Paint Kits

[fivefishwish]

i was wondering if anyone knew where i could find a decently equipped paint kit? ive just purchased my airbrush and compressor and now i need paint. ive done a bit of research on TU and i think id like to stick with HOK or Auto Air. Just need something that has a good mix of the common paints id need. Thanks for any light you can shine.

Also wondering if anyone has used Kustom Shop paints found on TCPGlobal.com and what they think of them?

Thanks again!!

[MikePaintsBaits]

I get my paint from (coastairbrush) there shipping is a flat $7, they have kits.

[RayburnGuy]

I think TCP Global has kits as well.

[Frank]

If it was me all over again I would not go the solvent route as with HOK and Kustom shop all great products but why put yourself in harms way cause of the solvents. Auto air has all the colors that match what you can get from the other companys but water based. Just finished painting three swimbaits and the house does not smell at all. And no I dont paint in the house but the smell of the solvents still get in. Do yourself a favor and go water based you will never regret it. Buy the way if you dont think it is any good where I live now there is NO solvent based paint available to buy or sell and the water based is just as good. Even wheel weight are going to change from lead to steel soon. Not that it is a bad thing but we have no choice. As for kits ya tcp has them but I would buy the ones I need so you dont end up with colors that will rarely get used if at all. I add to mine when I have to order some of the basic colors. If you are good at mixing colors the kits might be alright but you are limited in the basic kits. Maybe if you want to order single colors you might want to start a new thread and get some basic colors that guys use here on the board. I know I have some go to colors that I know dont come in any kit. Unless you but the mega kit from Auto Air but I think that is about 1g, alot to start with. Sorry for being long winded. Frank

[luke1wcu]

I'm glad you asked this because I was just about to ask the same thing. Thanks for reply Frank, just what I needed to know. I do have another question regarding the moisture trap. I have a 20 gallon compressor. The airbrush I am planning on getting is an Iwata Revolution HP-CR. Should I get an Iwata brand moisture trap or do I have other options. Sorry for hijacking, just wanted to know.

Luke

[Frank]

I'm glad you asked this because I was just about to ask the same thing. Thanks for reply Frank, just what I needed to know. I do have another question regarding the moisture trap. I have a 20 gallon compressor. The airbrush I am planning on getting is an Iwata Revolution HP-CR. Should I get an Iwata brand moisture trap or do I have other options. Sorry for hijacking, just wanted to know.

Luke

Well for a moisture trap to be honest I have a true commercial 5hp comp. with a 80 gal tank and a moisture trap that is more of an industrial type. A moisture trap on smaller compressors is a must if it gets hot at all. This happens when it runs alot. The temp of the pump gets so high that it starts producing water in the air. As for the size of the tank there is alot of poeple that think bigger is better but it is more important to have a motor and pump that can recover as QUICK as possible so heat is not built up in the pump. Another tip is to put the compressor in a place that has a good amount of air flow or even put a fan in the summer months to cool it down. If I had to put a moisture trap on I would put two one right after the tank and a small one where the air brush hose begins. Another thing I just remembered is to keep your hoses of the floor and up as high as you can cause it is hard for water to run up hill and will keep moisture in the tank and not on your work. At work we have a screw comp. and a refrig. unit to cool the air right after the tank, no water ever and tools last forever. Drain your tank often to keep it in good condition. This is on the bottom of your tank. Hope this helps. Frank

[luke1wcu]

Again, thank you Frank. I am a bit unsure what you mean by industrial moisture trap.

I think I will see what Home Depot has to offer since my compressor is a Husky, their 'house' brand. I figure

they should have something compatible.

[Stringjam]

i was wondering if anyone knew where i could find a decently equipped paint kit? ive just purchased my airbrush and compressor and now i need paint. ive done a bit of research on TU and i think id like to stick with HOK or Auto Air. Just need something that has a good mix of the common paints id need. Thanks for any light you can shine.

Also wondering if anyone has used Kustom Shop paints found on TCPGlobal.com and what they think of them?

Thanks again!!

Another vote for Coast.....they have EXCELLENT customer service. They offer kits if you want to go that route.....I just buy individual bottles of colors I want.

If you can't decide if you want to go solvent or water, just buy a few bottles of each and see which one you like better.

