BobP
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Everything posted by BobP
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I matched them up comparing the size of the holes in the cones to the thickness of the needle points. If you have them laying side by side, it's not hard. If you bought a used airbrush with a mishmash of tip parts, it's more complicated. Many airbrushes with multiple tips have the parts marked so you can keep them straight. The caps often have F, M and L stamped on them and the cones and needles often have rings circling them somewhere (usually at the rear of the needle, for instance) - one ring for fine, two rings for medium, three for large. If you get them mixed up you can get odd spray patterns. However, in the specific case of "spitting", the problem is more often caused by low pressure, a bent needle, or a split cone. Check those things first.
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I only used the fine tip, cone and end cap when I had a VL. A VL set comes with 3 tip assemblies, each with a needle, a cone and an end cap. The parts may have stamped rings around them to show size; one for fine, two for medium, three for large (or stamped F, M, L). The fine cone and needle may lack a size stamp. If you compare them all together, you can usually sort them out and you should store them in separate jars to keep them straight. If a needle looks bent, it almost certainly is. They should be straight as an arrow. They are made from fairly soft stainless and you can straighten a bent tip against a flat surface without much force. Also take a look at the cone to make sure it doesn't have a split in it. VL replacement parts aren't expensive.
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Your big compressor will work just fine but you need a moisture trap and a pressure regulator to dial it down to 20-40 psi, plus whatever hose adapters necessary to connect everything up. If you order more than $50 from dixieart.com, the shipping is free (if less, their shipping is danged expensive!). Their airbrush prices are generally competitive. I'm not pimping Dixie Art, they are just a good source if you need adapters, airbrushes and paint all at the same time. The adapters I got from them fit better and were more leak-proof than ones I've gotten elsewhere.
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If you wear a mask and use acrylic latex paint, the paint shouldn't cause you any problems. I paint in my garage, run a fan in the summer but just open the door otherwise and have never had a problem. If you tape off one area and shoot next to it, you will get a very sharp paint line that IMO isn't very attractive. Try shading from one color into the next for a more natural look. The only time I want sharp lines is when painting a gill slit, kill spot, crawdad legs, or sharp patterns like perch and Firetiger. I use shoot-through templates for all of those. The only thing I tape is the lip on a repaint.
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Tony,
There's no replacement for an airbrush unless you want to try spray paint cans. Look for an airbrush with a .2mm to 3.5mm tip. The Iwata Revolution B goes for about $70, has a .3mm tip (a good general size choice) and is high quality. I've owned Paasche, Badgers, and Iwata brushes and the Iwatas are far and away the best. You also need a compressor that has a working pressure (not max pressure) of at least 35 psi. Small tool compressors with air storage tanks are very popular due to their high pressure and low cost if you paint in an area where noise is not a big issue. If you want a smaller quieter airbrush compressor, choose one that advertises at least 50 psi. The effective pressure at the brush will then be about 35 psi. You'll need a moisture trap, a pressure regulator and adapter fittings to connect to your airbrush hose. A trip to Home Depot or Lowes can secure all these. A good place to buy airbrushes and paint online is dixieart.com. Their prices are competitive and shipping is free on orders more than $50 (but quite high on less!). I recommend using ONLY acrylic latex airbrush paint like Createx, Smith Wildlife, Van Dyke's, etc (NOT solvent based lacquers and not cheaper and coarser hobby acrylic paints). You can buy Createx at hobby shops like Michael's, Hobby Lobby and order other brands online. Airbrush paint has more finely ground pigments and flow enhancers. It shoots better, doesn't clog as often and makes a smoother paint finish.
