cadman

I use that jig with the 32798 hook and I have no issues with it. I do however go down one hook size for my jigs, just personal preference. The 32798 is a flat eye hook and although not the strongest, it will hold fish without bending out. However, I don't fish like you do and don't know your fishing style. You can also spot drill that mold for a regular style hook which is more robust like a 32786, but you will have to do some mold mods. There are also heavier flat eye hooks, but that requires mold modifications as well. If you are good with your hands and want to attempt it go for it. This will give you peace of mind with a heavier hook.

If you are referring to this Do -It mold WRM-6-SLA then I am surprised that you are having a problem. I have poured quite a few of these with no loose screw-lok. One other thing to check, is make sure that the screw-lok shank doesn't protrude past the the head. Some screw-loks I noticed are not all the same size. The biggest issue would be in the smallest cavities.

Creek Mouth, With what you posted here based on the information you supplied, majority of the guys on TU have been using teflon pins in the same fashion for the last 6+ years as what your guy is doing. So according to you he puts in the Teflon pin into the weedguard hole before he paints to keep the paint from going into the hole, and then he pulls it out after painting and glues in his weedguard. I don't know if you pour or not, but there is nothing new about his process. I am going to bet that he learned about using Teflon pins (or whatever he uses) from this site. Thanks for the info though. BTW can you PM me his website so I can see his $6.00 football jigs, I am very curious.

Now that I read more about your process, it seems like you have a handle on what needs to be done. Maybe you need to fine tune some things and look over your process again. If you see lead thru your jigs, then you definitely have the powder on the thin side. I would check the heat of your oven, and try some different temps.

Welcome To Tackle Underground. If you are getting paint runs, there are only two things that cause this: #1......Too much paint. # 2.....Toaster oven too hot. I'll start with #2, because that is usually the biggest cause. Just cause your toaster oven says it is 290 degrees, doesn't mean that, that is what it is. Get a good external oven thermometer, and put it in your toaster oven and see what it actually reads. I'm going to bet that your toaster oven is running too hot. If that is the case, mark your toaster oven dial to the correct setting that is on your thermometer. You didn't mention how long you keep your jigs in the toaster oven. I keep my jigs in a preheated toaster oven at 300-350 degrees for 15-20 minutes max. You also didn't mention how long you keep your jig in the powder paint. #1, is also always the case for powder paint dripping. Way too much powder paint on a jig. My first question would be how do you know you have too little powder paint on your jig? If it is still dripping, then you still have too much powder paint on your jig. I don't know how long you have been doing this, but there is a learning curve to all this powder painting madness. Do you use a fluid bed or are you swishing it through a jar of powder paint? Notice I said swishing and not dipping. If you dip your jigs in a Pro-Tec jar, you could be packing down the powder and causing more powder to stick to your jig. Almost after every 2 jigs you dip, you have to stir the powder paint to fluff it up again. A fluid bed is much easier to use, than dipping in a jar. If you want a tutorial on how to make one, PM me your e-mail. Finally what color are you having problems with and how big of a jig head?

You can also send him a few, and they will take care of it for you. They have always done right by me. Just make sure that those are actual Do-It wire forms.

I use a heat gun from start to finish. Base coat goes on with heat gun and then rewarm jig with heat gun to do multiple colored layers afterward. Use what works for you. Some guys use a torch here as well . I would stay away from candles, as they cause soot, which emits oils and can have an issue with powder paint. Also candle heat is very inconsistent

If that is the case do you have a source and or a name of the product? Do you have a link? There are a lot of people that would be interested here in this product. Do you have experience with it? Please supply more info so we all can learn. BTW welcome to Tackle Underground.

I paint all of my jigs, bake them and when they cool. Put the weedguards in. I use Devcon 2 Ton (D2T) 30 minute, if the jigs has eyes. This way I do the whole jig with D2T to seal in the eyes. If the jig does not have eyes, then I use Loctite Super Glue Gel. To keep powder paint from getting into your weedguard holes, use teflon pull ins. If you need more info on any of this, PM me and I'll help you out. BTW Welcome to Tackle Underground.

According to Shorty's hook, the equivalent is Eagle Claw L3052. I just spoke to them about this last week. I have not bought these, so I can't vouch for the exact size. Verify before you buy.

