Foiling vertical lead jigs with etex and holographic nail foil

[jcool3]

A simple, cheap technique to finish lead jigs.  Not perfect, but good enough to catch fish.  Not quick because each layer of etex requires 12 hours to cure.

 

First, I prime lead jigs with a layer of etex

I add another layer of etex mixed with titanium dioxide powder to get a bright white jig.

Etex in the curing process, gradually hardens and gets sticky,  Depending upon temperature and how much etex is applied, at about 7 hours +++ the etex will be sticky but not come off the jig if you touch it (with your finger or some other object)  You can use etex applied to scrap jig for this test.

At this point, apply the nail foil, rubbing gently with cloth, and then pull off the cover plastic.  The foil is stuck on the jig.  For some reasons, I only get about

90% transfer of foil on the jig (not perfect) but this is good enough for me. 

Wait a couple hours, then add a protective coat of etex.

You can also add dots, eyes, stripes, colored etex at this point.

Dots or Stripes- I use oil based sharpies (regular sharpies will bleed with etex because they are alcohol based).  You can also use gel ink pens with med or thick point.

Colored Etex - I mixed neon micas with etex and brush on the jig.  Glow powder can also be mixed with etex.  Nail foil doesn't come neon.

 

Sources:

Art nail transfer foil I get thru aliexpress.com.  comes 4 cm x120M (or150M) for

$5-$10.   This comes out to 1 cents per foot.  Comes holographic, solid colors, and transparent.

 

Etex I get at Michaels http://www.michaels.com/envirotex-lite-pour-on-high-gloss-finish/M10178984.html.  Get the 40-50% coupons.

Horsehair brush I get at harbor freight https://www.harborfreight.com/36-pc-12-in-horsehair-bristle-acid-shop-brushes-61880.html.  I reuse them over and over, clean with rubbing alcohol and stored in jar with an inch of alcohol.

Neon Micas I get at tkbtrading https://tkbtrading.com/search?type=article%2Cpage%2Cproduct&q=neon**.Colored mica powders including fluorescent. Used in makeup and soap making. They are powders, suspended not dissolved in etex.  This make brushes easy to clean

Titanium dioxide get at crafts or sculpture store like Douglas Sturgis.  This is the bright white powder.

 

Tips:

I mix etex in 2" wide plastic cap which I use over and over.  It is important to get exact 1:1 ratio and mix the 2 parts thoroughly.  I weight the etex on  a super accurate gram scale ... so I can mix as little as a few grams to coat a few jigs.  I don't bother to clean the cap, when the etex hardens, I just do a new mix on top.

Thanks to Gliders in hardbaits forum, check out Foiling on E-Tex http://www.tackleunderground.com/ommunity/topic/30355-foiling-on-e-tex/. His hardbaits are works of art and show what is possible with this foil technique.  

I can brush over foil with neon micas to color the foil pink, blue, red, purple, yellow, etc, thin enough for the foil to show thru .

Cheap - cost of foil, micas  and etex on a lead jigs comes out to  less than 10 cents per jigs.

If all foil is not sticking, I add another layer of etex and do it again right over.  The foil is so thin it doesn't change anything.

These jigs are used in 30-100 foot depths low light and murky water conditions, where I believe the holographic flash, neon accents are important.  Over 100 feet, glow becomes more important.

To get near perfect quality, probably need to  polish the lead jig and remove any imperfections, fill any divots.  Then add multiple layers of etex.

For me the quality is good enough for me, I'm fishing in murky waters and the fish don't care about perfection, I'm bouncing them on the bottom and losing them to snags.

 

.

Edited January 16, 2018 by jcool3

[cadman]

Very good read. Thanks for posting.

[LimpNoodle]

Nice write up.

 

If you check out www.wtp-inc.com you'll find that many of those same holo tape patterns are available in a stick on tape.

[Anglinarcher]

25 minutes ago, LimpNoodle said:

Nice write up.

 

If you check out www.wtp-inc.com you'll find that many of those same holo tape patterns are available in a stick on tape.