When you're equipped, sand the surface of the old bait with 400 grit to remove any chalking, nicks, or contaminants. Wipe it down with denatured alcohol. Shoot a color basecoat (usually white) over the whole bait, then paint the colors starting from the belly up. I dry each shot of paint with a hair dryer to speed the process. When you're finished and if the bait is absolutely dry (should be with the hair dryer!), you can apply a topcoat. You can try epoxies like Devcon Two Ton (very popular), Envirotex Lite (aka ETEX, also good but requires at least 2 coats) or a polyurethane. I prefer moisture cured polyurethane like Dick Nite Fishermun's Lurecoat because it is thin, very tough and very glossy - closest thing to a factory finish I've found. Whichever topcoat you choose, do some search on TU about it. There are lots of ins and outs regarding each topcoat's application, handling and storage. Dick Nite has a banner ad that appears often on TU and will lead you to a discount section on his website to get a reduced price or even a sample. Well, that's a quick and dirty overview and I hope it helps. Like I said in the forum, there's LOADS of more detailed info available in the Hardbait Forum postings. Good Luck!
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excellent information, i have gotten quite frustrated made the mistake of getting the iwata geo,,,,junk, dont buy it, dont even take one for free! for that matter, im still learning and doing ok with a harbor freight, but iwata revolution is my next purchase after reading this, thanks so much!
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Tony, rather than give you one guy's view of what you need, I suggest you use the forum's SEARCH function to explore the many posts that TU has on the subject. There's lots of info here and it's easy to find.
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I assume you're talking about lips with the line tie out on the lip surface. The first consideration is the wire. Large diameter hard temper stainless steel is difficult to bend accurately unless you have the right tools (I don't), and the accuracy of the bends is everything in getting a good line tie. I use soft temper stainless wire from McMaster-Carr (aka safety wire) in .040" diameter because it's easy to bend and works well for this purpose. It also allows easier tuning of the finished crankbait since the wire is easier to bend. Some guys prefer 2 holes in the lip. I like to twist the wires together into a screw eye and use a single hole. That's easy to do with soft temper stainless or brass wire. Put the 90 deg bend in the screw eye before you install it in the lip. I run the wire to the back of the lip and crimp it over the top of the lip into a small slot cut in the back of the lip. It makes a nice secure package that's easy to install. On some super deep divers where the hole in the lip is relatively far from the nose of the crankbait, I'll run a bead of Devcon 2 Ton epoxy along the wire on the bottom of the lip to anchor it down securely. There are other variations but this way works for me.
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How an Iwata sprays a particular viscosity of paint is a function of the tip size. The HP has .2mm tip, the Revolution .3mm and I think most Eclipses are .35mm. I have never had a problem with either the HP or the Revolution spraying Createx paint unthinned. I think anyone who does should check the air pressure they're using or examine the airbrush for damage. Which brush you select is a trade-off. Small tips shoot narrow spray patterns, large tips shoot wider and can spray higher viscosity paints or flake paints. I use a HP-B+ and a Revolution BR. You can do a batch of cranks from basecoat to details (with stencils) with either. If I had only one, it would probably be the HP-B because it's easier to do fine shading with it. It will balk at spraying some paints containing metallic flake (as will any .2mm tip brush). At about half the price, the Revolution is a great value. It has the same high build quality as all Iwatas. So you have good options. BTW, I don't use the "+" feature, the trigger stop, on my HP so don't see any value in it. Maybe others do, I don't know. The MAC valve is the most recent option added to the Iwata line and is nice but also expensive. An in-line pressure control valve serves the same function and can be used with any airbrush you have. I'm not saying these features are gimmicks, they aren't, but they do add to the cost of an airbrush and I consider them of secondary importance to the basic function of reliably spraying paint. JMHO
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I especially like the idea of having your "apprentice builder" mixing up the next batch of epoxy while you are brushing it on!
