Spinnerbaits and Fluid Beds

[CNC Molds N Stuff]

I've been getting prepped to do some powder coating.  So far I've done swirl and sprinkle.  Preheat jigs and swirl them in the powder jar, and preheat spinnerbaits and sprinkle powder over them with a spoon.  I've been using a heat gun because I have one anyway for shrink tube and other stuff in places where a torch just isn't a good idea.  I have a couple torches too.  Anyway as I look at the wall I can see that some of my precoated baits are better than others.  The latter ones better than the former.  Many of them clearly have way to much powder.  making eye sockets to small or rounding features that should look sharper.  Particularly on a spinnerbait head I have been working on a lot. 

I know many folks use a fluid bed, and I see the appeal.  I can certainly make one in an hour or two probably faster once I've done one.  I just begrudge my hour here and my hour there until I know it will work for what I want or I know I'm doing something nobody else has done before.  Time is precious.  I've probably got all of the parts in the shop.  Most of the fluid beds I've seen made seem a little shallow for a spinnerbait.  A cursory thought on it seems like you have to dip it hook first.  I considered maybe something like slits down the sides with a rubber a neoprene flapper gasket, but I also though the heat in the wire and the hook might ruin the gasket fairly quickly.  Even if it doesn't or I can find a high heat material like silicone to make such a flap it would still leak powder as the wire and hook slide up and down. 

That leaves me getting back to dipping hook first or setting up a more involve static gun and powder recovery system.  Yeah.  That's to much work if I am begrudging an hour to make a fluid bed. 

It seems a deeper fluid bed than most I see would be required.  I don't think that's an issue.  I thing I recall one person here is dipping a 10" saltwater bait in a deep fluid bed.  My big concern is the hook.  I sure don't want to powder coat the hook.  Does the hook build enough heat while you are soaking the head in your heat source to hold powder?  I know eyes on jigs sure do. 

I haven't baked anything because I don't have an oven in the shop yet, but I've got a wall full of stuff ready to bake. 

Edited March 23, 2017 by Bob La Londe
because

[BassBull]

What I use for baits like spin and buzz baits is a  alum. banana  bread mold. Real  cheap and easy to find. Dollar stores and Wal-Mart. You can cut it down  our bend the light container into the shape you want. This is not a square mold but  rectangular. I swipe the spin our buzz from one end to the other and the hook never gets any powder on it. I hope this helps you. Have a good day. STEVE          P.S..... I put at least  two our three jars of powder into the mold and take a spoon and  build a mound in the center, making it easier to miss the hook.

[edgecrusher]

I use a 3" fluid bed cup from tjs tackle, dipping up to 4oz spinnerbaits.

I dip the hook, but I don't heat the hook up with my gun, so I can wipe the powder off it easy enough afterwards.

Up to 2oz the cup filled to the top does the job easy, the sizes above may need some sprinkling to top them up

[edgecrusher]

5 hours ago, Bob La Londe said:

  I know eyes on jigs sure do. 

 

 

Two sets of pliers, use one to hold the jighead but the hook when heating, grab the eye with the second set and dip, should give you a clean eye.

[JLS]

I run taller than average fluid beds for my painting needs.

I used 4" lengths of 2" pipe (wish I would have went a bit taller for painting my 1 1/2oz, long shank 8/0 hook, musky heads) and built one for every color that I use. I have mine set up to where I pump air into the base, the air then runs through a coffee filter, and I have wire mesh glued to the bottom of each tube so that I can never punch a hook through the filter. Each of my fluid beds has a cap that fits snug enough that I store my paint in them; all it takes is removing the cap and connecting the air supply and I'm ready to paint. I do have to stir my paint a bit to keep it loose enough to not pick much paint up on the hook but the hook is never hot enough for the paint to stick.

I do use a alcohol burner to heat my heads and concentrate the flame on just lead. I also tend to paint with my heads a bit on the cool side and prefer to have to do a quick reheat and second dip to make sure I have good coverage.

Once painted, a light tap of the hook on your work bench will remove most of the excess paint from the hook and a wipe of the fingers will make short order of the rest. I only worry about removing all the paint from the hooks on baits that I sell, once cured it's hard to tell that you left a bit of paint on a hook.

[EironBreaker]

I just use a gallon zip-lock bag.  Takes a fair amount of powder but there is plenty of space to powder coat SBs and Buzzers.  Roll down the bag, it takes about 6 oz of paint or so to do.  Fluff the powder and swish through sideways.  I also use a propane flame to heat the head properly, swish through and then give the wire frame or the hook a flick with my finger to knock off any extra.  Give the hook a wipe between your fingers if there seems to be a dusting of paint on it but most comes right off.  Run through the flame again to make sure the paint is set and hang it for baking.  Works good and gives clean heads.