I am in the process of making a few football jigs and for some reason I keep getting a lot of powder paint in the hook eye.  Cleaning them out before baking them,  my old eye buster finally gave out.  I redid it and it gave out again.  

I took some split ring pliers and filed them down so I could use them.  I have had to redo them twice and they are about shot.  I still have a couple of hundred jigs to go and want to get hold of a good eye buster.  I saw a Rapala on the BPS site but it doesn't look like it would reach the eye of a large football head.

I always just use a fish hook to clean out the eyes on my jigs.  This is for store bought jigs with paint over the eyes, I don't make my own jigs.

I have yet to see something that holds up.  All of them I've seen are cheap junk.  The best thing I've found is a small knife blade and spinn it in a circle.

GMAN where does one get a small knife blade that spins? ;D

Maybe a dremel with a small bit?

GMAN where does one get a small knife blade that spins? ;D

Well you twist your wrist real fast. LOL.  NOt really real fast but a couple twitsts and it pops out.  I use this method on the cured ones too.  Uncured it only takes a second just be careful and dont cut yourself.

PS just a thought a fork might work.  Not sure just thought of it.

Typically for me the uncured powder paint comes off real easy.

I don't normally have much of a problem but the last couple of days the 1/2 and 3/4 heads have been collecting a bunch of paint.  I stick nails in the eyes before baking.  That keeps them clean during that process.

I use a #65 or 70 drill bit  it goes right through the eye and leaves a round hole every time.  Make a cheap fluid bed and you will have significantly fewer clogged eyes.

yep small drill bit does the trick every time, use either a dremel or a hand drill. Just make sure that when you drill into the eye if it catches that the hook will not spin around on the bit and drive into your hand......learned that ont the good ole close call way.

Harshman

I use an old pair of needle nose, the inside of them is smooth and I just put the eye in between and pull, usually takes off any extra on the eyelet and you can use an old jig de-barbed as added insurance.

This is all I've ever used with powder.  Fluid bed might help as it's less powder going on, but for those of us who've been doing it a while have our methods down.  

Practice makes perfect.

Fatman