Powder Coating

[Twindad90]

Ok I have a question that maybe easy for some but I have not been able to do it. I am now pouring my own swim jigs and I have not figured out how to powder multiple colors on the head. I like the shad colors white blue and chartreuse. I can powder white but how do you guys do the other colors? I have an airbrush setup so I can do that if I need to. Would love some insight on this.

Thanks guys

Chris

[smalljaw]

You are going to get a couple different answers, including mine but here are your options. You can base coat your swim jig in powder and then cure it and then use your airbrush with regular airbrush paint and put on the other colors you want and then use a good epoxy top coat for protection. The other way is a method using a regular art paint brush and dip it into the powder and hold it over the part of the lure you want to apply the color and tap the brush repeatedly in order to dispense the powder on the lure. Now my method is different, I use a hobby sandblaster and spary my powder much like a regular airbrush. There is a trick to it and it takes practice, when I do a lot of lures I reclaim the overspray but if I'm only doing a test lure I just spray it on using an old work boot box as sort of a spray booth but you can not use a normal airbrush to do this, even the largest needle is too fine for the coarse powder. Go to TJ's tackle, just search it on google, there you'll find videos on the paint brush method as well as the spary method I use, it is easier to see rather than explain.

[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.

[BLT]

Dip in the fluid bed with the white base coat. I have my other colors sitting there with paint brush for each color. After the white, I do the second color by dipping the tip of the brush into the powder, tap off any excess into the jar. Hold the brush above where I want it and tap on the handle with my pointer finger. If the jig has cooled at this point and the powder does not flux over, I hold it above the heat gun until it does. Go to third color and do the same thing, and so on with as many colors as you want. I start with the white, and tap on from lite colors to dark last. Bake 'em up.

Remember, you can always add more powder, but when it is on, it's on. Takes practice.

I use cheap hobby brushes from either of the 2 "mart" stores. (K or Wal) I use the flat tip brushes.

Do the tapping over the jar of paint you are using, and if you are really worried about reclaiming powder, have a paper plate under each color.

[cadman]

Chris,

Everyone here has their own way of achieving what they want. I use the powder paint tap method similar to what BLT does. The thing you have to remember is which sequence you want which colors to be dominant. Colors like my avatar are worked from the bottom up. The reason for this is that you will be putting colors on in layers as you paint your bait. Finally it does take a lot of practice to achieve this. If you have a color scheme you're looking to make PM e your e-mail and we can communicate that way as I can tell you what colors go first.