base paint on plastic baits

[ccunningham300]

Is any airbrush white paint out of an airbrush good enough for a base? Or is a specific paint needed? Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!

[CL Rods]

well I am going to say no any white is not good as a base.

I'd recommend using a paint specifically designed as a permanent base coat or using a primer like Bull Dog.

Now I have only been at this for about 7 months but my answer is from my experience and from reading the good info on the site and getting a chance to meet and talk with some in person. Tater, lets fish!

Rather than post again I am just revising this post. To fatfingers points about wood baits and sealers, I'd agree. BUT to your TITLE, I assumed you were doing repaints of commercial baits and I'll stick with my answer.

Edited December 19, 2008 by 76gator
revisions

[fatfingers]

If your going to apply the primer coat directly to bare wood, then ordinary paint would probably not be your best choice. A good quality primer would be the ticket....but...

If you're building baits and sealing them with certain materials, then ordinary white would not only work, it would be preferable.

For example, if you seal with propionate ...or Minwax sanding sealer and then a coat of envirotex, you can (and I do) use a quality white paint for the first base coat.

Now I say that having not actually tried propionate, but I've seen a few other builder's bait who do use the stuff, and I would not hesitate to place a quality white paint directly over that stuff instead of primer.

I routinely use the Minwax sanding sealer, a coat or two of envirotex, and the begin painting over that with a quality white paint followed by the base colors of whatever color pattern I'm working with.

Edited December 19, 2008 by fatfingers

[BobP]

So far I've had no delamination problems just scuffing the existing finish with 400 grit and shooting a white basecoat with one of the highly pigmented acrylic latex whites. They have names like "Super Hide" or "Cover White". When I used cheap hobby acrylics, plain Apple Barrel white worked OK too. I don't like solvent based auto primers because they leave a distinctive odor after drying that can smell up an entire tackle box. Bulldog adhesion promoter is probably an even better base but I haven't tried it.

[Snax]

Some types of plastic will require the use of an adhesion promoter but the first step is to clean the plastic completely with a grease and wax remover. Any finger oils or remaining mold release agent will give you grief down the road. Surface contamination is what will be your first cause of delamination and blotchiness on a plastic surface.

Also scuff the surface before applying your base. A Scotch Brite pad does a great job of this.

[benton B]

When I repaint plastics, scuff with 400, wipe with denatured alcohol, base coat of Super hide white from Wildlife colors.

No problems so far with this method.

[ipock2]

I use Rustoleum #7590 Flate White. Never had a problem and it really gives a nice smooth finish.

ipock2

[mark poulson]

In my experience, primers are designed to allow you to atain a smooth surface for painting by filling surface defects with a high solids, easily sanded material, and to promote adhesion of the paint to the base material. If you're painting woodwork on your house, and don't prime, you'll need several extra layers of finished enamel to achieve the same nice smooth paint job that one coat of good primer sanded and two coats of enamel will give you.

For wood lures, I seal with Minwax Wood Hardener, prime with Krylon white primer, sand with 400 grit, and paint.

When I repaint plastics and want a colored lure, I scuff the old paint with 400 grit, and then spray with opaque white Createx. Then the paint scheme I'd doing.

If I want a "clear" lure with highlights, I scape and sand off the paint, wipe it down with Acetone, and then spray the transparent colors directly to it, either Createx or Wildlife.

I top coat plastic lures with only one coat of Nu Lustre 55, to keep the weight down, and haven't had any problems with delamination or paint failure.

So far.

Fingers crossed.

Edited December 19, 2008 by mark poulson

[ccunningham300]

Thanks for the information and help guys!!!