Army Doc Posted June 23, 2009 Report Share Posted June 23, 2009 If I wanted to paint baits using strictly House Of Kolors paints, what would I need to know before diving into it? What basic supplies would I need to do a start to finish job? Is propionate sealer compatible with their paints? Anyone out there use their product alot? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted June 23, 2009 Report Share Posted June 23, 2009 Army Doc, I've never used HOK and think it may be formulated differently than other brands. If you're set on HOK, better get input from a user with some experience as far as airbrush, tip size, safety, and coatings compatibilities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Posted June 23, 2009 Report Share Posted June 23, 2009 Doc If you want to use the HOK system you will need to have a place to spray with good ventilation. Also a resparater that is good for onganic compounds. This is a solvent based system which uses toxic reducers. For this system you will need a sealer then the base coat, then color coat, then the clear coat. The clear coat is the problem, to use this you will need to protect yourself with a chemical suit that covers even your head and a full faced mask to prevent chemicals getting in through your eyes. It was alot easier when I did not know better. Ive been using Auto Air lately Because the toxic levels went down about 99%. Ive yet to find a color that HOK has that Auto Air doesnt.Ive been using Hok products on cars since the late 70s so it is not strange to me. But at home I dont want the toxic levels that high. I also use prop and have not had a problem at all. Light coats is the key to using these products. Heavy coats will cause problems even in the same line.. I think it is great that you want to use a system thatis designed to use together instead of differant products. This is where you get the well it works for me type of answers. If you use a system and have a problem you have a good chance that there customer service can help you . Hope this helps you make your decision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pizza Posted June 23, 2009 Report Share Posted June 23, 2009 I was at the local hobby shop yesterday to get a Tamiya pearl white rattle can. As it turns out they had 3 HOK rattle cans for $3 each so I bought them too. Then I noticed a HOK spray gun kit that came with its own pump (looked like an aquarium pump). Regular $65 on sale for $38 (last one). The gun is just semi-clear plastic that screws on to a small plastic bottle. On the screw on top there is a hose that connects to the pump. There are no different sized tips though, you get the spray thickness you get. I couldn't find it online and the guy at the shop said HOK went out of business. He also said many thin coats is the key w HOK and to overspray on both sides. Does anyone know what spray gun kit I'm talking about? Would it give better quality than quality rattle cans? Has HOK gone out of business? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
count draculure Posted June 23, 2009 Report Share Posted June 23, 2009 House of Kolor is not out of business. Jon Kosmoski sold it to Valspar Corporation several years ago. Although it's still a pretty good product for the most part, I think it was better when Jon was in control. But then there were less EPA laws then and he didn't have to answer to a bunch of bean counters. Never heard of the spray gun thingy. It doesn't sound like something that HOK would offer, but maybe someone at Valspar thought they could make a buck or two on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LEOLURES Posted June 23, 2009 Report Share Posted June 23, 2009 I use HOK Snow White Pearl paint and never had any problem. But all I use is automotive paints (lacquer). I have never had any problems with it or regular clear coat. I don't know anything about propionate though. I'm sure someone here can help you out on that. Yes you do need very good ventilation and also a good respirator. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Army Doc Posted June 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2009 Well, after some research and a couple of phone calls today, I found an auto body shop that will give me (yeah for free) all the leftover paint that they have. So, I stopped by there after work, and picked up some basic colors (base red, yellow and blue) a silver base, a lavendar metallic and a chartreuse color that you shoot over white. So, I have obviously made my mind up to use auto paints instead of going with water based. So, what else should I need ( besides safety equipment, I'm good on that) What will I need for reducer, hardener, clearcoat, ect... Is all the paint compatible with airbrush, as long as it is thinned down? What's the best thing to use for cleaning up the airbrush? Sorry for the millions of questions... I thought this would be the best place to learn Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted June 23, 2009 Report Share Posted June 23, 2009 Chris, Congratulations on such a great score! While you're right, this is a great place to learn, I don't think this should be your first source. Since you found such a generous auto body shop, I would go back with your list of questions and ask the guys who work there with the product. They're the experts. Hopefully, someone here who uses lacquer based paints can fill in the blanks the auto body guys might leave open. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Posted June 24, 2009 Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 I am a auto body guy and going back to the shop is the best idea. Or go to the paint store that htey bought it from. Many products are not available in all areas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
