Powder Airbrush Help

[Paxamus]

Hey Guys got an issue here, I have been using an airbrush to paint jigs and spinnerbaits and love the way that it works however I have a few issues. 1. I feel like I am wasting alot of paint. 2. I am heating the jigs in a toaster oven, should I use a heatgun? They seem to cool off too fast with the airbrush. 3. I am shooting paint at 10psi is that ok (lowest my regulator will go) 4. And lastly does anyone have a good idea for a "paint booth" I have been doing the cardboard box with vacuum trick and I am now picking out powder paint from my nose.

Any help will be appreciated

Thanks

Paxamus

[smalljaw]

Ithink I can help you here since I've been doing the airbrush thing with powder for quite some time. For the booth I use a shoe box from a pair of my work boots so its pretty big but I don't use the shop vac, instead I use plastic grocery bags and hang them inside the box and for multiple colors I do all my baits with the first color and then switch bags and go on to my next color but the bag helps reclaim the over spray plus when the power hits the bag it fall into it so there isn't much dust. The next thing is you need to use a torch like I do or a heat gun, the air from the airbrush will cool the bait off so it does need to be reheated and as far as you regulator goes, 10 psi is way too much, I normally use 2 to 4 psi, the lower setting lets me lay the base color and when I want to put a light layer of color on the top of the bait I'll bump it up to 4 and this will create a mist and put a very fine layer of color on. I use a small air compressor and it works wonderfully well and you will be ok but you really need to cut that air down, it is a big reason you are wasting a lot of paint as is is coming out of the bush in a cloud instead of a stream,I hope this helps, good luck.

[Paxamus]

Ithink I can help you here since I've been doing the airbrush thing with powder for quite some time. For the booth I use a shoe box from a pair of my work boots so its pretty big but I don't use the shop vac, instead I use plastic grocery bags and hang them inside the box and for multiple colors I do all my baits with the first color and then switch bags and go on to my next color but the bag helps reclaim the over spray plus when the power hits the bag it fall into it so there isn't much dust. The next thing is you need to use a torch like I do or a heat gun, the air from the airbrush will cool the bait off so it does need to be reheated and as far as you regulator goes, 10 psi is way too much, I normally use 2 to 4 psi, the lower setting lets me lay the base color and when I want to put a light layer of color on the top of the bait I'll bump it up to 4 and this will create a mist and put a very fine layer of color on. I use a small air compressor and it works wonderfully well and you will be ok but you really need to cut that air down, it is a big reason you are wasting a lot of paint as is is coming out of the bush in a cloud instead of a stream,I hope this helps, good luck.

That does help, I have a big compressor and my regulator only goes down to around 10- if I try to decrease it any more it shuts off, I might try to find a smaller regulator and try that, thanks. How long are you heating your jigs, I haven't used anything but a toaster oven, but will try the heat gun

[smalljaw]

Depending on how big the lure is will determine the amount of time you need to heat it and it also depends on weather you're using a heat gun or torch. On a 1/4oz spinnerbait I usually put it over the torch for 4 to 5 seconds and that is fine but a 1/2oz might take around 8 seconds, but you must be careful, to much time and you'll melt the lead. If you take a look at my gallery, all of the spinnerbaits have been done with the powder airbrush, not a lot of detail but the colors are blended well.