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You have a few options. At minimum wipe down the bait with denatured alcohol to remove any oil or grease (don't use a more active solvent or you can melt the plastic). Light sanding will improve adhesion,or you can try an adhesion promoter like Bulldog. I usually just wipe them down but I also clearcoat with DN which contains a solvent that soaks through the acrylic paint and adheres very well. Lay down a color basecoat (usually white), then shoot your colors. I recommend heat drying each coat/color as you shoot it. I don't use clear coat between colors. The only reason to do so is to be able to wash off a mistake without washing off good paint under it. It seems a lot of extra work to me. My basic premise is that the more stuff I do to a bait, the more likely I am to screw it up. If your VL spits paint: you're shooting at too low a pressure, the paint is too thick, you have an airbrush problem like a bent needle, or perhaps you did not match the right needle with the right tip (easy to do!). I don't suspect the paint since unthinned Createx shoots without problems through most airbrushes including VL's Yes, some guys prefer lacquer to acrylics and it can make a very nice bait. But it needs to be thinned with solvent and you NEED to wear a proper face mask rated for solvent use and have proper ventilation. A vast majority of TU builders only use water based acrylic paints for safety and ease of use/cleanup.
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I dip one piece bass baits in DN and hang them to dry tail down so the excess drips off the tail. Recoat in 24 hrs. I don't thin DN with solvent and I apply 2 coats. I find that hanging is better because a turner can cause the DN to pool somewhere on the bait where it can make the paint wrinkle. I have fewest problems and best results just hanging them up. If you dip, don't try to tape off the lip, you'll just make a mess. Better to coat the lip with DN partially or completely. DN will not cause heat set acrylic latex to run. I avoid solvent based colors or details - just like I would with an epoxy like Etex which contains solvent. If your graphics are a problem, I'd try coating them with a coat of clear acrylic paint and heat drying it before you use the DN. I use templates for shooting details with acrylic latex so have no experience with that particular problem. The only problem I ever have with DN concerns storing and handling so moisture does not contaminate it. A dipping jar contains less DN and more ambient air as you use up the product. It will begin to cure in the jar at some point unless you take measures to exclude air from contact with the DN. I think Dick Nite paints spoons with solvent based colors and uses DN to clear coat them, so it probably isn't impossible to do the same on a crankbait - but I don't want to spray solvent paint so will never know how:nuhuh:
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I don't think any epoxy will speed up your production rate unless you're willing to mix a bunch and dip baits in large batches, knowing you will also have considerable epoxy wasted. Envirotex Lite may brush on faster, but it also takes much longer to cure and may require multiple coats to get the finish you want. That ain't speeding things up! If you didn't like Dick Nite, you might investigate automotive clear coats. However, most of the more durable ones require a catalyst, taking you back to "square one" with wasted clear coat. Maybe there just isn't a good solution. I asked about auto clear coats in the past and didn't get much useful/specific info back from TU'ers.
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Epoxies are almost always somewhat yellow to begin with and they get more yellow as they age. Same goes for cured epoxy. It all yellows to some extent over time. The only way to slow (notice I did not say eliminate) the process is to use an epoxy with UV inhibitors like NuLustre, or overcoat the epoxy with a clearcoat that contains UV inhibitors (which IMO begs the question "why use epoxy at all in that circumstance?"). Almost all clear finishes including polyurethanes also yellow with age to some extent. Measuring accurately and mixing epoxy thoroughly also helps to avoid yellowing. I have plenty of baits coated with epoxy (D2T) that show only negligable yellowing after several years so I personally don't consider it a big problem.
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Fishead, if you have old baits you might as well start with them. Lightly sand the existing finish with 400 grit paper, shoot a white basecoat and then colors. Most of us use water based acrylic airbrush colors like Createx etc because they're less toxic and clean up with soap and water. I use a spray bottle of water to clean the airbrush between color shots, then disassemble and do a more thorough cleaning with detergent after the session. You want to keep your airbrush spic and span. I won't comment on topcoats, there's endless discussions of them you can access via the search feature.