Every time I try a stick on tape they add substantial weight to the lure.  For those jigs I guess that would be acceptable, but for other lures, it is a disaster.  How much weight do the stick on tapes apply that you suggest?

[Anglinarcher]

20 hours ago, jcool3 said:

First, I prime lead jigs with a layer of etex

I add another layer of etex mixed with titanium dioxide powder to get a bright white jig.

Etex in the curing process, gradually hardens and gets sticky,  Depending upon temperature and how much etex is applied, at about 7 hours +++ the etex will be sticky but not come off the jig if you touch it (with your finger or some other object)  You can use etex applied to scrap jig for this test.

At this point, apply the nail foil, rubbing gently with cloth, and then pull off the cover plastic.  The foil is stuck on the jig.  For some reasons, I only get about

90% transfer of foil on the jig (not perfect) but this is good enough for me. 

I think the transfer issue is because the sticky etex is not uniform when it cures.  I have not used the material you are using, having used mostly Art Deco type foil, but I use 3M adhesive spray glue.  I don't need to wait like the etex and I normally get 100% transfer.  If I don't, I press some new material on the exposed stick spot and fill it in.

Love your detail, your write-up, and especially the lures.  Those will surely work.  

[jcool3]

5 hours ago, LimpNoodle said:

Nice write up.

 

If you check out www.wtp-inc.com you'll find that many of those same holo tape patterns are available in a stick on tape.

I am familiar with identi-tape  http://www.identi-tape.com/ which is similar I think.   Their adhesive is incompatible with etex ... as etex eats the adhesive lifting up the edges of the tape.   Also the nail foil being super thin will comform to rounded shapes and wrap around edges better.   The identi tapes have a plastic coating top which hinders the wrap.   Pricewise  WTP 2" X 6" DECORATOR TAPE (2 SHEETS PER PACK) for $2.29 comes out to 2.29 per foot for 2" width. Nail foil is $5 for 4 cm x120 meters which is 1.3 cents per foot 1.6 inch width.

[jcool3]

5 hours ago, Anglinarcher said:

I think the transfer issue is because the sticky etex is not uniform when it cures.  I have not used the material you are using, having used mostly Art Deco type foil, but I use 3M adhesive spray glue.  I don't need to wait like the etex and I normally get 100% transfer.  If I don't, I press some new material on the exposed stick spot and fill it in.

Love your detail, your write-up, and especially the lures.  Those will surely work.  

You may be right about the transfer issue.  I have some 3M spray and I will try it soon.  Do you wait until the spray adhesive is dry before you apply the foil?

[LimpNoodle]

The weight added is almost nothing.  I use pre-cut shapes on tons of smaller slabs and blade baits.

 

I don't use eTex.  I powder coat and apply the decal.  If I want a top coat I use Solarez, I'm going to give KBS Diamondcoat a try also.  If you're looking at the retail side of the website the prices are high.  On the lure manufacturers side they are much less expensive.   I don't have my price list handy but pre-cut decals for slabs are around $0.01-$0.04 per piece depending on type.

[Anglinarcher]

13 hours ago, jcool3 said:

You may be right about the transfer issue.  I have some 3M spray and I will try it soon.  Do you wait until the spray adhesive is dry before you apply the foil?

It dries, per instructions on the can, to a very tacky point.  I need a new can, but I believe it is 10 or 15 minutes.  That is when I apply.

Don't apply thick, a thin mist is more then enough.

[Anglinarcher]

2 hours ago, LimpNoodle said:

The weight added is almost nothing.  I use pre-cut shapes on tons of smaller slabs and blade baits.

 

I don't use eTex.  I powder coat and apply the decal.  If I want a top coat I use Solarez, I'm going to give KBS Diamondcoat a try also.  If you're looking at the retail side of the website the prices are high.  On the lure manufacturers side they are much less expensive.   I don't have my price list handy but pre-cut decals for slabs are around $0.01-$0.04 per piece depending on type.