68KingFisher Posted June 24, 2009 Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 I found an auto body shop that will give me (yeah for free) all the leftover paint that they have. Thats always a great way to score some freebie paint.....and if you get in good with them a great place to score some good painting info.....What brand of paints did they give you?.....That'll kinda determine what brand reducer you'll want......don't forget that you'll want a cheap lacquer thinner for wash up purposes....don't use your reducer for washing your guns....it costs too much for that. On the other hand I know some old school painters that would use regular old lacquer thinner as their reducer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Army Doc Posted June 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 Most of the paint was Dupont, but he had a couple House Of Kolors cans sitting around. There's a brandywine basecoat and a silver basecoat. I'm gonna go back by tomorrow and hang out. Maybe I'll offer to help clean up the shop for "payment" for hooking me up. So now I gotta do a bunch of searching on here to learn how to use lacquer instead of waterbased. I know that it's easier to learn with createx and similar products, but I like to just go with what is best right from the get go, so there isn't much of a learning curve later on when I switch up. I'll just learn lacquer and stick with that. So, any advice ya'll have on using lacquer would be totally appreciated. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FishThanks Posted June 25, 2009 Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 Army Doc, I use propionate and prime with a two part sealer and use Dupont and Hok base colors And Dupont Chroma Clear. I fish for Muskie and this paint holds up well. The basecoat colors are actually urethane not Laquer. Urethane is more pliable and less brittle. Laquer thinner works great for clean up. You should not use the automotive urethane paints and clears with out a spark proof spray booth. I have a commercial bench top size spray booth with a twelve inch exhaust and it keeps ahead of the airbrushes and my small gun for clearing easily. I wear a respirator and with airbrushing it is plenty. The clear is the nastier part of automotive systems and is what plugs filters fast not designed for this type of system. The urethane paints spray fantastic through all of my brushes and I believe HOKs airbrush paints are reduced with medium reducer at a 2:1 ratio. A lot of baitmakers and custom painters in my area spray the taxidermy laquers and clear with various clears. The nice thing with taxidermy paints are all of the natural colors available in airbrush sized bottles with out having to have quarts of urethane custom mixed which is pricey for a guy painting smaller quantities. Taxidermy paints are also available in water based if you have a marginal ventilation. I would not spray anything with out good ventilation, and a respirator. Water based paints may not have the vapors of solvent paints but you should still protect your lungs. Hope this was helpful and have fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Posted June 25, 2009 Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 Well just wondering what you will think of that paint when it is not available in your area any more. If that is Fort Bragg in Ca then it wont be long before your area is forced to go water bourne for autos also. Im about 2-3 hrs south of you and we have not had laquer for close to 20yrs. And we are at this time changing to water bourne base coat so soon there will be plenty of solvent base coat to go around,as it will be illegal for us to posess these products. From what I see already the water is not as bad as I thought it would be. When you see what the cost of some of the reducers that you will need the free paint wont seem as good of a deal as you might think. If it is dupont croma base that you got PM me and ill get you the info that you need for that product. Ive used that product till we had to change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LEOLURES Posted June 25, 2009 Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 Lacquer is great to work with but pretty expensive compared to other paints. Have used it since 1992 and still can get it fairly easy in most auto