I spray HOK uros in my garage and my house doesn't have the slightest odor, but I have have a pretty big fan venting to the outside in my little paint "booth"......obviously you need a good venting system if you're going to shoot it. I personally love it.....it sprays beautifully and dries instantly without needing to be "heat set." You can also reduce the paint to any level you want. Changing colors and clean-up is also fast and easy.

Obviously they both produce great results - - just look at the gallery here...lots of guys using both types. Just pick the one that suites your preferences and spray environment. Some guys hate dealing with solvent reducers and lacquer thinner, so they're obviously going to get along much better with water-based paints.

FWIW - just because it's water-based doesn't mean you don't need to keep it out of your respiratory system. I spray water-based latex paint for a living and wouldn't be caught dead without a respirator shooting that stuff.

Edited January 7, 2010 by Stringjam

[Frank]

Again, thank you Frank. I am a bit unsure what you mean by industrial moisture trap.

I think I will see what Home Depot has to offer since my compressor is a Husky, their 'house' brand. I figure

they should have something compatible.

This is a smaller unit like I have but as you can see it is a bit much. http://www.tcpglobal.com/autobodydepot/itemdetail.aspx?itemno=DEV+HAR-602

And in responce to the solvent portion yes personal protection is up to you but at work even our new neighbors noticed that the level of toxic air is way down. The solvent we use to use had a value of 5.4lbs per gallon of volital organic compound (VOC),bad for the enviroment bad for you and your neighbors. The new water based is 3.4 lbs voc good BUT the Auto air is 0.01 lbs voc real good. Now at home if you want to spray solvent type all you have to do is build a spray booth put a fan that is explosion proof ,wear a solvent proof suit with hood and gloves, and then a mask that is rated for solvent type products and store it in a bag so it will not be exposed to air and be worthless after 40hrs exposure. Just to paint a few baits. And I am knocking it cause I will probably die early because when I started in a body shop all this was not a requirement. So yes I do take a stand on this because the Auto Air is a great product and will do the same job and is not nearly as bad for you. That is my 2cnts. I am not blowing smoke and dont work for Auto Air. GO Green

And I said this before and no one said a thing Where does the Auto Air site say that it needs to be heat set, I says that it needs to be DRY and heat helps. The heat set thing speeds up the flash time but if it is warm out it is not needed. Frank

[Stringjam]

When did we go from shooting a few lures to shooting cars?

So spraying 1/16 oz. of solvent paint out of an airbrush is going to destroy the environment and kill you at the same time?

I think that's a bit far-reaching. If you have a good venting system it will easily clear the brush.

If you don't want to deal with it, just use the Auto Air. There ya go.

[clamboni]

When did we go from shooting a few lures to shooting cars?

So spraying 1/16 oz. of solvent paint out of an airbrush is going to destroy the environment and kill you at the same time?

I think that's a bit far-reaching. If you have a good venting system it will easily clear the brush.

If you don't want to deal with it, just use the Auto Air. There ya go.

Trust me, if you're painting with any kind of frequency, either paint is stuff you DO NOT want in your lungs. Urethane is highly toxic. You're right 1/16 oz won't kill you instantly, but if you're spraying a few ounces a few times a week without ventilation or respiratory protection, your life WILL be shortened.

Even water based paints, while not toxic, are still no good for you to be breathing. All those little droplets that get deep into your lungs are there to stay. Over time, you basically end up not being able to exchange gas efficiently in your lungs.

As for paints, never sprayed auto air but only hear good things. I didn't like Createx when I was using it. it tends to be cool in my shop and the paint thickened badly. Then try to spray pearls and they're even thicker.

Spraying HOK and Kustom Shop paints now and love them. Like stringjam said, dries very quickly and the colors are amazing. Cleanup is not nearly as bad as you might think, it cleans up way faster than Createx ever did for me. Little lacquer thinner and it wipes right out.

[Frank]

Well said Clamboni and Stringjam. I was also one who has used those products but new regulations changed that. So water is all I got. I am glad that you said that you have not tried it thus you are only offering advise on the products that you have used. Auto Air is not sprayed the same but when you learn how to use it the effects are the same. To all of you reading this take the time to look at the two product and compare the colors and special effects they are almost identical. Frank