Fishin' Steeler

Thanks for the great info, guys. Right now, I'm experimenting with different stencil materials and brush technique. I've used Frisket, also cut-up milk jug plastic, and I'll sure try report cover material. The last week has been extremely busy for me professionally, so I've let the lure hobby take a short breather. Looks like another one coming up, then I'll be able to play some more.

I just found the netting material and the masking film on the Jann's Netcraft site.

This is what I'm looking for. Thanks fellers. Next question: what do y'all use for netting, and where to find it? Also, is Frisket film, the stuff they sell at art supply places, a suitable item for masking and stencilling? Thanks in advance, all.

After a few days of futzing around learning to control the airbrush... not there yet, either... cleaning them, that sort of stuff, I've decided I want to attempt something measureable as my first goal. So I decided I'd copy a beater Devil's Horse I have laying around here. Before sanding the stick, I looked closely and tried to analyze each step the painter took. Okay, first a thick white base coat; then a black airbrushed strip down the dorsal side, might be stencilled; then 6 diagonal black stripes down each side, definitely stencilled; then a red blotch at the throat and tail end, looks like freehand airbrush; then the eyes, probably decals; then a clearcoat of some type. What would I use for the base coat? Airbrushed or out of a spray can? Is my order of painting procedure correct? More questions to follow, I'm sure.

Guys, I have a couple of questions... well, hundreds actually, but let's not wear out the welcome, shall we? ... but first let me say that I am blown away, literally, by some of the art I have seen in just a few days of surfing this forum! Especially Shawn's work, Vy overseas, and Blackjack. Just incredible. And the willingness to share ideas and techniques is just astounding. Thanks for so much in so little time. Anyway, I've just gotten a couple airbrushes and some Createx paints and I've started by repainting some beater commercial cranks to gain my skills in airbrushing, stencils, etc. (Maybe a couple Heddon 150 Dowagiac's, but not many, really ) Seriously, my first question concerns clear coats. The first couple I've finished with clear acrylic, but I see the big boys use Devcon 2-ton. Is this stuff applied with a brush or something other than spray? I'm a total neophyte about this stuff. The second question is this: When painting stripes, gill crescents, dots, etc. on the sides of cranks, are these done freehand or with stencils?

Yeah Skeeter, I got a full head of hair. Hopefully with repetition and this forum I won't be sporting the Kojak look anytime soon. Since I'm a professional musician, I'm used to the dreary, labor intensive discipline of P-R-A-C-T-I-C-E.

I went to my local Ace Hardware to buy some spray paint for my deck furniture. The salesman came out wearing a helmet and mirrored shades, had his hand on his revolver. and said "You in a heap-a-trouble now, boy." I told him I was 56 years old and looked every bit of it. He said "you gonna have to tell that to the judge, son. He'll be here in, oh... two, maybe three weeks." Phew! That's when I woke up!!!

I just got one today at Harbor Freight in Austin TX, $63.99. Went to the hobby shop and got a selection of Createx water-based paint. I now have made an uncontrolled series of wierd shapes on paper... hmmm, this isn't as hard as fly-fishing or baitcasting, is it?