I will have to look into that when I have some time

You live and learn. That's why this forum is such a invaluable tool for anyone that wants to learn and get answers to their questions. A lot of talented people on here with a wealth of knowledge. Just ask and someone will always answer and be willing to help. I didn't even think about the oven being too hot. That definitely will cause the paint to run. Definitely get your self a thermometer and check your oven temp. What is set on the dial isn't always what the oven temp is. Glad you got it figured out. Yes there is a lot of trail and error, don't get discouraged but yes there is a lot of practice involved in powder painting. Good Luck.

I've never seen black ones before, only silver. If they are truly Do-It wireforms, just call Do-It up and explain to them the problem. You will speak with an engineer, and get his e-mail as well. It would also be helpful for them if you send some pics of what the problem is. Anytime I had any problems with Do-It products, I received phenomenal customer support. There was also a thread on here, where one of TU members posted instructions on how to modify your own and get two for the price of one. I'll see if I can find it.

The other thing you can try is less heat. Count out your seconds for the jig in your heat gun let's say 6 seconds. Swish it thru the fluid bed, if your jig gets really shiny fast your jig is too hot if the powder is dull on the jig, the jig is not hot enough. If your jig is not hot enough, add a second or two, try again and see what happens. You need to get that balance when your jig just turns wet looking like candy. Now I will tell you this that different powders act differently in the fluid bed. I use to have a problem with white. The powder was very heavy, and it was hard to use in a fluid bed without volcanoes. Green Pumpkin also seems like a heavy powder. The heavier powders don't want to fluidize or fluff up. So you may want to mix your powder in the fluid bed to help fluff the powder. Lot of the things I'm telling you seem very monotonous to do, but if it helps with your dilemma, then to me it's worth it. Let us know what your solution was. The Poison Tail and the Ultra Minnow have deep eye sockets on my mold. The Walleye Jig's eyes are shallower. Also all molds aren't the same when it comes to pouring. Yours may have shallower eyes, and they fill in faster. There are a lot of variables to try.

I powder paint my jigs the same way you do. Fluid bed for a base coat, multiple colors, heat gun and toaster oven. You should not get a lot of paint build up with a fluid bed. If that is the case, then you are keeping your jig too long in the fluid bed. The point of a fluid bed is to get a thin even coat of paint. As soon as you heat your with your heat gun, take your jig and quickly swish it through your fluid bed. Do not keep it in there. I think you are getting too much paint on your jigs. Now one other thing, some molds have deeper eye sockets than others, so that could be problematic as well. What mold are you using? BTW welcome to Tackle Underground.

Welcome to Tackle Underground. Aluminum is out of the question, as the melting point is too high. For one it is too dangerous for the do-it yourselfer and it would be too cost prohibitive to do this on a small level. Also you would need custom made steel molds to pour the aluminum into because of the extreme temps. I would not recommend anyone doing this at home without the correct safety equipment. Tin, pewter and bismuth are pourable. Your jigs will be lighter in weight compared to lead.

I looked and I do not have the "C" style spinnerbait mold. It is still available. You have a PM

Nothing is perfect in life and as much as I don't want to rework something that is new, in the end it is worth it to me. Because if I fix it I have learned something new and can apply it next time. If I don't fix it , I'm no worse off. I'm glad it worked out for you and made it somewhat easier or more tolerable.

I think I have this mold at home. I will check later tonight about 7: 00 pm and let you know.

I would not recommend sanding lead, as the fine dust you create becomes airborne and you breathe that in. I use a small half round bastard cut file to file down the remainder of the sprue after I cut it off. All the remains fall in a little tray I keep under the jig I'm sanding. Any rough marks left from the file, the powder paint will cover it to make a beautiful finish.

Glad it all worked out for you. We all learn from our mistakes, and if that doesn't work there is a lot of info on this forum to help out. Good luck and safe pouring.

It's worth a try. I have a Brush Jig mold like that, that won't release. I polished it and all and still it sticks in the cavity. I have a feeling that the draft angles of the mold are off. And there is no way I can fix that one. I bought a new one and it is fine.

So why not just fix the problem after you've poured so many to make it easier on yourself instead of repeating the same problem. I cleaned my mold and it pours and releases just fine.

Thanks for the tip.

That is exactly what I'm saying. When the molds are made, I believe the two flat matching halves that close together might have an imperfection. This could be from machining them as a last op and not checking for burrs. All I would do is run your finger to see if there are any burrs. If there are , I would use either a wire brush on a dremel, or take some 600 grit sandpaper and gently sand the edges into the cavity. I can tell you that the more you use the mold the better and looser the cavity gets, but this is after hundreds of pours.