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St Croix Avid rod, just-bought & reconditioned Ambassadeur Pro Max 1600 reel. Got in 3 casts with the new rig and leaned it against a boat seat to throw a C-rig. C-rig caught the rod on the backswing and I threw it overboard in 30 ft of water. Watched stupified as the rig slowly sank into the depths. Dragged for an hour, no result. Called the wife to bring my underwater camera to the lake. Searched 1 hour. No result. Decided broken and lost gear is just the price of goin fishin.
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A guy posts a question and responders want to know where he fishes to answer it properly. You check the location and it's something cute, not informative. Screw it, if the guy is that clueless, he doesn't need help from us.
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I have an Iwata Revolution BR with a .3mm tip and like it very much. Same basic design and quality as the more expensive Iwatas in a frill-free model that goes for around $70. Maybe it's just me but I'm wary of any airbrush that doesn't state its tip size in the specifications. How else can you know what kind of spray pattern to expect?
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Yes, Dick Nite Fishermun's Lurecoat is a moisture cured polyurethane formulated specifically for dipping spoons. Get a discount by clicking on the Dick Nite banner ad that you often see at the top of TU pages.
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Buoyancy does not keep a bait upgright, ballast (including the treble hooks) does. There are two good reasons I can think of to build buoyant crankbaits. First, buoyancy gives a bait more lively action and better rebound off of cover. That's one reason balsa baits are great for shallow cover, especially heavy cover like laydown trees or rocks. More rebounds off cover = more bites. The second reason is practical. Buoyant baits will often float off of snags; sinking baits won't and may never be recovered. Spinnerbaits are snag resistant due to their shape. Blade baits are designed for fishing deep hard cover. Lots of guys build crankbaits molded from resin compounds mixed with microbaloons, or from foam. A hollow lead crankbait? Possible? Sure. Practical? Nope.
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Clemmy, for balsa I don't think you'll have any trouble using 120, 180 or 220. Balsa works quickly with 120 grit and I wouldn't go bigger.
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I use a Dremel with a fine grit sanding cylinder for gross shaping and rounding. I think it's 120 grit. I use a disc sander with 120 grit for sanding blanks to the right thickness and to taper baits. It's not much use for roundng over though. Regardless of the undercoat I'm using, I go with at least 220 and more often 400 grit for final sanding. One thing that makes a huge difference in hand sanding is good sandpaper. IMO, the best is Norton 3X because it never clogs and lasts a long long time. I can fine sand at least 6 baits with one 400 grit finger size strip.
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1/8 oz of finish on a commercial bait? Seems like a bunch! On 2 - 2.5" bass baits coated with 1 coat of D2T, I usually see .03-.04 oz in extra weight. I'm wondering if the bait was wood? Commercial builders often use solvent based glues or similar coatings as a thick "build up" layer before they paint and clearcoat. When I'm refinishing lures like that, I leave the build-up coat on the lure to preserve its weight and shape - and so I won't have to deal with raw wood.
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I also use aluminum cans for cavity rattle covers. They cut easily with scissors and the thin metal puts out a sharp distinct "shockwave". Plus, there is always a supply available! I imagine a soft plastic cover like a margarine tub top gives a softer thump, sort of like the rubberized rattle in a Spro Little John crankbait. Just depends on the sound you want it to generate.
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You can insert tube or jig rattles or you can make your own. In hardwood baits, you can drill a cavity, pop in a ball bearing and seal the chamber. I think most chestnuts are too big The bell would work as long as you don't get glue in it but it would probably not be as loud as other options.
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I don't think it matters what the stuff is as long as it has the right density for the bait and can be shaped and coated without problems. Whatever the material, it will be compared to traditional woods like balsa, basswood, cedar, etc. Do prospective customers care? Yep (if you have customers). Do the fish care? Only about the behavior of the bait in the water. In a practical sense, changing the blank material always changes how you build a bait, and that in turn always changes the end product. Not better or worse, but if a builder has "perfected" a certain bait design, changing the blank material will usually require that he go back and '"re-perfect" the bait, which not a minor consideration.