epoxy vs. baking

[rsinyard]

I know this topic has probably been covered before, but I wanted to get everyone's latest opinion. I have been covering my jig heads with epoxy and that is time consuming. Do you really get a more durable finish using epoxy over baking them? Does anyone coat with paint then use the clear coat?

Thanks

Ron

[charkins]

I recently air brushed some jigs in pearl blue. I covered them with clear powder paint and cured them in oven. Looked really good to me. Warning, you can get too much clear powder real easy and you can get a drip or bulge.

[dayooper]

Rsinyard,

If you are talking about powder painting, then yes, I would definetly bake them. Simply bake your jigs on average 20 minutes at 350 degrees. The finish will come out rock hard. What we do at trade shows to demonstrate this is have the person throw (not drop) the jig onto the cement floor. The jig will dent considerably but the paint will not chip. This is alot easier than trying to epoxy them.

Charkins,

Try a fluid bed with clear to dip your jigs into. You will get a thinner more even coat on them and virtually eliminate the dripping during curing. Another thing you can do is to put the jig in a clamp by the hook so the hook is down (instead of hanging them by the hook). This way if the paint does drip it will go down the shaft of the hook and not "nipple" at the top of the jig.

Benjamin

[cadman]

Hey Ron,

I only epoxy jigs that have 3d eyes on them. All my other jigs are painted and baked. I lose more jigs around rocks than worrying about chipping paint. If I can fish a jig for 4 hours and not lose it and it chips from banging on rocks, than I'm still ahead of the game. I've never had any customer complaints.

[charkins]

Benjamin, I have one of your fluid beds. I just had 3 jigs to paint and I didn't want to change paints in it for 3 jigs. Just a little lazy I guess.

By the way, do you have some kind of a downsize kit so you could paint small jigs with just a little paint?

[dayooper]

Charkins,

I currently do not have a downsize kit, but that is not a bad idea. I will see what I can come up with. Maybe a 2" diameter cup?

Thanks,

Benjamin

[dampeoples]

I could see a reducing coupling, but wouldn't it be easier to get multiple cups? More expensive, granted, but easier, unless I don't understand the question.

[charkins]

Benjamin,

I want to be your beta test site!

Dayooper, if you have a smaller cup, you can paint with a lot less paint. With the big cups, it takes about 4 ounces of paint to get it deep enough IMO.

[dayooper]

Charkins,

Let me tinker with that this weekend and see what I can come up with. You must be painting some big jigs. 2oz is all you really need for the 3" cups. Unless you are painting big or long tube jigs.

Thanks,

Benjamin

[rsinyard]

thanks for all the replies. I baked some of my 1/4 oz jigs and the only complaint I have is the heat dulls the finish. Any suggestions on how to get a shiny finish? Use a clear coat before baking?

[cadman]

Hey Ron, I have never had that happen. What kind of paint is it? Are you referring to the paint being flat as in no shine at all? You could put a powder gloss coat after painting and before baking. I have flat powder paints with no gloss, and powder paints with textured finsh that are not shiny, however they are made for that reason. That is strange, unless there is something wrong with the paint.

[Old man in the boat]

I have had the paint go dull and/or turn brown if I cooled to hot or to long.

[dampeoples]

You might have had it too hot, you checked your oven with a thermometer? I've not had one yet that was accurate!

[rsinyard]

That could be the problem. I bought a cheap toaster oven and put it on 350. I think I may have left them in for more than 20 minutes. I will try another batch. This was the first batch.

[dampeoples]

I have to put my cheap toaster oven's temp on 250-275 for a true 350