bass tackler Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 Hi all. Im brand new at this. I want to start airbrushing cranks. Do I need to use balsa cranks or can i get plastic blanks from somewhere? And is it possible to paint over my old cranks? If so how do i get the paint to stick to the lure? I tried this afternoon and when spraying it just smudged and ran. I used tamiya paint, is that ok? What percentage of thinner to paint do i mix? I bought an Iwata revolution airbrush which i like. And i have a rig set up to hold my bait while painting. I know nothing about which paints, clearcoats, and stuff like that. Could someone give me a list of stuff and brands i should use? sorry for all the questions but i am a complete newbie. I live in Ontario and dont wanna have to pay crazy shipping charges on stuff but i can deal with that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rd350b Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 Hello,The first thing you might need is a lot of patience,you are going to make a lot of mistakes,probably.Also you will develop your own style so go with it.Remember there are two sides to your brain,the creative and the logical.It sounds like you have a good airbrush,especially if it is gravity fed,for me gravity fed seems to flow a little smoother.A really good tool to have with your air brush is an auger,it is the same size as an airbrush needle an has lots of uses including clearing clogs,especially in tips and nozzles.Also a clean dedicated space is very important,a place for everyting and everything in its place,someplace you can keep really clean,it is very disappointing to finish a great lure and find hair or dust in the clear coat.Most lures seem to be made of some type of wood or plastic,acrylic or other oil based products.For all of these types of lures the best paint I have found (so far) is Faskolor for Lexan model car bodies.It adheres to every material I have sprayed on well and cleans easily and quickly.It covers and adheres especially well to plastic and acrylic bodies.Also it atomizes well and being water based it can be thinned with water with no change in shade.There are many brands of clear coats availiable,I have had good sucess with Nail Master Varnish,it dries hard and really makes colors pop.Also look for all the new products,especially stencils that make your work look better with hopefully,less work.Existing lures can be sanded easily,usually with 220 grit sandpaper.You might also peruse the nail airbrush sites,there are some tools nail techs use,especially the dotting tools that carry over well into lure finishing.Also Harbor freight sells lots of tools that you will need really cheep.They sell an especially good multi airbrush holder for about $12.00.Also various airbrush compressors very cheap,most all brands burn out eventually so dont be afraid of the cheap ones,some are the exact same units from well known airbrush companies,just rebranded,one direction or the other.Often Bass Pro Shops sells well known brand lures really cheap,I've even bought Rapala lures there for @ $3.00,so you get the bodies, rings and hooks also.Bass Pro has a clearance section on their website,Cabelas also.Walmart always has some type of topwater or stick/crankbaits for about $2.00 or $3.00 so you might start there,or just google unfinished fishing tackle.I hope this helps,just learning to use an airbrush and keep it clean is no small acomplishment,and there are lots of other uses for it.Regards 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass tackler Posted August 13, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 Wow, Thanks rd350. Lots of great info. I aporeciate it. Ive got alot of research and ordering to do. Shaun Wow, Thanks rd350. Lots of great info. I aporeciate it. Ive got alot of research and ordering to do. Shaun Wow, Thanks rd350. Lots of great info. I aporeciate it. Ive got alot of research and ordering to do. Shaun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy G Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 "There are many brands of clear coats availiable,I have had good sucess with Nail Master Varnish,it dries hard and really makes colors pop." Do you just use the varnish or do you use the glaze coat with it? How hard does it dry? Sorry for the questions that just jumped out at me and it sounds interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy G Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 Sorry Bass Tackler, I didn't mean to hijack your thread. I paint with thinned Folk Art acrylic paints from wal-mart. I paint any kind of bait that I can get my hands on. Use thirty minute epoxy for a topcoat (I get it at a local auto parts store) and seal coat for wood lures. I hope this has been helpful. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Moreau Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 Bass Tackler, I would highly reccomend getting very familiar with the seach function on this site. There is more info out there than you could read in a month. You did well and bought a great AB to start with best tip i can give you is keep it clean and learn good cleaning habits with it. 1. Bodies - You can buy tons of different clear plastic blanks. Best places are Predator bass baits, bustin bass baits or there is a member that you may want to contact. I dont want to break any rules so just do a search and you will find what you need 2. Paint - Any water based paint is good to start with. If you buy an AB specific paint like createx, comart, tamiya and etc you do not have to thin them. if you buy the walmart and art store stuff you need to thin. You can use water to thin but there are better alternatives...Seach it! Also strain your paint with pantyhose...cut a small piece and put between the bottle and cap. 3. Top coat/clear - This is one of the most debated subjects here. there are a ton of options but only a handful that the OG crew uses. Each one has its own pros and cons and you need to see what works for you. below i would say are the top three Moisture Cured Urethan - Dick Nites is most popular 2 Part Epoxies - Devcon 2 ton, Etex and flexcoat are popular Automotive Clear - any decent brand Again use the search feature and do some homework. there is no easy answer for your questions you need to find what works for you. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 Learn to clean your brush quickly and thoroughly, and make cleaning between colors, and after each session, a part of your routine. Then learn about thinning and straining your paints. Those two things will free you up so you can concentrate on learning to paint well, instead of cursing you airbrush. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass tackler Posted August 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2012 Awesome thanks guys. Ive got a lot of research to do and purchases to make. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordtech5 Posted August 15, 2012 Report Share Posted August 15, 2012 i sent ya a pm , i am also in ontario Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
