Painting Weights

[CMorg]

How , or would you paint weights ? I have alot of bullet weights , and thought about color matching them to the bait of choice... Spray Paint ? Nail Polish ? Would any of these things cause an unpleasent smell to the fish ?

[JB]

a sharpie may do the trick. If you do use paint I'd heat the finished product in a oven, at a low temp...
I think dampeoples posted about this a few weeks ago.

[Hef]

There is some good stuff out there called Pro-tech (and no they're not my sponsor). It's a powder coat and you can practically buy it in any color you want. I use the watermelon and green pumpkin colors to do my jig heads. Use a propane torch (or cig lighter) and lightly heat up your lead, dip it in the coating and touch it to the flame again. If you want it to really harden up then place it in the oven and cook it for a few more minutes. Stuff is only like $5 at BPS for a 2oz jar. Works good IMO.

[everettvet]

I posted a thread the other day about this. Here is what I have found out. Powder Coat paint can make a pretty weight, but it was tough to keep both holes open. I started thinking about spray paint. I soaked the weights in acetone to clean them and then let them dry. I tried two brands of paint. One can was the cheapo walmart brand and the other was Rustolem (spelling?) gloss enamel protective paint. Each one painted the weights (with several coats) real pretty. I was concerned about the paint chipping. I used a spray polyurethane and applied several coats to protect the paint. Let them dry for 3-4 days. To "test" the paint chipping, I tied the weights on a rod/reel and sent them skipping down my paved driveway 8 or 9 times. The cheapo paint chipped alot. The rustolem had some scuff marks from the blacktop, but it did not chip at all. How they will holdup under fishing conditions, I don't know. This is what I found.

[CMorg]

Ok , thanks for the input. I will probably try the spray paint , next time I order from BPS I will get some of that Powdercoat and try it also...

[FLBassAssassin]

wouldnt even bother painting them if i were you...a solid lead color or black will work just fine...it is all personal preference but i have never noticed any significant difference..worry more about the soft plastic and your presentation

[Rebbasser]

I've been painting worm sinkers for years. Stand them up on end in cardboard box and paint them whatever color you want. I usually use flat black. I have used the powder paint-works great for jigs but keeping the holes open on a bullet sinker is a challenge-I'm still working on that one.

[KenDammit]

how about putting a piece of wire or something similiar into the sinker, then painting? The wire could also double as a rack to hold the weight in mid-air while painting and drying.

[Mac1]

Get some round toothpicks and a block of styrofoam. Run the toothpick gently through the weight and usually the pick will stick out the tip, keeping both ends pretty free of paint. Sharpie markers give a good metallic type finish over a shiny weight. Spray paint works OK too, if coated with some 5 minute epoxy you can get at Wal-Mart....it's in the paint department. Spray paint eats the styrafoam so you may want to insert the picks in the top of a cardboard box, or use some plastic wrap to cover the foam block.

As for using nail polish, first give the weight a coat of craft paint,(44 cents at Wal Mart) with either a black or white coat, then overcoat with your chosen color of nail polish....let dry well and give the final overcoat with epoxy. When you do this, the epoxy will likely stay a little sticky......this can be remedied by putting the weights in an oven set on WARM. Leave them in the oven for about 20 minutes on WARM, then turn the oven off and let them set inside for another half hour or so. I do this oven step with the holding toothpicks inserted into a top of a small cardboad box. Whe doing jig heads, you can simply hang the jigs from the wires of the oven rack. I like using the polishes as you can mix and match getting any color you want....can also get some wild glitter finishes.

[everettvet]

I used a sharpie over the spray paint to give it a little design. My four year old wanted to get involved. So, gave him 4 weights and a sharpie. He had a blast and now uses them when he fishes (pretends) from his bed. By the way, he tells me that his name is Jimmy Houston.

Walmart sacks work well over the foam. Just stick the toothpick through the sack into the foam.

[CMorg]

Awsome , lots of good advice here , thanks.

[Mac1]

Sorry I left this out about using the cardboard box for bullet weights in the oven.....I puncture the box top many times with a paring knife leaving small slits for the toothpicks to anchor in.

[commanche]

you can go to wal-mart and buy nail polish..about 100 colors..thats best way and you can take it in your boat, touch up the sinkers.

but, as said, it means nothing when fishing for bass,i use regular lead,no paint..

if it makes you a better fisherman, paint sinkers,its all in mind sometimes but painting sinker will not cause more strikes..