Enamel Paint?

[JHB]

Guys, anybody know how well, if at all, enamel paint works on spinnerbait heads? Thanks.

[Party Crasher]

I use spray enamels. Prime with a metal primer, and topcoat with Devcon or Flex-Coat. If you don't top-coat it scratches easily.

[JHB]

Thanks, where do you get Devcon and Flex coat? Would a spray enamel clear coat work for a top coat or will it scratch as well?

[Coley]

You can buy Devcon 2 Ton epoxy at Walmart.

It comes in a syringe tube that pushes out

the same amount of part A & B, so all you

have to do is mix it up. Don't get the 5 min.

epoxy, it will yellow in a heartbeat.

2 Ton cost $1.97 a tube.

I don't know of any spray clear coat that

would hold up on a jig. You can also paint

your jigs with a couple of coats of fingernail

polish and clearcoat with 2 Ton.

Coley

[Gr8flyz]

I also use enamel on some of my spinnerbaits & jigs, and coat with the Devcon 2 ton with some fine glitter added.

Don't however try to coat enamel with clear fingernail polish, the solvents is fingernail polish will mess up enamels big time!

[JHB]

Thanks, after you mix up the Devcon how do you apply it to the heads? Sorry for all the questions but I have never see this stuff before. I use vinyl paint.

[Gr8flyz]

JHB, Devcon is a two part epoxy, and is sold in a lot of hardware stores. I use a cheap plastic brittle hobby brush that I buy in packs of 12 for about $1.00 for mixing & applying the epoxy. You can find the brushes in hobby or craft shops, or some art supply shops. Walmart probably has them as well.

You will have to rotate whatever you coat with the epoxy, or it will drip, and the coating won't stay even. Once the epoxy sets it will still be tacky but won't drip, and after it cures completely will be hard and give a nice smooth, durable finish. A low RPM motor like is used for turning rods works well, or there are rotators sold for turning epoxy flies. Many of the guys here have built their own.

As I said in my previous post, I also add fine glitter, usually pearl, to most of the epoxy coatings, which adds a little flash. That type glitter can also be found in many Craft stores. The brand of glitter I use is made by Glick and comes in a small glass tube.

You can thin the epoxy with acetone or ethyl alcohol, but only use a few drops, as it will lose some strength. I use ethyl alcohol sold as cooking stove fuel, which should be 100% alcohol. I've found that adding a few drops when I mix initially helps get a better mix, provided the proportions are 50/50

[Matt Pierce]

I USE SAME A COLEY MIX YOUR EPOXY UP THEN PUT A COUPLE DROPS OF ENAMIL PAINT IN EPOXY.THEN PAINT EPOXY ON JIG.WORKS WELL...

[Boomer]

I've used plain old hardware store enamel to my satisfaction. Rust Oleum and the brand that comes in the orange and black cans (Fix All?). In the rivers I fish, the jigs are a consummable, its not all unusual to go through 25-30 jigs in a day. No rocks but a lot of snags.

Wal Mart now carries Rust Oleum in the bright colors I prefer.

So I don't worry about durability too much.

Using white enamel as a base coat really helps the colors. I either brush or dip. Brush makes a better finish as dipping will drip without a dryer, which I don't have.

One thing I found out from an old time painter is that enamel shares one thing with epoxy-- it actually takes a long time to cure. I found that adding a little heat like from a heat lamp or even a reflector lamp makes the enamel substantially harder.

I don't clear overcoat the jigs that I use plastic curly tails on -- just extra work for my style fishing.

I do overcoat jigs with marabou or hair because I coat the threads, and that definitely improves the life of the jig.

I recommend enamel on small jigs. 1/4 oz. and down.

[basskat]

I use enamel and powder paint for jigs. Powder paint takes very little time, is tough and doesn't require a top coat/sealer. The bad thing with powder paint is it gets in the hook eye and can be a b#*^$ to get out. Of course if I'd buy an eye punch this would be eliminated.