Beginner Painting Help

[siusaluki]

I just started building my own cranks and topwaters and I am looking for some paint help. Can someone walk me through the process? I already know to use devcon 2 ton epoxy as a topcoat. What kind of paint are you guys using as a base layer? Any tricks for building paint templates?How do I go about making a bait somewhat transcluscent for clear water applications?

Thanks for all of your help!

This is one of the best sites I have ever found.

[BobP]

Finishing baits can be pretty simple. Here's a very simple method that works great for me. I use only water based acrylic airbrush paint like Createx, Smith Wildlife, Polytranspar, etc. Wood baits need a smooth waterproof undercoat before you start shooting water based paint or the wood grain will rise. If you are using epoxy as a topcoat, the simplest and best method to undercoat the bait is to paint it with Devcon thinned with some denatured alcohol so it penetrates the wood. After the epoxy cures, sand it with 400 grit and apply a second coat if needed to make it perfectly smooth and without any faults. Epoxy needs to be sanded before you apply acrylic paint to provide a "toothy" surface for the paint to grip. So lightly sand the 2nd undercoat too. After undercoating, shoot a color basecoat of white, then colors, then apply your epoxy topcoat.

"Translucent" means that it transmits some light, which wood won't do. But many like using what are called Transparent colors (they are actually translucent, of course) on all baits. Createx paint is sold in both solid and "transparent" colors. On solid baits, transparent colors can layer to blend into a more natural, lifelike pattern. On clear plastic baits, they can be used to get an actual see-through bait.

Use the search feature in this forum to explore paint templates - there are many threads discussing them.

[siusaluki]

Thanks for the tips, unfortunately I don't have the luxury of an airbrush yet. Will spray paints like Krylon work?

[bazzman wes]

You can use spray cans, but you won't get the fine detail. If you have a harbour freight tools near you, they sell a generic airbrush kit for $15 or so that will do most painting until you get totally addicted. Another trick I like is to take window frame making material from Home depot and make a frame maybe 4" X 12" and lay your scale pattern in it instead of screening. Then use a hinge on one side or just clamp both sides around the bait. This will hold it in place and keep your mesh tight. This works best on flat sided baits like rattle traps and some swimbaits, not so good for deep divers and other round baits.

[BobP]

Sure, rattle cans will work and I've seen some really great paint jobs done with them. Good artists somehow produce great results, even working under less than ideal technical limitations (that ain't me! I need all the tech help I can get!). Painting with rattle cans is a good reason to use an epoxy undercoat and topcoat - epoxy is virtually inert and works well over just about any kind of paint, unlike solvent based topcoats that often react badly when used over solvent paints.

[siusaluki]

Thanks for the help, I have been working on a clamp/jig setup. I have been using plastic netting/screen (think fish farm supplies) that I heated and bent with a heat gun to get a nice scale pattern, I can lay it over the bait and use electrical tape to cover any spots that I don't want to paint. My painting skills are pretty poor so far so I will take any tips I can get.

[j27]

A small minnow net from a live bait store works good for me. Just lay it around the bait and clamp it at the bottom. Good Luck!

Thanks for the help, I have been working on a clamp/jig setup. I have been using plastic netting/screen (think fish farm supplies) that I heated and bent with a heat gun to get a nice scale pattern, I can lay it over the bait and use electrical tape to cover any spots that I don't want to paint. My painting skills are pretty poor so far so I will take any tips I can get.