Epoxy powder clearcoat question...

[Carpkiller]

Thanks in advance....
Couple of questions for people who have fallen down the epoxy/fluid bed rabbit hole.....

If you dip a fresh shiny lead jig in clear epoxy powder, does it come out shiny or just gray? and does it stay shiny...or turn gray over time?

**edit** I have some clear on the way and will do some 'sperimentin'.....

Thanks,

Rob

[William Ritchie]

Have not done jigs etc . for long term brilliance . I do have bullets of the same alloy we traded for a few years back Wheel weight and lino type that have been in storage for over 30 years and still as bright as the day they were cast . I have noted that the sinkers I cast from the same alloy will darken to gray matte finish after contact /use in salt water or extensive handling . Lead Oxide ? The ones that are unused remain bright . I think if you can keep electrolysis from water contact from attacking the surface material with epoxy they should last quite a while . I still have some of the jigs you made up for me back when and the unpainted unused ones are still retaining their bright as cast finish . I think at least with that alloy they would remain that way for longer than you or I will be with the living . Putting a good coat of clear should keep them looking shiny if the is no water intrusion after coating . Just my $.02 . Good luck with the project . WR Add / Edit if you are using pure lead the oxidation may happen more quickly .

[Carpkiller]

Thanks, Bill.

[OOlicon]

contact with a less oxidizable metal (tin or nickel coated steel) and exposure to moisture is a recipe for oxidation and dulling of the lead surface.

[Carpkiller]

thanks, Oolie....

[Carpkiller]

An update...sorta.

I have a pound of clear epoxy powder. Got some mica powder on the way. Gonna mix and use to:

Dip raw shiny lead jigheads for a sparkly clearcoat that should imped oxidation. Even if the lead goes gray, it'll have shine...

Dust over jigheads that have been coated with colored epoxy for a shiny finish...before the final cure in the toaster oven.

I've got all sorts of raw leadheads poured (Ultra Minnow heads for ScorcherZ and mini bucktails, underspins, tailspins) for when the mica gets here and I can set up the fluid beds and go to town.

Meanwhile, I ran across one of my old bucktails (with the nail polish paintjob) and have been using it the past couple weekends....along with the usual suspects. 60+ spotties...mostly on homemade stuff.

[Gotfish?]

contact with a less oxidizable metal (tin or nickel coated steel) and exposure to moisture is a recipe for oxidation and dulling of the lead surface.

The galvanic series shows the effects of dissimilar metals in seawater: https://www.macartney.com/what-we-offer ... -seawater/

With nickel against lead, lead corrodes. With lead against tin, tin corrodes. But it takes an electrolyte for this to happen. If you rinse your lures with freshwater and then dry, the corrosion won't happen. If you don't, the salt attracts enough moisture that corrosion occurs. But that is only partially effective as soft plastics tend to trap saltwater against the lead. And lead will corrode in saltwater even without dissimilar metals. https://www.nolawater.org/waternews/202 ... han%20rust.

The worst finish for corrosion is gold plating. If the gold was thick enough, it would be protective but gold is expensive and the gold plating on fishing lures is so thin it makes things worse (it is on the far left of the chart) as there is usually some porosity to thin gold plating plus it scratches easily. Again, rinsing with fresh water and drying helps a lot.

[Carpkiller]

Yeah, since I have an unlimited supply of replacement tubes, I tear 'em off and rinse the leadhead carefully...and let it dry before installing new tube bodies.

[Gotfish?]

Yeah, since I have an unlimited supply of replacement tubes, I tear 'em off and rinse the leadhead carefully...and let it dry before installing new tube bodies.

I like the white jig heads as a dab of black nail polish is all I need to make an eye.

I suppose you could run an accelerated life test by elevating the temperature and seeing if the clear coat heads darken slower than the uncoated ones. I expect they will darken more slowly. When I strip electrical wiring (whether bare copper or tin plated), the wire is bright and shiny, even if >20 years old.

I don't know if the temperature and time for curing powder coat will darken the lead. If it does, you could do the cure in an inert gas atmosphere (e.g. nitrogen, complex for a home enthusiast) or switch to a paint that doesn't require a high temperature cure.