lead eye painting fixture

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

On another thread I recently explained without photos how I'm able to paint up lots of lead eyes at one time, as efficiently as possible. Later I found that I actually did have those photos in an older file, so here they are. First I'll copy the instructions, then add the pics. Hope this is understandable....

 

Kirk, without photos on hand I'll just describe how I do those eyes in bulk. Using the smallest threaded rod, about 1/8" in diameter, (pairs in various sizes from 15 to 28" or so)... the first step is to get a stable piece of 2x4 or 2x6 that is at least a bit longer than the longest pair of rods you'll be using. The next step is to use a router to cut a straight groove the length of the board that's the same size or slightly smaller than those threaded rods (and the groove that you cut is just deep enough that a threaded rod will fit in it with the top edge exposed.... You'll take one rod and prep the groove by laying soft, short sections of copper or monel wire across it at four to five inch intervals, starting with on wire at each end of that first rod... Now take the eyes you're going to paint and carefully place them, about 1/8 to 1/4" apart all along the first rod as it lays in the groove (that whole board with groove is just a cradle that allows you to place the eyes on top of the first rod....). Once all the eyes are in place take the second rod and place it on top of the first rod so that it lays on top of the lead eyes, then while holding both rods together, twist each wire into place so that you bind the two rods together as a unit with the eyes to be painted sandwiched between them. Once rods are properly secured you then handle the pair as a unit for painting purposes, doing one side of the eyes at a time while the pair of rods are resting on anything (I use the handles of small pliers as rests for each end of the rods while painting..). Once a rod (or however many you're doing) has been painted you can allow it to air dry for 24 hours before a second coat or you can immediately place it in an oven at 250 degrees for 20 minutes then do the second coat. Baking helps harden the paint and greatly speeds up the process (the only color that ever caused a problem was red, which will darken a bit if you bake it, other colors - white, yellow, black are just fine).

 

 

With this setup I'm able to do eyes of different sizes, colors, etc all at the same time, then bake up 300 to as many as 500 (four or five "sticks" of eyes) at the same time. The hangers that I use for the oven are just made of coat hanger wire and look like the hangers you'd buy for Christmas ornaments. Each stick hangs under one of the racks in an ordinary oven and I keep a sheet of aluminum foil underneath it all to catch and residue or paint flakes to keep that oven clean (no you won't be doing any paint baking with your wife at home.... ask me how I know.).

 

Tight lines

Bob LeMay

(954) 435-5666

[Peterjay 0]

Looks great Bob - thanks for posting.

[Kirk Dietrich 0]

Genius Captain!

 

I looked up that paint and what I found it but the label read Indoor. Then there is a Rust stop enamel. Are either of the two at the links the one you use?

 

http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12664179

 

http://www.acehardware.com/paintHub/product.jsp?c=Ace&p=specialty&productId=121

 

Thanks for posting the pics.

 

Kirk

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

The second entry is the one I'm using (but any high gloss oil based paint will probably do just as well). When I first started using the stuff (early eighties) the label was a lot different than the current label. Now you have to read the fine print to see "alkyd enamel", etc. You'll note that I use the lid as my palette, and it works very well for the tiny amounts of paint needed for this application.

Bob