Jig Man

I don't sell jigs and make mainly for myself so I have no elaborate method. What I do is put one coat on by submerging the jig head in the powder. I reheat for a while then bring the heads back out and dip only the bottom 1/2 or so in the second color. I reheat then take a brush and put paint on it and tap some onto the hot jig head. I'm sure Cadman has this well figured out since he uses 6 or so colors on some of his heads.

If you heat them too much it will take a long time for the plastisol to set. I use a micro and heat both colors at the same time. I pour one or two then add the second color. You'll just have to experiment to see what works best for you.

You might check Bear's. I got a good deal on 2 1/2 gallons from him a while back. Also he has some really good cheap gloves.

Is this a one part mold? I have always had to work fast on 1 part molds because if it sets up any they won't stick.

Have you tried warming the molds before you begin or is this happening with warm molds? If they are warm then I'd try slower. My tube tails don't flow well unless the molds are warmed up and the plastic is good and hot.

The only thing I'd add to Ted's post is, if you can, melt the wheel weights down in a different pot than your regular lead pot. I use an old cast iron pot and my propane fish cooker. That way all the slag from the wheel weights never gets into my Lee pot.

I normally have a hot plate with a cast iron griddle on it at one side of my work bench. I heat it up so I can warm my molds and injectors as they are in a cold garage and set pyrex cups on it to slow down the cooling process while waiting for my baits to set up in my molds. I'd rather do that than the extra 30 second reheats. I have never had a problem. I think something might pop if the pyrex weren't already hot when set on the griddle.

I like to have mine at 350° or there abouts. As for not setting up and being sticky. The hardner settles to the bottom. You really have to shake it up or stir it a lot to get it well mixed. I use a piece of clothes hanger shaped in an L. I chuck it in a drill and mix mix mix until nothing is hanging on the wire.

That is also the pot I have. Mine has been used for so many years that the inside got so bad I couldn't use it. For a few bucks I bought replacement parts and fixed it up just like new. That was 7 years ago and it is still going strong. I pour from 1/16 to 1 oz jigs.

Plumbers lead is very soft and I love it.

I use wire when at home but I carry a jig on the fly box so I can make any jig I want or need while in the boat. For those jigs I use the rubber bands. Today's bands work plenty find for my jigs as they have a very short life expectancy where I put them.

I like my plastic hot so I usually do 350° at least. I add stabilizer for reheats.

When I get incomplete injections in my mulitcavity molds it is normall due to injecting too fast.

Bubble gum and green pumpkin are my best two pre spawn colors.

STIR STIR STIR.

I have not been able to keep it all out but here is my process. I hold the jig with a pair of needle nose pliers or hemostats. I close them over the hook eye to keep paint out of it. When I come out of the powder paint I give the jig head a few taps on the paint cup top with the hole down. That knocks most of the paint out. Some better than others. The only other thing I know to do is paint them with pins in.

FG 30

I rarely wire tie my skirts on as the new bands are holding up a lot better than they used to. For gluing in the weedguard I use superglue gel.

I run the Lowrance hds8 and have for a couple of years now. One of my friends runs a bird. I can't use his and he can't use mine because the function keys are so different. He says his is easier to use than mine but I can't tell. The hds units have built in antennas but the structure scan is a seperate unit called an LSS1. From my perspective the down and side scans are very similar on both Low and Bird. The difference I see is in the 2d sonar. I like mine a lot more than his. If you haven't done so, I recommend going to a store that handles both and spend some time with them and a good sales rep. Either one will make you a good tool.

I used to use supertune my Curados and put Boca ceramic bearings in them and ran them dry. They were noisy but gave me longer casts.

Use a different type of paint for the ones you have with the weedguard in them then switch.

I am not sure of the name but the big gear and the pinion are what I changed to take a 3.8 to a 6.2. You should be able to call Shimano America and get the parts. They ran me around $30.

Get you some pins and mold the jigs with them instead of the weedguard. Paint them then install the weedguard.

I have to take mine apart and give the inside a good cleaning to get them the way I like when injecting.

I keep an L shaped wire next to my plastisol jugs. Before I use them I stick the wire in a drill and stir them till nothing except clear liquid is on the wire. The longer it sets between uses the more the hardner settles to the bottom.