Question For All You Lure Painters Out There

[slowpoke274]

what airbrush kits do you use? im thinking about giving it a try. Just want some ideas on a kit that is reliable. thanks in advance for your responses 

[keith71]

Iwata eclipse and compressor,have had it for 8 years and other than a new braided hose from normal wear and tear no problems.

[slowpoke274]

i was looking at this one to start out ive read some good reviews on them the Paasche millenium double action kit my local wally world has them for just under 50.00

[BobP]

I've used Badger, Paasche and Iwata.  Of them, I prefer Iwata and my favorite is the Revolution B, which comes with a .3mm tip that is perfect for various crankbait painting chores.  As a plus, it is among the cheapest Iwata models at less than $100 but it has full Iwata quality.  Of course, that's not a "kit price".  You also have to buy a hose, fittings, and an air source.  IMO, you want an air source that will supply at least 40 psi continuous air.  Tool compressors with a storage tank and a pressure regulator are popular among crankbait painters.  All that said, you are talking about around $200 for a "kit" that will do everything you want in crankbait painting.  I started out with a $25 Badger single action airbrush, cans of compressed air, and $2 hobby acrylic paints from a hobby shop.  It got the job done with a lot of futzing with the airbrush and the paint and I soon started moving up the 'airbrush power curve' to better equipment.  So you can pick where you want to start on the equipment if price is an issue.  But using better equipment makes things much easier! 

[Snakehead Whisperer]

I use an Iwata Revolution HP-CR. One important thing when painting lures IMHO, is to get a gravity feed type airbrush. This allows you to quickly change colors and not waste paints. I use Createx paints and then top coat them with Devcon 2 Ton epoxy.

[slowpoke274]

i picked up the paasche millenium yesterday and a hose already had an air source also got some createx acrylics and 2-ton 30 min epoxy so now starts the learning curve on using the airbrush being a house painter should hopefully speed up the process i prepped and primed some baits last nite now looking at different patterns trying to figure out which one to do first my next question is what type of paints do you guys use i picked up the createx opaque primary set a few transparents (green and brown) and a pearlized silver any other tips would be greatly appreciated

[Snakehead Whisperer]

i picked up the paasche millenium yesterday and a hose already had an air source also got some createx acrylics and 2-ton 30 min epoxy so now starts the learning curve on using the airbrush being a house painter should hopefully speed up the process i prepped and primed some baits last nite now looking at different patterns trying to figure out which one to do first my next question is what type of paints do you guys use i picked up the createx opaque primary set a few transparents (green and brown) and a pearlized silver any other tips would be greatly appreciated

That airbrush should work fine. An airbrush is basically the same thing as a conventional sprayer, so if you're familiar with those it's pretty easy. I find that I paint baits with about 15-20psi. I use Createx paints, and I don't thin them. I have heard of people thinning Createx with "409" cleaner, but I don't have any experience with it.

 

If you don't already have one you should get a moisture trap for your compressor, otherwise it will spit water through your airbrush (usually when you're putting the final touches on a masterpiece :'(  

 

Here are some hand carved lures that I painted with Createx.

 

[slowpoke274]

yup i have a moisture trap on my compressor those are some good looking gills youve done there hopefully i can get similar results here in a short while ive been playing on some paper doing lines sqigglies dots and such it seems that the only thing im having real problems with so far is making a straight line i always seem to have a little wiggle to em hopefully with some more practice i can get them down any tips thanks to all

[BobP]

Details on crankbaits are hard because you need to get the same pattern on both sides of the bait.  I gave up freehanding them a long time ago and switched to paint stencils.  I make them from frisket material you can get at hobby shops or art companies.  It's a plastic film with a peel-off backing.  I don't peel off the backing; just draw the pattern I need on the paper and cut it out with an X-acto knife.  Then shoot the pattern on one side, wipe the paint off the stencil, flip it over, and do the other side of the bait exactly the same.  Added benefit:  save the stencil and do lots of other baits with it.  Build up a library of stencils.  As a hobby builder, I build a variety of custom baits and need a variety of stencils for different size bodies, etc.  If you have one bait that you paint over and over, you can make stencils that are vacuum-fitted to that shape and use it over and over.  Check You Tube for that method. 

[Snakehead Whisperer]

yup i have a moisture trap on my compressor those are some good looking gills youve done there hopefully i can get similar results here in a short while ive been playing on some paper doing lines sqigglies dots and such it seems that the only thing im having real problems with so far is making a straight line i always seem to have a little wiggle to em hopefully with some more practice i can get them down any tips thanks to all

Thanks, I put a lot of time and effort into making baits.

Like BobP said, stenciling is a good way to add detail to baits. Vacuum forming stencils is another method to look at, that way you can make stencils specific to the bait that you are painting and ensure they line up perfectly every time.

The baits shown in my pic were painted free hand. The stripes were done shooting paint through a comb with bridal veil mesh stretched over it. There's a website called tackleunderground.com that is dedicated completely to tackle making, and they have a forum much like Bass Resource where users share lots of great info on tackle making specifically (including painting.) Anybody serious about making or customizing their own tackle should check it out.

[slowpoke274]

thanks for the tips ill get out today to pick up some frisket film and im going to check out tackleunderground right now

[Christian M]

I use a Paache Talon. When it came out it was the first Paache to have dual action and an open handle. That way if your brush tip gets clogged, you can pull the needle back without removing the handle. It sold new for about $275, but I got lucky, my supplier got a batch with a 1mm scratch on the handle and he sold me one for $75. I bought several fine, medium, & heavy needle & tip combos. With any airbrush setup you're going to need a moisture trap so that the condensation from the compressor isn't allowed to enter your air stream. I really agree with the others when it comes to kits, I went that route and it just made airbrushing harder to learn. Get yourself a quality airbrush, preferrably gravity fed, along with a large compressor. That way you wont have a compressor constantly running and you can work in peace. Good luck.

[BassAssassin85]

i have a neo for iwata and also a iwata eclipse hp cr. I got reaallllly luck with the hp cr kit and bought it from hobby lobby for 54 bucks because the person that bought it before i did claimed it splattered when it painted. I have had problems with it but after i soaked in airbrush cleaner works great. this kit goes for about 170 but does not come with the compressor. I use an airbrush compressor from harbor freight.(<-- as everyone reads this this quivering). it was cheap and it has got the job done so far but in addition to the trap on the compressor i have bought pistol grip water traps that screw onto the airbrush as well. nothing worse than water coming through your lines!!!! Now the Neo for iwata is a good gun also for around 70 bucks at hobby lobby. It is a great gun for a beginner had no problems with it just bought this other one for the chance, price, quality and it worked out. HERE IS THE KICKER, if you go to hobby lobby online they always have a 40% off one regular priced item print it and take it with you or if you have a smart phone they will use that as well. 100 dollar airbrush becomes about 65 bucks with tax. hopes this helps, jim