I bake mine like it say's on the directions then paint last longer,well long enough to lose it so it doesn't matter anymore.Good luck,
SZ

Dump the powder coat and go vinyl. There’s no comparison.

What does the finish feel like on the vinyl painted jigs? Is it more rubbery when dry, making it withstand run ins with rocks as opposed to the hard candy like finish of the powder coated jigs?

drew, listen, your making this waaaaaaaay harder than it needs to be.

after years of thinking i need to do everything myself. well if i can buy the heads already done, it's a no brainer... buy the friggen nicely done heads. DUH!

final thought the finished jig is all fluff and stuff. the color of the head matters little to a willing biter.

honestly, it matters only to you. i've banged many steelhead on dinged up dented heads.

Sure you can buy already painted jig heads. Fish them for a short time and see how they look. Hell, some of the ones in the stores are already chipped from when their employee dropped them while putting them on the display peg.

I agree the fish likely don't care if the head is chipped. That being said, if I'm taking the time tying up a nice looking jig I'd like it to not look like crap after fishing it a short time.

The vinyl is a three step process. White base coat, color then clear top coat. The finish is glossy and smooth. It may take slightly longer then powder coating but the durability is well worth it in my opinion.