11-15-2006, 07:51 PM
[cool][#0000ff]Like many aspects of fishing and lure making, you will have to make your own decisions on which types of paints to use...for different applications. My position is that there is not just one or the other. There are places for each in which either vinyl or powder is a better choice.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I use vinyl jig paints almost exclusively, both for jig making and for painting spoons and spinners. That is mostly because I do a lot of color combos and glittering that are virtually impossible with powder paints. However, as a tough base coat, over bare lead or metal, the powder paints stick tighter and are more durable. You can then paint over them with the vinyl paints.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Powder paints are not really difficult to use. All you need to do is preheat the metal in a toaster oven...or over a small flame...and then dip in the powder. Shake off the excess, let the powder liquify and then reheat it for a few minutes to "cure" it. You can dip several pieces and then do the curing process in a "batch".[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If you want a tighter bond of the first coat...paint or powder...on the shiny metal of a spinner or spoon...you can roughen the surface with emery paper. You can also get "hammered" finish blades that tend to grip the coatings better too.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]In the attached pics, I painted only one side on most of the blades, but I did both sides on others. Brass or gold blanks are hard to find. I got a large quantity of the nickle blades cheap, at a damaged freight outlet. I paint only one side of the ones I want a nickle flash on. I gold glitter both sides of the ones I want gold finish on. You can also use prism tape very effectively, as you can see in the fourth attached pic.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Whatever coating or finish you choose, it is wise to finish them with one or two coats of clear epoxy. This helps make the paint less susceptible to plastics and solvents, but also increases the toughness when you bang your lure on rocks, etc. The bad news is that if you are vertical jigging them, near structure, they may not last long enough to need repainting. On the other hand, if the finish gets chewed off by big fish, you can hang up the scarred lures as trophies...or repaint them.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Cost effectiveness? Never an issue with me. I use what is easiest to use, lasts longest and provides the colors I want. If you try to save a few pennies you may not be able to produce that killer lure that whacks the fish when nobody else is getting bit.[/#0000ff]
[signature]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I use vinyl jig paints almost exclusively, both for jig making and for painting spoons and spinners. That is mostly because I do a lot of color combos and glittering that are virtually impossible with powder paints. However, as a tough base coat, over bare lead or metal, the powder paints stick tighter and are more durable. You can then paint over them with the vinyl paints.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Powder paints are not really difficult to use. All you need to do is preheat the metal in a toaster oven...or over a small flame...and then dip in the powder. Shake off the excess, let the powder liquify and then reheat it for a few minutes to "cure" it. You can dip several pieces and then do the curing process in a "batch".[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]If you want a tighter bond of the first coat...paint or powder...on the shiny metal of a spinner or spoon...you can roughen the surface with emery paper. You can also get "hammered" finish blades that tend to grip the coatings better too.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]In the attached pics, I painted only one side on most of the blades, but I did both sides on others. Brass or gold blanks are hard to find. I got a large quantity of the nickle blades cheap, at a damaged freight outlet. I paint only one side of the ones I want a nickle flash on. I gold glitter both sides of the ones I want gold finish on. You can also use prism tape very effectively, as you can see in the fourth attached pic.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Whatever coating or finish you choose, it is wise to finish them with one or two coats of clear epoxy. This helps make the paint less susceptible to plastics and solvents, but also increases the toughness when you bang your lure on rocks, etc. The bad news is that if you are vertical jigging them, near structure, they may not last long enough to need repainting. On the other hand, if the finish gets chewed off by big fish, you can hang up the scarred lures as trophies...or repaint them.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Cost effectiveness? Never an issue with me. I use what is easiest to use, lasts longest and provides the colors I want. If you try to save a few pennies you may not be able to produce that killer lure that whacks the fish when nobody else is getting bit.[/#0000ff]
[signature]