I am not getting the look I want on my heads. I remember back first of year some of you built your own fluid beds and since they are over 100 bucks each. Anyone care to bring us up today on the do's and don's and anything else you want to add.

Lot of stuff on you tube....painting, fluid beds etc... Where I got my ideas...

Good luck and Good fishin'

For me (I am new at this) I made a fluid bed and I'm sure its due to design, but I did not care for it! I have been using a heat gun to heat the jigs which I may be switching to alcohol based heat soon, But i have my gesture to dip in powder down to where it comes out fairly clean and neat! PRACTICE!!! For me its hard counts that I go by when I dip....I'll see if this weekend I can make a vid and post on here what I do! Maybe that will help and maybe I can get some pointers!

This is what i made and it works good

I don't use fluid beds for a couple of reasons. 1. I have something like 18 different colors and I ain't making a bed for each color (or cleaning one to change colors). 2. I paint heads for my (and friends) own use so I can't see going through with the additional expense (you realize how many feathers and chenille you can buy). For me, I just heat and dip and am happy with it.

Maybe with a larger scale operation (like my friend at RSR Lures) where I was trying to make money off a product and had limited colors I would consider.

Larry, for me it's all in the motion. Fluid bed or just stirring with a paper clip,


the powder must be VERY LOOSE (You see the pink powder is "boiling")! I use the paper clip often if I'm just painting a few heads or with a color I don't have in a FB cup and stir every few jigs. Also, I don't really "Dip" a jig head, I "Swish" it with a side to side motion and very quickly at that. I'm much less likely to have any powder build up with this motion and even less likely using the Fluid Bed.

I don't have any pichers of my homemade fluid beds but I like'em as it severely helps the paint job last a lot longer..
They are very easy to make.....

Want to thank everyone for the come back, but leave this open for anyone who has questions are the way to fix them. Pepop think you may have what I am doing that is not right. Up until about 4 years ago I was doing hooks about 2-3 times a week and now its about 12-14 times a year. Think I have been dipping my jigs, and I know to swish. Bad habits are easy to start but hard to break.
Roman Cherny, is that in-line filters you are using? If so that is new to me but I do like it.
Thanks again, and feel free to jump in with any thing you have to add are ask.

I am on my phone so not going to read everyone's post, but fluid bed can be bought a lot less than $100! TJ'a has good ones for maybe near half that. I only hold paint in their own cup, but I do have 2 because of using both on the same jig.

Skip

Larry, that is in-line filters,they come with the compressor.
Skip, you are correct on the price.

Skip, thanks for the info on TJ's they are half price of what I have been looking at. When you get the time you need to look at what Roman Cherny has done with his. May not be anything you want to do now but good to know. I don't understand all of his tube piping but will look at it later in a day or two and maybe pick up on it. I think I can get by with 6-8 cup wells for the paint but I still have until first of year to get it going. [back to everyone here] I am not going back into jig tying other than jig blanks of white and grey, bared jigs. The bared are fish as they are, and blanks will be shad for the people to finish out their self's with permanent markers. May sound funny to some of you now but we had sales very high on these a few years ago. The hooks is what I will get up first as that is what pays the way. Thanks again to all of you.

I still have not got to the computer, but to clarify what I said, I have 2 fluid beds, and probably 60-70 of the darn cups. Many have paint I never use that I bought years ago and wouldn't today. However I do have probably 50 colors in cups that I would still have! Got on my computer finally and see these others. I have 2 fluid beds and use 2 pumps, one on each. I am not sure I want more than that and this way I can adjust separate and may need that for paint weight or how much is in each cup. It works for me this way. I used just one fluid bed for most of my tying years, but added the 2nd one when I started playing with glitter and UV Clear. I still have some stuff I have not played with yet and need too do so.

Your welcome Larry!

Hey Roman, what purpose do the in-line filters serve?

Ok I do understand now, What I was looking at was maybe just painting with 2 cups but leaving the paint in others that would be needed in a short. Turn them off and on as needed. What I am trying to do is not have a year round deal, but work hard for a week or so and have some days down.
I fish that way, I use 8-10 rods all have jigs on them but only one in the water at a time. but some of them I may use 10 times in a day.

Pepop, air in-line filters remove excess moisture as well as dust and dirt.I do realize that it's an overkill for such a small compressor.Filters came in the package,so i just use them.Little moisture will ruin powder paint and fluid bed filter.