AKFerzy7 Posted February 20, 2015 Report Share Posted February 20, 2015 what are you guys using to hold baits vertically with the line tie up to allow them to dry? also I wire tie my jigs so the weedguard goes in after the skirt, will the D2T run into to the weedguard hole and have to be drilled out? I use Teflon pins so I don't normally need to drill and not thrilled to add another step to my building process. any info will be greatly appreciated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smalljaw Posted February 20, 2015 Report Share Posted February 20, 2015 You don't use Devcon 2Ton with the skirt on. I use the Teflon pins when painting so no paint gets in the hole either. I do my jigs in batches of 10, so I'll mix a small amount of D2T and use it to put the weed guards in place. Once those are done I will mix enough to coat 10 jigs, I brush the epoxy on and after it is coated I hang the jig by the hook on a rack. I'll do 10 and then I go and check the first 4 to make sure the epoxy didn't run and usually it doesn't which is one of the benefits of D2T. What makes it nice to work with is the fact it is self leveling meaning even if you leave brush strokes, it will dry smooth as it will level itself out. It is also thin enough to apply by brush without thinning and still thick enough that it won't sag or run so you don't need a drying wheel. By doing batches of 10 it will allow you to clean the first 3 or 4 up should you get a little run but by the time you coat the first 3 or 4 it will be stiff enough that you won't have to worry about any running on the rest. The downside is you have to work in small batches because it sets up quick, but cures slow, what I mean is within 15 minutes of mixing the epoxy, it gets to the point it is hard to apply yet it will remain tacky and doesn't fully cure for 8 hours but I always give it a full 24 hours before using a coated jig. If you thin it, then it will cause a problem, that is when you will need a drying wheel but it also creates air bubbles when mixing it, I've tried all sorts of stuff and the best way I found is to mix it in small batches as it will let you get your jigs coated while keeping waste to a bare minimum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cadman Posted February 20, 2015 Report Share Posted February 20, 2015 I use small clamps to hold the jig. This is a two step process for me. I epoxy the weedguards in first, let dry about 4 hours, and then I clearcoat the body. Let cure 24 hours complete. I then put on my skirt and wire tie. Everyone has their own little trick of the trade to make it work for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKFerzy7 Posted February 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2015 thanks to both of you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKFerzy7 Posted February 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2015 Cadman any issues with the epoxy running onto the weedguard or is it a benefit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cadman Posted February 20, 2015 Report Share Posted February 20, 2015 Cadman any issues with the epoxy running onto the weedguard or is it a benefit? Never had a problem with D2T, Now Etex is a whole different story. Do not put Etex on a jig and stand it up. The etex is way too thin and will run into the weedguard strands and make them unusable. Below is a pic on how I do my weedguards and two examples of how you can stand-up your jigs to clearcoat them with D2T. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EironBreaker Posted February 23, 2015 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 Hey Ted, what are you doing in the first pic? Does your weed guard not just line up due to being snug in the hole? Great idea with the Styrofoam holder to paint several jigs at once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cadman Posted February 23, 2015 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 Hey Ted, what are you doing in the first pic? Does your weed guard not just line up due to being snug in the hole? Great idea with the Styrofoam holder to paint several jigs at once. Hey Matt, Ha, now you want to know my super duper secret on how to hold up weedguards. LOL. Actually what that is, is when I use non full weedguards, which I do 90% of the time, the weedguards are loose in the weedguard hole. Sooooooooooooooo in order to keep them from drying in crooked and flopping around, I use tape to hold them in place in both directions, until the glue sets. Then I take the tape off. There you go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EironBreaker Posted February 23, 2015 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 Thanks Ted, that makes sense. Time consuming but what you have to do in that case. I've been finding some batches of guards I get from FishingSkirts are too tight to slip into the hole and I have to shave off some fibers and part of the fused tip. That drives me nuts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cadman Posted February 23, 2015 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 Thanks Ted, that makes sense. Time consuming but what you have to do in that case. I've been finding some batches of guards I get from FishingSkirts are too tight to slip into the hole and I have to shave off some fibers and part of the fused tip. That drives me nuts! Yes too tight of a weedguard is troublesome, and you have no choice but to pull strands off. The other problem from other weedguard manufacturers is the base is fused and too big in dia. Another P.I.T.A. However since many times I only put in 15 strands, my idea above works, not saying it is the best solution at the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Painter1 Posted February 25, 2015 Report Share Posted February 25, 2015 I have sought out low sheen to no sheen paints because the shiny ones don't look natural to me in our clear Ozark waters. Is the extra clear coat for the benefit of the fisherman or does it enhance it's fish appeal? I'm sure it makes the finish more durable.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cadman Posted February 25, 2015 Report Share Posted February 25, 2015 (edited) Painter It is definitely for more durability and also to keep the eyes from falling off if you use eyes on some of your jigs. Also a clearcoat when used does add depth to the color of your jig. If you look at a coated and non-coated jig side by side, the coated one wins hands down as far as appeal, and also it does sell better. With that said, I personally don't think the fish care. Finally when you put a flat painted jig in the water, the jig looks glossy in the water, so I don't bother using flat paints unless requested by my customer. Everything is relative. If you have confidence in throwing flat painted jigs, and feel that is what puts fish in the boat so be it. I did a trial like this with a friend of mine in a boat. There seemed to be no difference in the catch rate. All of the lakes around here are gin clear and we only did this test on a couple of lakes a couple of times, so our tests really aren't years of study and not deemed to be accurate. Edited February 25, 2015 by cadman 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKFerzy7 Posted February 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2015 Painter It is definitely for more durability and also to keep the eyes from falling off if you use eyes on some of your jigs. Also a clearcoat when used does add depth to the color of your jig. If you look at a coated and non-coated jig side by side, the coated one wins hands down as far as appeal, and also it does sell better. With that said, I personally don't think the fish care. Finally when you put a flat painted jig in the water, the jig looks glossy in the water, so I don't bother using flat paints unless requested by my customer. Everything is relative. If you have confidence in throwing flat painted jigs, and feel that is what puts fish in the boat so be it. I did a trial like this with a friend of mine in a boat. There seemed to be no difference in the catch rate. All of the lakes around here are gin clear and we only did this test on a couple of lakes a couple of times, so our tests really aren't years of study and not deemed to be accurate. I was using powder paint as a clear but it was a p.i.t.a. on bright colors that needed a white base with having three layers of paint to accumulate. without it my pearl looked really flat and unappealing (to humans) but looked great with a clear coat. now that ive been playing with d2t I can see ill never clear coat with powder again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cadman Posted February 25, 2015 Report Share Posted February 25, 2015 I was using powder paint as a clear but it was a p.i.t.a. on bright colors that needed a white base with having three layers of paint to accumulate. without it my pearl looked really flat and unappealing (to humans) but looked great with a clear coat. now that ive been playing with d2t I can see ill never clear coat with powder again The only reason I really use D2T are for the simple reasons of eye adhesion and color depth. I have also tried powder 200% gloss. The reason for the trial was to see if I can put eyes on my jig after baking, and then put on a powder clearcoat to seal in the eyes. Well I've tried this several times, and every time it failed. Once I put the eyes on and then powder clear coat, you have to heat the jig thoroughly to melt the clear. Well when you do that, by the time the clear melts clear, the eyes are melted. I've tried this on 2D and 3D eyes. The 3D eyes failed miserably, the 2D eyes did better, but they started to sink into the head with the powder overshadowing the eye. So I went back to clearcoating with D2T. Only drawback is the wait time for epoxy to dry, but the finish is second to none. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