I emailed www.wtp-inc.com  and asked them about thickness, flexibility, and weight.  I indicated I would be reporting on this site, so we will see what we get back.  I gave them the Art Deco foil that I use as a comparison.  

The color options this company has is vastly  greater then any Art Deco foil I have seen.

I use the AlumiUV so we are on the same page here.  I suspect KBS might have a strong solvent that could react to the edges as well, but only testing will tell.

[Kasilofchrisn]

I also do foil jigs.

My method seems a bit simpler.

I use a holographic foil designed for a Kingsley foil machine for greeting cards and such.

For my adhesive I use a foil bonder designed for foiling on t-shirts etc.

I did a write up on it awhile back.

It is an extremely thin foil that bonds well but also requires a top coat.

I use D2t before but now am using Alumi UV from Alumilite.

 

[aulrich]

So I picked up a spray can of  3m super 90 , getting it thin and even seems to be a challenge. Though as it set it did seem to smooth out but does anyone brush it out. 

Also has anyone tried, plain old brush on contact cement.

[LimpNoodle]

21 hours ago, Anglinarcher said:

I emailed www.wtp-inc.com  and asked them about thickness, flexibility, and weight.  I indicated I would be reporting on this site, so we will see what we get back.  I gave them the Art Deco foil that I use as a comparison.  

The color options this company has is vastly  greater then any Art Deco foil I have seen.

I use the AlumiUV so we are on the same page here.  I suspect KBS might have a strong solvent that could react to the edges as well, but only testing will tell.

 

All the die cuts I've used from WTP are plenty flexible.  The thickness depends on the selected pattern.  I like the 84000 and 84064 colors.  Weight is almost nothing.  I have to use my grain scale to notice the difference.

[Kasilofchrisn]

I have never used super 90. At work we always use Super 77 spray ashesive from 3M which is good stuff.

Here's a link to a thread on how I accomplish foiling a jig with holographic foil. This method work well and isn't that difficulr. The foil is extremely thin and looks great. 

http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/topic/27948-how-to-foil-a-jig-like-this/

 

 

 

Edited January 18, 2018 by Kasilofchrisn
Added link

[Anglinarcher]

18 hours ago, Kasilofchrisn said:

I use a holographic foil designed for a Kingsley foil machine for greeting cards and such.

For my adhesive I use a foil bonder designed for foiling on t-shirts etc.

I did a write up on it awhile back.

I have looked into that idea, and I just don't have the space for another tool, or "toy" as my wife puts it.  I think that the heat press shown would be awesome for somewhat flat things like the metal jigs shown.

My problem is that I am a hobbyist, and a multi-lure guy.  I want a material and process that will work on slab jigs or crank baits.  The method that jcool3 is telling us about will do either.  The 3M adhesive will do either as well.  I am not so sure about heat setting.

How hot does the heat press get?  How flexible is the method?  Will it confirm to a fat crank bait, a jointed glide bait, or a shaped jig head?

If the heat press did not melt Etex or epoxy, or super glue, often used to seal wood lures, then perhaps.  If it was less then 250 degrees so I could use it on Resin baits, then perhaps.  If it would work on a Big O style bait as well as a slab jig, then perhaps.

[aulrich]

I saw a video of someone hot pressing plastic baits, i'll see if I can dig it out of my FB feed(Brotherhood of custome crankbait painting). I think the machines purpose was for stamping cards, the press time was something like 10 seconds. I did a look around alibaba and a machine is not that expensive. But as a hobbyist it's over kill especially since the various glue methods do work. And if I was going to get another tool/toy any time soon it's going to be a 3d printer.

The 3m Super 90 should just be a stronger 77 though maybe its thicker

 

[Kasilofchrisn]

2 hours ago, Anglinarcher said:

I have looked into that idea, and I just don't have the space for another tool, or "toy" as my wife puts it.  I think that the heat press shown would be awesome for somewhat flat things like the metal jigs shown.