paint stores around here in Pa. A few friends of mine have quit using it because we have been told for about 10 years now they are going to quit making it but I will probably use it as long as I can still get it. I love it because it dries so fast and is so easy to work with. The taxidermy paints are ok and are ready mixed to spray from your airbrush so you shouldn't need to thin them. For the automotive lacquer the only thing I ever have to watch is humidity. You can get away with using a faster dry lacquer thinner most of the year but when it is really humid out I go to a slower dry lacquer thinner. Buy the very cheapest lacquer thinner for cleanup. Best thing you can do though is go right to the store that gave you the paint and have them fix you up with the proper thinners and clears for that particular type of paint. I use alot of PPG lacquer and a little HOK and have never had any type of problem. Not sure how many lures you are planning on painting but if you are doing it as a hobby you honestly would probably be better off to look into the small bottles of createx or something similar. Lacquer prices have gone through the roof. I just bought 3 pints and 1 qt of paint and a gallon of clear and two qts of hardner and the bill came to $465. I'd say my paint costs have almost doubled in the past couple years!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MR KNOW IT ALL KIND OF Posted June 25, 2009 Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 HOK... OVERATED.. TOXIC and THE CLEAN UP IS A PAIN! AUTO AIR.. BETTER COLOR's.. Better Depth.. and Clean up is EASY!! So easy a Caveman could do it! The Rookie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KcDano Posted June 25, 2009 Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 You are a Rookie! Forgot to mention how wondeful it sprays with a McDonald's straw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MR KNOW IT ALL KIND OF Posted June 25, 2009 Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 (edited) KC... im just trying to get Douglas aka Rowhunter to chim in on this subject.. he loves HOK and I hate it! we have talked about it in the past on the phone.. I agree.. I do love how easy HOK sparys out of the gun... on that note it blows Auto Air out of the water but its the clean up and smell that I can live without.. Hope to get a HOK VS AUTO AIR BATTLE GOING so we all have some bathroom reading material... Just like the old DN vs EPOXY days!! I miss all those posts dont you. BRING IT ROWHUNTER!! BRING THE CHEESE BADGER BOY!!! Edited June 25, 2009 by The_Rookie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rowhunter Posted June 26, 2009 Report Share Posted June 26, 2009 OK Rookie, Thems fighten words!!! Yes, I do use HOK paints and will not do without. They and their reducers are very toxic, so be sure to use a proper spray booth and vent fumes outside. The absolute best feature of this type of paint is its ability to be reduced to water consistency and still be a usable product. I did try this with a water based product and indeed wound up with water! Let's talk dry time. HOK. Shoot, dry. Water based. Shoot,,,,, ,, ,,,, ,,,, Oh yeah, I'm still waiting for some of those to fully dry so I can even handle them! Let's talk adhesion. HOK. Shoot, stuck. Water based. Shoot, blow, pray, hairdryer, pray, air dry, pray, scratch test, FAILURE!!! Now clean up. I use a couple of Iwata gravity fed brushes and changing colors takes only a minute. You can imagine the problems our Rookie had, when he tried to clean up HOK with water!!! LOL!!! Yes Rookie, I use HOK. And unlike your Governor, I will remain faithful!!! Douglas aka Badger Boy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MR KNOW IT ALL KIND OF Posted June 26, 2009 Report Share Posted June 26, 2009 For some reason I like to put yellow mustard in my mouth while using House of Kolor..... just deep random thoughts I do know what you mean about the clean up and how easy the paint sparys and how well it dries....but the smell of the paint effects my brain and ability to think clearly on the exact lure pattern specifcationistlisumness I need to properlymaterialize the exact mojo mynuteness needed to have my pet monkey paint correctly...SO I GIVE UP..this is a battle I started and will not win.. MORE RANDOM THOUGHTS "HIS GILLS IT's HIS GILL's MY BOY ROWHUNTER paint the BEST GILLS IN THE WORLD..I thought it was talent now I know all along it was the PAINT and reducer where's my air jordan's im going to shoot some basketball... ...the rookie quietly walks out of the forum room dejected in deep thoughts about the best available mustard on the market.... grey po pon.. or that yellow squeeze bottle brand I cant think of at this exact moment..... LATER DOUGLAS!!! The Rookie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
count draculure Posted June 26, 2009 Report Share Posted June 26, 2009 While it may be true that HOK is toxic; it appears that Auto Air disrupts ones ability to spell the word "spray":) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
