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I have a bunch of lead free jigs and was wondering if anyone knows how long to cure PP for at 250F. At 350, the lead free starts to melt so I have to cure lower. I have cured some at 250 for 30 minutes and it worked but I would really llike have some better info than my best guess on this
Have you tried 300*? I'd cure them for at least 30 min.... longer if it was me, prolly more like 45-1 hr.. It won't hurt anything.
I'm not even sure you'll get a good flash on the paint at 250*.
What possessed you to go lead free?... and what kind of alloy is melting at 350*??? If they were tin, it would take 450* for them to start melting. Do you have a thermometer in your oven?
I am not sure the mixture but I know it has some alloys in it that melt at 200F. The mix I have I think is 300F but not sure. Will have to ask the one I get them from. Lead free is nice too because I can leave them plain and they stay shiny as well as not reacting with plastics.
As for why I am learning lead free, my state is in the process of making lead illegal, anything under 1/2 ounce at the least, maybe completely. Might happen this year, might be in a couple years but I would rather be ready when it happen.
I'm pretty sure what you have is tin, and the melting point for tin is 450*. Check your oven to make sure your temp is correct.
The 2 main lead free lead substitutes are tin and antimony... and antimony has a melting point of 1100*.
Antimony is one of the added metals in wheel weights, if my info is correct. I know pure wheel weight lead doesn't pour near as well as pure lead on the smaller jigs. My collars wouldn't fill before they chilled. And those molds were HOT. It makes good sinkers over an ounce, and I'm told that it mixes well with pure at 1 ingot of WW to 2 ingots of pure. Don't pour enough, or have enough experience with it to know more. My trimmed WW jig heads look good and shiny though.
I love wheel weights for my pencil lead, hold their shape better than pure lead and stay straight longer especially when fishing rocks.
Part of the alloy is Tin and Bisthmus, not sure if anything else is in there yet, will know later. whatever it was I melted a small amount of it out of the jig head thorugh the PP when I cured it at 350 with my lead jig heads. It left a small bead of metal on the head. My stove runs right at 340-355 when I set it to 350 on the dial. Hard as hell to check but had to to make sure I didn't wind up with pools of metal instead of jigs. Maybe it matters more to get the head completely covered and remelt it to make sure the PP has a solid cover on the jig head to prevent and drips.
I hope to cure another set of the lead free tonight and will do them at 250 and see how it works out. Shouldn't have a problem but we will see. Have dine them at 250 before for 30 minutes and they seemed to be as hard as 350. Will test them once I get them done. I know the PP color changed like normal so who knows. Maybe I will just go longer on them and see if I can't go to 300. Hopefully the one who makes them for me will reply before I do the next batch. I do know if I am not careful I will melt them right off the hook with a candle. And I know they cool a lot faster than lead, maybe 3x faster or more.
With all I have found it doesn't make any sense that any of the alloys used in the stuff should even be close to having a problem with 350F. All of them have melting points well above 350, tin 449, bismuth 520 and lead 622. I am not sure if the head is getting too hot or what but my stove is right on. I will admit I don't know diddily about the temp the jig heads get or their heating qualities so maybe they do hotter than 350 in the oven.
Oh well, will stick with cooler curing temps just to avoid any problems.
A lot of arguments can be made about baking time. I've found that on my little toaster oven, I can cook for 7 or 8 minutes at 325-350 and then turn it off and leave the jigheads in there. (If no hurry) By the time they cool down, you can't beat the paint off with a hammer. Oven stays hot for a while, albeit at decreasing temps.
That's what I figured and why I suggested checking your oven temp.Quote:
Originally Posted by fish_4_all
I have an oven thermometer in my toaster oven ($4 at Wal-Mart). On initial start-up of my toaster oven on a 350* setting my little oven will heat up to 425* and then after about 15 min. it will drop down to 350* and hold steady for the rest of the time. I messed up a couple batches of jigs before I got a thermometer and figured out what was going on. Now I watch the thermometer and adjust the temp manually.
There's quite a bit of trial and error that goes with pouring and powder painting jigs, and every time you switch materials it seems like you have to start over.:rolleyes: Keep working with it and you'll get it figured out.;)
+1Quote:
Originally Posted by Sandwich Maker
Guys who pour bass jigs that have weedguards cure at 250* for 30 min.
I don't see any problems, that's what CSI recommends. It's physically not
possible for your jigs to get hotter than the temp. of the air unless (1)
your thermometer is wrong (2) your placing them to close to the heating
element. Both instances are easily correctable. Hope this helps.
This is true, but most bass guys prefer to plug their brush guard hole before painting and glue it in after painting. Even 250* can affect some brush guards.Quote:
Originally Posted by crappiedoc
The best test for a powder painted jig is to hold it over your head as high as you can reach and drop it onto a concrete floor. If the paint chips, the paint isn't cured enough.
Hopefully TNT and LedHed put in on this. I feel for ya with your state going lead free but most that go that route leave jigs alone (so far). Make sure you get your comments in if they have open comment period.
If they don't chime in go to Tackleunderground.com and if you're not registered do so. Then do a search on Lead free jigs, and you'll find so many threads on the subject.
Fatman
Hopefully my state won't do it. They have threatened for 4 years now but nothing yet. Is just getting a lot of steam with news media hitting every chance they get. I did hear of some senators trying to make it country wide, not sure how far that has gotten.
We PP all our jigs at 350 except for the weedless which we cure at 225 to 250 for 30 to 40 mins. and have not had any issues yet. One thing about tin alloys is when you mix metals with tin the melting temp. goes down, even with higher temp. metals. You will have to ask a chemist about that one. I would not want to try explaining. I use a 98% tin alloy in my jigheads. It costs more to add bismuth and you do not gain much weight back for the price. Then the melting temps. go way down below the tin melting temp. I powder paint every jig that I make and love the powder. I have some crazy ideas for mass painting, but not had the time or need this machine yet. I have been in touch with the Wa. DNR about them going lead free. I think people should have the choice to buy lead free products if they wish. I sell alot of these jigs here in Arkansas and we have not had any issues with lead free jigs at all. On Jan. 1, 2012 Ma. is going lead free on 1 ounce and smaller lures on inland water. There is another attempt by the lead free movement to ban all leaded products dealing with the outdoors in the U.S.. I do use some lead products. So I am trying to be open minded. If you don't mind let us know wht the DNR has decided, if I don't hear from my other sources. Thanks.
TT.
TT
The people I talk to at the local WDFW office are not all that for it. They figure it will cost them about 10% of their revenue from loss of sales and people not fishing even with the price being higher. I don't know if that is true around here because fishing is huge here but who knows.
I would love to go lead free if it doesn't mean I quadruple my costs. I go through a lot of sinkers fishing salmon, steelhead and salt water and at 3/4-1.5 ounce every time tin would get really expensive really fast. I do prefer wheel weight because they have less lead and are usually free. I like lead free, but if it starts costing $2 for sinkers it would not do me any favors and would cut my trips down drastically.
Maybe I need to just get a higher tin alloy from him and solve all my problems. Brittle or not, once powder coated I am not gonna shatter it or chip it if it hits a rock under water.
I did another batch with more success. 275 for 30 minutes and they are rock solid. Guess 350 was too high for this alloy.