powder coating fishing jigs.

[mozeppa]

made a bunch of fishing jigs for my brother.

it's NOT like cast boolits!....gotta use pure lead or the casting won't fill out.

what temperature do i need to set my convection oven to so that i don't melt the lead on the jigs?

[SSGOldfart]

About 350* for ten minutes,be sure to clean out your eyes before heating or you'll have to drill them out. Which leave you a sharp edges. Don't ask how I know!!!!!. I've been PCing jigs and jigheads for over 25 years.. Let me know how yours turned out.
Btw hang your jig heads by the hook on a oven rack so the don't stick to a pan.

[SSGOldfart]

I smoke the cavities of my larger molds to help get a good fill out also let your lead pot run a little hotter for casting jigs, ladle pour for spinnerbaits and buzzbaits.

[RustyReel]

I make mine out of whatever scrap lead I happen to have laying around. Hang them from the rack and set the time/temp just like I am pc'ing boolits. I'm doing small jigs, 1/2 oz with 4/0 +/- hooks so they don't contact the bottom of the oven. DO punch the eyes out first!

[Minerat]

I don't bake my small jigs for that long. Usually 5 min is enough. Small are 1/8 oz or smaller

[Dragonheart]

Try spraying the inside of the mold with liquid graphite (CRC Dry Graphite Lube, 10 oz Aerosol Can, Black $8.97) available on Amazon. Just open the mold and castings just fall out. Preheat the mold and run it hot for good fill out. I suggest using the same cure schedule 400 degrees for 12 minutes. If it is actually 400 it won't melt lead.

[mozeppa]

thanks guys will do a test and do some pix...and say what happened.

stay tooned!

[GhostHawk]

I cheat, couple of ways.

A I buy unpainted jigs in the size and hook I want from Amazon. Time I figured mold cost + hooks + cost of lead it was cheaper to buy them.

B I do my PC at the kitchen gas stove. Clamp a jig (by the eye) in a pair of forceps. Stick it in the flame for 5 - 10 seconds. Dunk into small container of PC.

Hook the hook on a small glass desert dish to cool.

C Eyes. Use a hole punch to punch out a thin piece of foam. Craft foam from hobby shop 1/8th " thick. Glue onto a finish or similar small feaded nail.

2 drops of black fingernail polish will stamp a lot of eyes quickly. And you can come back with a smaller one in white if desired.

After eyes have dried you can add fur/bucktail/feathers as desired.

[Dragonheart]

Terrific looks bugs. The only thing i might add is the powder will flow immediately when it hits a hot object, but it would have a better bond and be more durable if it had a full cure by placing them in a dedicated oven for 400 degrees for about 15 minutes.

[Elkins45]

made a bunch of fishing jigs for my brother.

it's NOT like cast boolits!....gotta use pure lead or the casting won't fill out.

what temperature do i need to set my convection oven to so that i don't melt the lead on the jigs?

Nothing to do with powder coating but I cast all my jigs and lure bodies with the same alloy I use for bullets. I haven’t found that pure lead does any better although that’s what the instructions for the Do It molds say.

I cheat, couple of ways.

A I buy unpainted jigs in the size and hook I want from Amazon. Time I figured mold cost + hooks + cost of lead it was cheaper to buy them.

I bought a couple of molds. My plan is to pour a lifetime supply and then sell them. I figure 100 tail spinners (Little George clone) is more than I will ever possibly use.

[Tonto]

So why is it that folks who cast jigs and other items for fishing say that only pure, soft lead will fill out the mould? I pwn about a dozen Do-it moulds and have never found that pure lead casts better than alloyed metal. Why would casting properties change? And why is this assertion made? I use a heat gun to powder coat jigs, spinner bait bodies and buzzbait heads. Once to coat with powder and then a jig to hold the coated items for baking and curing in a small toaster oven. I've also made small silicone moulds to make copies of commercial jigs and sculpin heads and brush a little solder flux on the hook shank for a solid grab. I'm asking for fishing lure casters, is this really your experience? Pure lead fills out the mould details better?

[RustyReel]

I'm asking for fishing lure casters, is this really your experience? Pure lead fills out the mould details better?

Don't know because as I noted earlier I cast out of whatever scrap I have around at the time. Never cast them from pure lead and have been ok with how they have come out. Pure lead is saved for muzzleloaders.

I fish several times a week down here. Mostly around piers and shorelines and I loose a lot of jigs on hang ups (and the occasional big fish!). I have several shapes of jigs and the guys I fish with are often using different styles, round head, bullet head, etc. Point is, perfect jigs that match something exactly aren't needed. Couple of guys use unpainted jigs, so paint isn't really needed either. Guess my point is don't overthink it.

100 jigs may last me a couple of years, hopefully less.

[georgerkahn]

My cast jigs, walker sinkers, and the like are metal only -- no added plastics -- and I have several jars of PC powder open at bench. I use a BIC lighter to heat the jig, held by forceps, and after a count of "six" -- works for me -- I now dunk the hot jig right in the powder jar; swish it for a second or two; and remove. After a few more seconds it gets smooth and shiny; stays on nicely; and, I proceed to the next one. (This also works well on PC'ing brass blades I use to replace a hook on lake trout lures)
Granted -- my quantity is mostly in the less-than-25 range, so this would perhaps take too long if you're planning on making 100s... but -- for my purposes -- it works more than adequate for my personal fishing needs.
geo

[Burnt Fingers]

Nothing to do with powder coating but I cast all my jigs and lure bodies with the same alloy I use for bullets. I haven’t found that pure lead does any better although that’s what the instructions for the Do It molds say.



I bought a couple of molds. My plan is to pour a lifetime supply and then sell them. I figure 100 tail spinners (Little George clone) is more than I will ever possibly use.

We use the biggest size Little George clone for white, hybrid, and striped bass. I go through around 100 every year. I really hate making those things. They are one of the most involved lures I make.

I use a #4 inline blade on the tail. It seems to work better than a Colorado blade on a clevis.

[Dragonheart]

I don't seem to have time to go fishing anymore, so I haven't cast anything in that line for years. But when I did I used the same range scrap as I do for bullets. I ran the alloy hot and got the mold hot and only had fill out problems if I didn't.

[Minerat]

I only use pure on split shot. If you use alloy or WW it breaks when opened the first time. Other wise whatevers in the pot works just fine.

[Elkins45]

I only use pure on split shot. If you use alloy or WW it breaks when opened the first time. Other wise whatevers in the pot works just fine.

That makes sense. I’ve never seen a split shot mold. How does it form the ‘split’ part?

I’ve never understood why they say pure pours better. I can’t imagine how lead would behave different when poured into a jig shaped cavity instead of a bullet shaped one.

[Minerat]

On a split shot mold one half is like a ball mould the other half has a bar thru it that creates the split. Instead if pouring one cavity at a time you have a central sprue that connects 6 o 8 shot cavities. It is a real pain... Especially with small shot. Most times you don't get full fill out of the cavity and the mould has to be really HOT to get full fill. No really worth it for sizes less the 2's