My problem is that I am a hobbyist, and a multi-lure guy.  I want a material and process that will work on slab jigs or crank baits.  The method that jcool3 is telling us about will do either.  The 3M adhesive will do either as well.  I am not so sure about heat setting.

How hot does the heat press get?  How flexible is the method?  Will it confirm to a fat crank bait, a jointed glide bait, or a shaped jig head?

If the heat press did not melt Etex or epoxy, or super glue, often used to seal wood lures, then perhaps.  If it was less then 250 degrees so I could use it on Resin baits, then perhaps.  If it would work on a Big O style bait as well as a slab jig, then perhaps.

If you read that entire thread you will see I found a way that works for lead jigs and does not require a heat press.

A woodworkers vice, some carpet remnants and a plumbers torch.

Not exactly another machine.

Now the binder I use would not work on plastics as it requires heating to 325*f to work once it is applied.

I don't really use plastic lures much if at all so that isn't a biggie for me.

I have had people tell me they have had luck using the same foil as me and some Super 77 spray adhesive. But I haven't personally tried it. It is very very thin so should work well for that though.

I think the wood workers vise was $22 the foil is fairly cheap at roughly $4 for a roll 3" x 100' with lots of color and pattern options.

I would have to look again to remember the adhesive price but I think it was $35 for enough for many hundreds of jigs. As I recall I had  enough materials to do hundreds of jigs all told for around $70 including the vice which was a one time purchase.

Just throwing another method out there that works great for me and  didn't cost me too much $ overall.

[Anglinarcher]

6 minutes ago, Kasilofchrisn said:

Now the binder I use would not work on plastics as it requires heating to 325*f to work once it is applied.

For some reason, that one seems high.  I see that the Kingsley Howard was 250 *F.  Still, I did see that some of the China ones are that high.

9 minutes ago, Kasilofchrisn said:

I have had people tell me they have had luck using the same foil as me and some Super 77 spray adhesive. But I haven't personally tried it. It is very very thin so should work well for that though.

Worth trying it.  it looks like the thin foils range from the Heat Stamp, Clay foils and Art Deco.  I know the Art Deco will work, and expect the Clay foils must work.

12 minutes ago, Kasilofchrisn said:

Just throwing another method out there that works great for me and  didn't cost me too much $ overall.

I think that is what we are all doing, and I agree.

2 hours ago, Anglinarcher said:

How flexible is the method?  Will it confirm to a fat crank bait, a jointed glide bait, or a shaped jig head?

Still wondering about this, but, for the slab jigs, I think your method is awesome.

[aulrich]

So, under the heading "I need to properly clean up my work area",  I found that I actually had a can of 3m super 77  and for this application the 77 is better than the 90 mostly because it goes on thinner.

 

I have not tried the e-tex method yet, I suspect if you hit the sweet spot of sticky but not soft I think you will get cleaner coverage. The challenge I found with the spray was getting the bait fully coated with out getting it too thick and having spots where the film pulled the foil and glue off.

 

Has anyone tried spraying both the foil and the bait, because typically when you are using contact cement you put glue on both surfaces being laminated.

 

I did play with base color, and putting pearl silver under silver foil hid any missed spots better, white was OK. Black is interesting but you can see every missed spot.  But on the blanks that I was foiling (a lipless rattle bait. The places I missed were around the gill plate fin and scale texture. The plan with that one is to paint it a very light(candy coat) perch. I think the contrast should produce an interesting looking bait.

[jcool3]

I'm sticking with the method I described above for a couple reasons:

1) Every layer on the lead jig is etex and I know etex bonds with etex.   (not using powder paint or anything else)

2)Other adhesives will stick to foil no problem, but will it stick to etex?  I tried 3M SprayMount, Aleene's tacky glue and they do not stick well to the etex layer, therefore getting poor foil adhesion as a result.  Have not tried spray 77 or 99 or the binder - they need to be tested on how well they stick to etex

3) I can mix etex with neon micas and glow powder to finish off the lure.  I can write on etex with oil based sharpies or gel pens to add dots and stripes.

