A little advise please. I'll soon be trying the powder coat thing on some plain jig heads and until I know I want to keep going, what's the best method of pre-heating the jig and then setting the paint? I don't have a workshop of any kind so it's the kitchen or my office. Am I asking for trouble? Are there any step-by-step instructions out there that are worthwhile?

It's pretty simple. For just doing a few you can use a lighter. Fluff up the powder by turning the jar upside down and tap until all of the powder goes to the lid, then turn it on it's side and roll it back and forth several times. Heat the head for about 3-5 seconds, dip and swish quickly in the powder and tap off any excess quickly (tap hook shank on edge of jar). This whole motion needs to be less than a second. You may need to return to the heat for just a second. It should be nice and shiny. Dip jig in a cup of cold water. This cools the paint very fast making it brittle and easier to clean the eye of the hook. If the paint smokes after dipping, your jig is too hot. The jig head should look like a piece of hard candy you just took out of your mouth. Each time you tap the excess powder off, it packs the powder back down. Re-fluff your powder every three or four jigs or you will start to see clumps on your jig head that will look like bubbles.
Use an old pocket knife or something to clean the paint out of the eye. Do this before curing. Once cured, it is extremely difficult to clean the eye. Use your shirt tail to wipe off any extra water or finger prints. You will need to get a $10 toaster oven and bake the heads at 325 for 15-20 minutes to cure the powder. Not a good idea to cook lead in your home oven.
It is very easy even though this may sound difficult. It should take about 6-8 seconds to paint a head not counting cleaning the eye and curing. Once you get going, you can get a heat gun to heat the heads.

BTW If you want to stay out of the dog house, you may want to put the toaster oven on the porch while baking.

Thanks for the tips. I have some powder coming from a trade and am anxious to try my hand. If my first attempt turns out ok, I'll post. Thanks again.

Good instructions Dink !!!

I used a lighter when I first started,but it will leave a carbon residue.Got an alcohol burner a while back and love it.Very inexpensive.

Ive never tried the cold water trick.I usually let them cool on a drying rack,and get busy...Might be in the minority,but I dont cure mine.Have very little problems in chipping (tend to loose jigs faster than I can wear out the paint )

Dont cure mine either.

We use a heat gun from Harbor Freight that cost about ten bucks & it works great. We just heat the jig head, dip it & then heat it again & hang it on a rack to cool. We do NOT bake ours either.

I use an alcohol burner and cure mine. I may have been doing it wrong before but cureing stopped them from being brittle.

I think I am going to STOP curing mine everytime i think the jig head looks good I cure them and have few out of each the first few batches where the paint formed a nipple then the head was ruined... I thought if I was NOT curing I would be the only one

theres sevaral good u tube vids on powder coating jigs. I think TJS TACKLE has a few.

Rodney
Your jig is too hot and your leaving in the powder too long. Another thing could be that your powder is not fluffed enough.

Probably all the above

Is that from experience Gloria ???

Just thought I'd re-visit this topic after my first attempt. I must be holding my mouth wrong or something (prolly need to get a heat gun or alcohol burner). Bet you guessed it. The Chartruce turned out pretty good (I was so pleased with myself) . Did about 10 and ... usable. Then I swiched to hot pink and YUCK! ! I don't know how to describe the color I ended up with but needless to say, it wasn't hot pink. I stopped after 2. I'm going to tie one on in the morning before the sun comes up enough for the crappie to see it good. Maybe a goodun will see it and lapse into a laughter induced coma and float to the surface

the best way to do it is with a heat gun and toaster oven.
I tie jigs for my own amusement, from crappie size up to
1 oz bucktails for hybrids.


My biggest mistakes were double dipping in the powder which
resulted in too much paint and nipples on my jigs.

the Other mistake was curing too long at too high a temp,
resulting in melting the lead off the hooks.

I cure at 250 for 10 minutes and get very durable heads ,
no chipping.

MO

Hey Radtexan where did you get your alcohol burner. I need to get one. Thanks

here is 1 place.http://www.mudhole.com/Alcohol-Burner

Thanks Slow That looks like a reel good site

TBo I ordered one from a fly shop I was getting some things from,but found one later at hobby lobby for next to nothin,might check any craft,or stores that might have any type of science project items.