MarkNY Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 Disclaimer: I'm not blaming my equipment for my airbrush issues, I blame ME! I'm fairly new to lure building. I love most parts of the process except when I pick up the airbrush. I seem to have to fight it every step of the way. I'm getting decent results overall but I know I could do much better if I could just get my airbrush to put properly thinned paint where I want to put it. I find that very difficult. I've done lots of research on the subject here and elsewhere and have learned a lot but it's still a battle. I've tried a couple different types of thinner and different brands of paint but I don't get any consistent results. I find it difficult to thin the paint to the proper consistency. I usually end up not being able to shoot it and then I thin it too much and it comes out like water. Also, I've been trying to get my compressor down to 15 psi but that's about as low as I've gotten it with any results. I'm using a new iwata eclipse hp-cs, new senco compressor, createx paint, polytranspar paint, windex for thinner, home brew for thinner, I've been breaking down airbrush every time and cleaning it as best as I can including oiling all fittings. I'm tempted to start painting small details with a brush. What gives? And thanks for listening to my rant! Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Young Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 Use airbrush paints - pigment size matters. Use the createx thinner to match your paints - it is sooo much better. Get a regulator for your compressor if you do not have one (most of my detaiil sprayng is done in single digits psi) and a fine tip and needle. Use a tank or a 15 foot piece of polyeurethane 1/4" airhose after your regulator so you don't get a pulsing effect when your compressor turns on / off. Get createx airbrush restorer for end of day cleanup (worth its weight in gold). Some of the best painters I know apply some detail with a hand brush thinned to 1 or a few bristles. It is the best way I know to get a sharp red gill line. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZ Fisher Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 I don't have any experience with polytranspar paints. I thin Createx and Wicked with their reducer or Pledge floor acrylic. I have heard of Windex been used for cleaning the brush, but not for thinning. I'm still fairly new to airbrushing myself, but when I first started I thought I had been cleaning the brush thoroughly. I started having problems and wound up soaking the brush in windex overnite, could not believe what I got out of the brush. I had not been cleaning it well enough. I understand that the use of Windex can remove the chrome off the brush, but I was using a cheap Master at the time and didn't care. Not saying that's what you're doing, but that was an early problem I had. From what I read in your post, my guess would be the thinners you've been using might be a part of your problems. There will be some guys with more paint experience that will chime in here. Keep working at it, the cool part is right around the corner. There comes a point when all the little things come together and you created what you envisioned in your head and you turn out a kick azz bait and everybody wants one!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted February 1, 2017 Report Share Posted February 1, 2017 I'm another "airbrush challenged" painter. Lots of experience helps. But for detail work, I rely exclusively on painting templates. Then I spray the bait with a translucent baitfish chrome flake to meld the colors together and make it more natural looking. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
All Eyes Posted February 1, 2017 Report Share Posted February 1, 2017 All common problems Mark, and ones that you will learn to resolve before long. First off, like others have said, try the thinner made for the airbrush. For water based paint, I use Auto Air 4011 reducer. The consistency you want is like 2% milk. You learn to get an eye for it. Some paints and colors require more, and others may not need any at all. Opaque white, for example, is one that I find needs more thinner to flow just right. If you are experiencing splatter or chunks with sporadic paint flow, your nozzle and needle probably need cleaned. Nozzles can get a film built up on them even with constant flushing. A great way to practice is to get an inch or so away from the surface, and write your name or whatever with as thin a line as possible. Keep doing that in different colors and experiment with PSI and ratios of reducer. At that close distance, you will learn to control the amount of both paint and air so you aren't blowing pools of paint all over the place. Judging by your baits, I'm a bit surprised that you are struggling with it at all. Looks to me like you have a very nice touch with your fades and detail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nunnable Posted February 1, 2017 Report Share Posted February 1, 2017 (edited) Hey boss don't get to hard on yourself. I'm new to the game to. It just takes time getting to know your brush and the paint. Every color is a little different. Just a tip, I use createx airbrush colors with illustration base add enough illustration base first to where you can't see the needle in the cup then a few drops of color, give it a good shake, works fine for me. As far As psi goes I spay at about 20 to18psi dies fine for me as well for me anyways I feel like I get better atomization. Good luck and keep practicing. Edited February 1, 2017 by Nunnable 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SW Lures Posted February 1, 2017 Report Share Posted February 1, 2017 Listen to these with experience about the paints and how to. Let me give you some quick thoughts about your thinking. I been there to. You said I'm fairly new to bait making. Then you listen or see these people end results. You just know you can do it! Then the task that you are doing just doesn't happen the way that you expected. It takes time. Be proud of all your best efforts. You will start seeing results in time. BE PATINENT! Dale 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
All Eyes Posted February 1, 2017 Report Share Posted February 1, 2017 (edited) To make a not so bold prediction, you are going to be producing some exceptional baits in short order. A person can only get better at this, and your new stuff already looks dynamite. I'm really looking forward to watching your progress. Edited February 1, 2017 by All Eyes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post RayburnGuy Posted February 1, 2017 Popular Post Report Share Posted February 1, 2017 1 hour ago, All Eyes said: A person can only get better at this I must be the exception to that rule. Ben 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gone2long Posted February 1, 2017 Report Share Posted February 1, 2017 I will always recommend spending the extra buck on high performance reducer it just works and takes allot of the issues out of reducing paint water only reduces the film properties of acrylic paint and windex if it has ammonia in it is also a no no it will damage the chrome over time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted February 1, 2017 Report Share Posted February 1, 2017 Does Createx still sell the 4011 reducer? I hope this isn't a thread hijack, since thinning his paint to get it to spray better is one solution offered. If it is, I apologize. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
