Painting soft plastics

[bassniper]

Hello everyone,

Has anyone ever tried to airbrush soft plastics? I have some flukes I would like to add some detail to them. I am having trouble finding paint that will dry on soft plastics. I know luremaking.com sells a four ounce bottle for $5. Someone else told me that spike-it makes a good paint but I can not find that. Any tips on cleaning the baits before painting? Does it dry fast and does it last?

Any help or tips anyone can offer would help me burn up some winter time blues preparing for ice-out.  Thanks. -Greg

[dampeoples]

That's it, the Lurecraft paint. The Spike It is called Chunk paint, I think, and comes with a brush in the cap if i'm not mistaken.

The paint doesn't have a long shelf life (once opened), so don't go crazy buying a lot of it, unless you're gonna use it up.

[bassniper]

Thanks for the reply Mr. Dampeoples,

Is that  the only two soft plastic paints out there? I also heard it is called a PVC paint.  There has to be more than that..... anyone, anyone?

Has anyone ever painted soft plastic baits with the luremaking stuff?

-Greg

[dampeoples]

There is more out there, but nobody is telling, I don't really blame them. The LC stuff works. The first batch I got I mixed with some retarder and it sprayed and held up perfectly, but the second batch didn't have the same properties, so I think the formula was changed.

There was a guy in Florida that was selling small quantities a few years back, but he's not responded to mails for a long time. I missed out on that  

[bassniper]

Thanks Mr. Dampeoples,

Someone said that you have to paint your soft plastics within a few hours after making them. What if I am not making them and just modifying store bought baits? Do I need to clean them with anything prior to airbrushing details?

Will the paint not stick to manufactured baits, say a Zoom fluke? If I need to wash them prior to painting them, any idea on what I would use? Is this to wash off the mold release? Just soap and water? it can't be that simple could it?

Also, do you make your own soft plastics? If so, I will have a few questions for you. By the way, my name is Greg, what yours?

Thanks again for posting back to me. I am new to this board. Have a great week, and just reply when you get around to it. Thanks again. -Greg

[dampeoples]

I honestly do not remember how long after I made the baits (yes, I pour) before I painted them, but the little bit of literature on the Lurecraft site mentions that you should wipe them down with their thinner before painting. You need to get any sort of oils off of them, as with painting anything. One quick thing about the thinner - I had heard that MEK (Methyl Ethyl Ketane) would work to clean it, and it does NOT, neither does laquer thinner, turpentine, and a few other things I've forgotten I tried, so be sure to get a bit extra of that stuff. It works like a charm, though. My airbrush was stopped up with this stuff for a few days, and it took it right off.

I'm Sterling by the way, and no problem. I'm a plastic pourer, but not the greatest one, i'll try to answer those, though, but there are some killer plastic guys here as well.

[bassniper]

Sterling,

I'm going to place a small order for some stuff on Lurecraft this week. I'll make sure to get enough thinner and one bottle of black paint. I need a few other things too. I am glad to know you make soft plastics, and others also on this board as well. I might try to pour a few more frogs I made a mold for out of Drywall mud- ha!. I used old plastic and you are right, it did not work well. I thing one needs to get new fresh plastisol.

When you thin your paint out, what ratio do you use? 3:1? 2:1? Thanks Sterling. -Greg

[dampeoples]

I thinned it 2:1, and nothing wrong with a mud mold! One thing, make sure ALL of the moisture is out of the mold, and you will need to seal it with something to allow the cooled worms to release from the mold. I've not made one, just get them cut, so I don't really know what they use to seal them. I've heard several things, including Devcon, but you lose a lot of detail that way