times, I always melt the plastic weedguards when heating (I use an alcohol burner). I don't like the wire guards. How do you guys keep the guards from melting?

[GCD]

You should use a toaster oven and thermometer to heat your jigs for PP with weedguard. I'd start at 250*F and see how that works, you may be able to go all the way up to 350*. I'd do one at a time until I found the temp that works best for the paint without melting the weedguard.

[cadman]

Tried this a few times, I always melt the plastic weedguards when heating (I use an alcohol burner). I don't like the wire guards. How do you guys keep the guards from melting?

Iv'e been doing this for 7years, and in my opinion you can not get a good powder paint job with weedguards in it because the paint has to be baked (cured) on the jig and in order to do this, the jig has to be baked at least at 300 degrees +, minimum. With that said, I've done a lot of testing on jigs baked with weedguards and jigs baked without weedguards and the paint just doesn't hold up when you bake it with the weedguards. When your done pouring and you want to paint them take your base hole pins and put them back in your jigs. Paint your jigs pull the base hole pins out, bake your jigs, and then glue in your weedguards in with Devcon 2 Ton or Loctite Super Glue Gel. JMO. Below are some pics of the jigs I made using this process.

[GCD]

That's all real nice CM, and surely the way to go if you're pouring your own jigs... but FO may not be pouring his jigs and may just be buying them unpainted with the weedguards in place...

[Nightprowler]

Your wife has been buying you jig paint for years, you just didn't realize it. Finger nail polish comes in every color you can think of and dries like baked on powder paint. Who uses paint and weedgaurds anyways...

[cadman]

That's all real nice CM, and surely the way to go if you're pouring your own jigs... but FO may not be pouring his jigs and may just be buying them unpainted with the weedguards in place...

He didn't state either way, so I thought I would tell him how I did it. Personally I wouldn't even buy jigs with weedguards in them for the reasons I mentioned. To each his own.

Your wife has been buying you jig paint for years, you just didn't realize it. Finger nail polish comes in every color you can think of and dries like baked on powder paint. Who uses paint and weedgaurds anyways...

The question was asked about Powder Painting Jigs with Weedguards.
It doesn't ask about who uses them. I know this is a crappie site, but I'm sure others fish for different species as well.

[fished-out]

Thanks for the help guys; I do pour my own generally, but buy the ones with weed guards, as I don't use that many. Heating the jig in prep for painting is one issue, baking them for hardness a different issue. Let's start with the first one--how do you protect the weed guard from the flame of the burner when heating prior to dipping?

For the 2nd issue, I have baked jigs at 250 degrees for a longer time period in some cases--some of the paints (might have been the glitter coats) called for it as I recall, so I know the lower temp will still give me a hard coat, but is this temp low enough to keep the weed guard in tact? I've never actually gotten that far, because I can't get past step one!!

Nightprowler, I like the finish and colors I get with powder paints, especially the floro and glitter finishes. I suppose I could just use a vinyl dip paint if it came down to it, but prefer the powder if it can be done well.

[GCD]

Preheat your jigs in your toaster oven @250* before dipping FO. Use the toaster oven for your heat source and not a flame or heat gun. You can control your temp precisely this way.

I don't use any kind of flame or heat gun for painting my jigs, I preheat them in the toaster oven, dip, and return them to the oven to finishing flashing the paint. After the paint has flashed, remove them from the oven and let them cool. After they've cooled put them back in the oven to cure... like you said, 250* for about 30-40 minutes.

Be sure to use an oven thermometer in your oven, the heat setting on the cheap toaster ovens are never right.

[LedHed]

fo
Try Teflon tubing or some use alum foil wrapped over the weed guard.
Check out tackleunderground. If you plan on doing more - it is easier to glue in the weed guards after you paint. -

Killer paint cadman - like the paint around the eyes

[bassman356]

I'm with Cadman on this one. I glue the guard in with Loctite gel after I paint, bake & tie my jig. Hard to tie with the weedguard already installed!!!