All Eyes Posted February 1, 2017 Report Share Posted February 1, 2017 26 minutes ago, mark poulson said: Does Createx still sell the 4011 reducer? Yes. I buy it at Pat Katans. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted February 1, 2017 Report Share Posted February 1, 2017 7 minutes ago, All Eyes said: Yes. I buy it at Pat Katans. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkNY Posted February 1, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2017 Thanks for all the great help. I'll keep working on it and I'll definitely get a name brand reducer. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eastman03 Posted February 1, 2017 Report Share Posted February 1, 2017 I use the testers airbrush paint from Michaels. Kinda nice because it's all ready to paint. I haven't done much but I haven't needed to thin it out at all. Minimal colour selection compared to createx but so far so good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SW Lures Posted February 1, 2017 Report Share Posted February 1, 2017 I didn't have a lot of time this morning to say a tad bit more, but I wanted to make that point. You are doing great with shaping. Painting is a complex task and can frustrate the heck out of most of us I'm sure. Some has been doing it for many years. For someone starting it's like never getting better. Then one day you will go "oh so that's how it's done" and again with something else. Next thing you know, you will be doing these by habit and so on. You will pick up I'm sure. Good luck, Dale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkNY Posted February 2, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2017 Thanks for that Dale. I did some painting tonight. Slowed things down and spent more time trying to get the paint at the right consistency. Made some progress. Also did some detail work with a tiny brush, toothpick and a tiny eye dotter. That worked great, definitely need to experiment with that some more... Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikePaintsBaits Posted February 2, 2017 Report Share Posted February 2, 2017 Mark , In The Beginning , Just keep Everything Simple ? Once You Get The Feel Of Working The Airbrush Trigger , Things Will Get Better , I Don't Thin A Lot Of My Paints. BobP - Makes A Great Point ( Templates ) You Can Do Amazing Things With Them. As / Well I Use Alot Of 1/8 - 1/4 In Auto Striping Tape. My 2 Cents. I'm Like Ben , Not A Very Good Painter. Mike 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jigginpig Posted February 2, 2017 Report Share Posted February 2, 2017 18 hours ago, RayburnGuy said: I must be the exception to that rule. Ben How many hours a week do you spend spraying paint? I don't care how ham-fisted a person thinks they are, just about anyone will improve with repetition. To put it another way... I believe in you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted February 2, 2017 Report Share Posted February 2, 2017 5 hours ago, jigginpig said: How many hours a week do you spend spraying paint? I don't care how ham-fisted a person thinks they are, just about anyone will improve with repetition. To put it another way... I believe in you! It's nice to have someone believe in you Jigginpig. Not much I can do about the eyes getting bad and the hands shaking as I get older though. I don't paint as much as most of you guys since I only build cranks for myself and a couple friends. I do pick up a few things as I go along, but I'll never be an "artist" with an airbrush. Luckily for me the bass are still willing to bite the simple, old school fades and such as that. Ben 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highwayman Posted February 2, 2017 Report Share Posted February 2, 2017 I also had trouble with airbrush painting so I solved it by giving it away.Firstly I sucked at it and secondly I do so few lures I was spending more time cleaning than it was worth.Airbrushing isn't for everyone-just the talented!What I have started doing is using Sharpies over foil with good results.They are transparent and detailing is easy.One issue that just happened to me is when adding denatured alcohol to thin the devcon it has a negative effect on the Sharpie ink.Dark green turned blue and orange disappeared.It's easy enough to fix;just re-Sharpie it when the epoxy dries and recoat it with unthinned Devcon. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Ron Posted February 2, 2017 Report Share Posted February 2, 2017 I haven't been painting long but because that's pretty much all I do every day (especially when the water is hard), I've learned a couple things about thinning 1; Shake Shake Shake and Shake some more 2: If your painted doesn't have flakes in it then make sure you screen through a piece of panty hose. 3; If you watch a ton of youtube videos you will see all these EXPERIENCE( or at least more experienced) painters than me, thin their paints in the airbrush cup. I can not do that consistently. So at the local art store I bought 1 oz plastic bottles which a tip on the end. Fill 1/3rd with you shaken to death and strained . Fill 1/3rd with your airbrush reducer. 4: Shake Shake and shake a little more 5: Test paint playing with air pressure until you are spraying how you feel you should. If you don't get there, then you have another 1/3rd of the bottle to add reducer or paint as needed if too thin or thick. I don't always keep a good memory. Sometimes head has a hard time thinking properly. So repetition and order become important to me. This is what works for me. 6:Shake, Shake Ron 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jigginpig Posted February 3, 2017 Report Share Posted February 3, 2017 10 hours ago, RayburnGuy said: Luckily for me the bass are still willing to bite the simple, old school fades and such as that. Between us, I think they work best anyway. Shhh... don't tell noone. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SW Lures Posted February 3, 2017 Report Share Posted February 3, 2017 I thin only paints with more or thicker pigments. After awhile of painting I found myself keeping my pressures low and I feel pretty low. I have a person that likes working with me and I started them off at low pressures and reminding them to think in thin layers. Shading or building slowly and reminding them that "this is not a sprint race, it's a marathon". Being young they just keep trying to do this. Sadly or a great thing they are starting to add in their own ideas and expressions. The sad part is now I'm learning from them. I'm just guiding them now and making sure of safety. I'm suggesting this to you to MarkNY . Think in light layers and this is no race. I agree Jigginpig, soft changes in shading is a winner. If nothing else it's a eye catcher to me when I look at others work. Dale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkNY Posted February 3, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2017 Thanks for all the help and encouragement! I'll keep working on it. Mark 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