[Anglinarcher]

15 minutes ago, jcool3 said:

I'm sticking with the method I described above for a couple reasons:

1) Every layer on the lead jig is etex and I know etex bonds with etex.   (not using powder paint or anything else)

2)Other adhesives will stick to foil no problem, but will it stick to etex?  I tried 3M SprayMount, Aleene's tacky glue and they do not stick well to the etex layer, therefore getting poor foil adhesion as a result.  Have not tried spray 77 or 99 or the binder - they need to be tested on how well they stick to etex

3) I can mix etex with neon micas and glow powder to finish off the lure.  I can write on etex with oil based sharpies or gel pens to add dots and stripes.

Sounds like you have a method that works for you, and that is what is important.

Thanks for sharing it with us.

[Kasilofchrisn]

Yes I have no idea if my foil binder will stick to Etex.

But I do not use Etex anyway.

What I do is cast and clean the jig.

Then apply as little foil adhesive as possible with a brush. I really do mean as little as possible while still covering the entire jig.

Then I heat the jig while holding with hemostats. I usually have my heat gun heat setting dialed in to between 350*f and 400*f and use the higher fan setting.

Once it's hot I apply the precut foil and place between carpet scraps in the vice.

Tighten the vice down good and hard.

Then I remove and peel off the foil plastic leaving just the foil.

I touch up the edges with silver metallic rc car paint.

Then Once dry I airbrush createx accent colors.

Once dry again I add the one and only clearcoat which is currently Alumi UV.

It is cured in my UV light box for 20 minutes or so.

 

This method works great for me on foiled lead jigs. Certainly use what works for you!

 

 

[aulrich]

For the most part I was just playing, and the spray gave a much shorter cycle time.  This weekends experiment only had one lead jigging spoon and I just put it onto bare lead, with an e-text top coat.

 For myself I see me migrating to the heat transfer for the jigging spoons I will want flash on , at this point I am figuring out how to powder coat and I think the hot tranfer matches up well. I am thinking I could pull it out of the curing oven and just drop it onto a high temp press to transfer the foil. 

One question would the hot transfer stand up to powder clear or would it just be better to epoxy clear coat.

 

Does someone have a link to hot transfer foil that they like.

 

[aulrich]

I blundered into the video of someone hot pressing plastic baits that I had talked about above.

 

[jcool3]

3 hours ago, aulrich said:

For the most part I was just playing, and the spray gave a much shorter cycle time.  This weekends experiment only had one lead jigging spoon and I just put it onto bare lead, with an e-text top coat.

 For myself I see me migrating to the heat transfer for the jigging spoons I will want flash on , at this point I am figuring out how to powder coat and I think the hot tranfer matches up well. I am thinking I could pull it out of the curing oven and just drop it onto a high temp press to transfer the foil. 

One question would the hot transfer stand up to powder clear or would it just be better to epoxy clear coat.

 

Does someone have a link to hot transfer foil that they like.

 

 

3 hours ago, aulrich said:

For the most part I was just playing, and the spray gave a much shorter cycle time.  This weekends experiment only had one lead jigging spoon and I just put it onto bare lead, with an e-text top coat.

 For myself I see me migrating to the heat transfer for the jigging spoons I will want flash on , at this point I am figuring out how to powder coat and I think the hot tranfer matches up well. I am thinking I could pull it out of the curing oven and just drop it onto a high temp press to transfer the foil. 

One question would the hot transfer stand up to powder clear or would it just be better to epoxy clear coat.

 

Does someone have a link to hot transfer foil that they like.

 

I think it is harder for any adhesive to stick to bare lead than to etex.  Like to see you try your adhesive on top of a layer of etex.

there are many kinds of transfer foil of which I am not familiar with, but some holographic foils, the holograph can be destroyed by heat.

Probably the nail holographic foils I use would be sensitive to heat. I found also that if you rub too hard, you damage the hologram.  The kingsley holographid hot stamping foils sold on ebay by dc kelly would probably be more heat resistance although I cannot verify this.

Edited January 23, 2018 by jcool3