DaveG

Etex drying time is subject to temperature and humidity, in a warm room around 80 degrees with low humidity it will cure in about 7-8 hours

Its the "fish magnet " part that gets me the most, Iv heard this so many times but its never true, with all due respect I cant see how someone could come up with something so different than what already available.

Bubbling=blockage

Try two thin coats instead of one thicker one, each epoxy has its own little problems and the faster setting epoxies do set lumpy if applied too thick.

After sanding I brush the lure with a coat of wood glue (PVA) this dries fairly quick and doesn't raise the grain well at least on the wood I use, this acts as a sealer too, I then paint and add two coats of etex.

The best solution is to prevent it happening before the etex sets, a couple of things that help with preventing bubbles are, 1. Warm the etex up before mixing by standing the two bottles in warm water 2. after coating the lure waft a heat source over the lure to burst the bubbles, I use a cooks mini blow torch

For a base coat I use Createx 4001 white base coat sealer, I mix it with about 25% reducer and it goes on very well with the added bonus of being sealed when dry.

This, the holograph is on film initially then transferred by heat on contact

Taken from the Createx website "Createx Airbrush Colors are designed for permanent results with a soft-hand feel on fabrics. Colors cure with the assistance of heat after drying. The use of heat to cure colors is one of the main differences between Createx Airbrush Colors and Wicked & Auto Air Colors which cure to a much stronger film with air drying alone (referred to as self-cross linking). Createx are made with exterior-grade (automotive) pigments allowing them to withstand prolonged exposure to direct, outdoor light without fading. For maximum permanence, a top-coat should be applied over the paint after curing."

As far as I know the heat just speeds up the drying time , Createx should dry without heat if left long enough.

Its like a lot of hobbies you never stop learning, I think thinning the paint enough to get through the brush is the key, just look how small the opening is that you are trying to get the stuff through..! With practise im now getting acrylic artist paint through my cheap Veda brush and they are a fraction of the cost of water based airbrush paints, like I say its all about the reducing, good luck.

I feel your pain brother, we've all been there, I'm very arty and thought airbrushing would be easy.. its not and takes practise, the thing that gets me is is that almost every colour even from the same brand behaves differently and requires different amounts of thinning and/or air pressure, as said keep it clean and practise.

Google chrome nail varnish

A lot of our solutions in lure finishes can be found in ladies cosmetics as in finger nail varnish etc, im not saying this will meet your requirements but a quick google gave me this http://www.coastalscents.com/sparkling-chrome.html for what its worth stick on foil gives off plenty of flash for my needs

As already said the artist fine hair brushes are best

You could still use etex, apply a thin coat and attach a loop of wire to each end of the lure, turn the lure from end to end every 10 mins for a couple of hours in a warm room 70-80 degrees, that should be long enough to then leave over night, job done.

Thanks guys i`ll save some money and skip the books

Are there any Airbrush technique type books out there worth buying? Im self taught and getting good results but wondered if anyone thinks this is a good idea.

Take a piece of card, draw around the shape of the lure you are looking to stencil and cut the shape out so you now have the profile of the lure. Then draw the shape/pattern you want onto the card and cut it out carefully with a sharp craftknife in your case the Herringbone pattern, Lay this over your lure and spray through onto the lure, practise makes perfect good luck

Yes it works I use rattle can base matt white just make sure you allow proper drying before using Createx water based paints and you should not get a reaction.

With Etex there`s a couple of must do`s to get it to set, first measure the two parts exactly and I mean exactly, I use the measuring spoons that cooks use, they come in various sizes depending how many lures you are making. Secondly you have to mix thoroughly for at least 5 minutes making sure all the epoxy on the side of the cup gets mixed in, let it sit for 15 mins then blow on the mix through a straw to get rid most of the bubbles, when it starts to thicken apply to the lure then blow on it again. hardening times depend on humidity and temperature anything from 10 to 24 hours, but it should set rock hard.