Metal Spoon Surface Prep

[zrr45]

Hi Everybody!

 

I had a question in painting metal spoons and inline spinner blades.  I feel like I am having an issue with paint adhering on these metal surfaces,  I am using Nickel plated blades and finishing off with KBS but am going to expand and try Dick Nite as well.  I am spraying createx paints as well as the electroflect from CSI.

Is there a step I am missing in order to get the Createx or CSI Electroflect to adhere to the metal before topcoat?

 

Thank you for your help!

[mark poulson]

I prime with Rustoleum Self Etching Primer, and don't have an adhesion problems.

[woodieb8]

we used automotive etch primer also. the easiest way if your doing manufacturing numbers is. have them powder coated in white when ordered .you will never have an issue then..our topcoats  we found best is automotive clearcoat 4to 1 mix. you need a exhaust system.

 

[JD_mudbug]

 

As woodieb8 says, it's best to buy the blades and spoons ready to paint. I usually buy white too as any color shows well over it. I have also purchased chartreuse for particular color schemes like perch, mustard, 5 of diamonds.

Most of the lure component suppliers have a lower price painted line or at least a lower polished line. The LPO H series blades do not have a clear coat and can be painted over with no work. There is no need to pay for the higher polished finish if you will painting them. The more polished finish is harder to get paint to stick to unless you scuff and/or use etching primer. Save yourself some money and buy the regular grade of blade or spoon. For LPO products, the 'premium' finish is the regular grade. The 'regal' finish is highly polished and difficult to get paint to stick too

https://www.lurepartsonline.com/Painted-Colorado-Blades

https://www.lurepartsonline.com/Painted-Willow-Blades

https://www.lurepartsonline.com/Premium-Finish-In-Line-Blades

https://www.lurepartsonline.com/Premium-Finish-Casting-Spoons

 

[zrr45]

Thanks for the answers guys!

 

is there a clear etching primer? The chrome finish is pretty important in the market I’m in, most patterns I’m trying to accomplish will be mostly a metallic finish. 

[JD_mudbug]

I don't think there is clear etching primer. At least, I have not seen one. If you are only painting part of a spoon or blade, you can tape off the part you want to keep the metal finish on. If you are doing a bunch of the same pattern, you can make a stencil to block off where any primer will go. I have done something like this on a spinnerbait blades by scuffing one edge or both edges with a green Scotch pad and applying paint to that area keeping the rest of blade with its original metal finish.

A light scuff on an entire spoon/blade may be enough to get a mechanical bond and keep most of the underlying shine if the paint is thin.

You could try an automotive adhesion promoter. I have never used that stuff. So, I would test a small batch first. I have seen it in clear and people have used it for paint on chrome car trim. 

It may help to see the a pic of what you are trying to achieve. There are a lot very knowledgeable people on here (myself excluded). A picture of some the patterns usually gets the comments and ideas flowing.

[woodieb8]

sadly thats been an issue for decades. shooting candy paints will peel. even cleari coatinf.when spoons are plated it closes off metallic pores in metals..the larger spoon companies have aleways had issues ..nk spoons etc .i used to squirt 20,00 spoons a year ..when the markets tanked we just took spinner blades in  to paint.

 

[zrr45]

Sounds like woodieb has an idea of the issue at hand. 
 

I see Blue Fox has accomplished this with some pink and chartreuse candy colors on the back of their “candy back” vibrax spinners. 
 

I’m looking to accomplish something similar, with slightly more customized designs on the front of the blade and, if possible, candy color torpedo and bell bodies. (Still working out the best way to color the bodies). 

[Go55]

Powder paint?

https://www.lurepartsonline.com/Pro-Tec-Powder-Paint-2oz?quantity=1&custcol_beads_eyes_paint_color=145&page=1

[woodieb8]

yes powder paint on the spinner. on many flutter spoons powder paint creates a too heavy presentation.,and its slower in production processes.

[wchilton]

I've used clear powder coat but only on lead and not on polished surfaces.  If you can get powder coat to stick you can paint on top of that.  High temperature PET tape can be used to mask areas you don't want to get powder paint on and the PET tape (as well as it's silicone adhesive) will withstand 425 deg F temperature for about an hour so can be left on while curing the powder paint.  In the application where I used clear powder I mixed in some mica glitter or flake and got the effect I wanted.  Maybe you could try scuffing the metal right after applying the tape?  There's also an airbrush-sized "sandblast" gizmo sold at Harbor Freight that might work for prepping the metal?  Just throwing some thoughts out there.  For that pink body you could def use pink powder undercoat, then cure that, then clear powder with glitter.  For applying powder, I've used both fluidized bed and the "saltshaker" method to adhere paint onto the hot metal, then cure with toaster oven or heat gun.  The "saltshaker" is just a plastic "pill" bottle with paint in it and a single (or few) little holes in the end to shake the paint out where you want to apply it.  Last tip is if you need larger quantities of powder paint do a google search for "powder by the pound".  I think that's where I got the stuff I've used.  There are different formulations of powder paint so if you need to mix colors just make sure they are both the same type of paint.