[LOZ]

hey guys, well i've gotten into making some crankbaits, its goin pretty well (thanks to what ive learned on this site). now that i've got some blanks ready i need to paint them, but i've never used an airbrush before so i'd like to practice before i mess up my baits lol. i think i need quiet a bit of practice, and id rather not use up all my createx, so my question is: what would be good to practice with that can be spayed fairly well with a badger 100sg? thanks guys, i tried a search but didnt find much-i probly didnt type in the right keywords

[Spike-A-Pike]

I'm not a painter, but for lack of a better idea, you could use water and food coloring on paper if you are just trying to get a feel for how to adjust it and check flow patterns. I don't think it will be too long and that will get old and your going to want to start shooting paint.

Nothing builds experiance other than experiance.

[BobP]

If your 100 SG has a small tip, it probably will only shoot airbrush formulated paint like Createx, which contains flow enhancer and more finely ground pigments. You can try cheap hobby paint and thin it with water or Windex to the consistency of milk. It will clog more often but will give you a little practice. Honestly, Createx isn't so expensive when you consider the tiny amount you use during a typical shot. If you just limit the amount you squeeze into the brush to a 4-6 drops, you'll be surprised how much area you can cover.

[chartreuse]

i was in the same situation not too long ago... in short, i went to town on a large piece of cardboard, spraying it with water (and eventually with black airbrush paint) in all sorts of configurations. once i got the gist of how the paint flowed i sprayed a couple "dud" baits before attempting the real thing. even with all the practice my results were far from what i wanted, but still, with more trials anything is possible. i've actually held-off painting a few baits in hopes that my skills will catch up with my imagination someday. lol

[BobP]

Hey guys, if your baits are properly waterproofed before you begin spraying colors, you can just practice on the real thing until you get it right. Screw up? Just run tap water over the bait and the paint comes right off. Even if it's dry, a gentle scrub with a sponge will usually remove any paint. Hey, I've done it LOTS of times!

[The_Rookie]

Bob is right as always!!! You can buy cheap paint at Hobby lobby.. sometimes you get lucky and get it on clearance for .49 cents a bottle.. Its really thick.. Look at your Createx paint.. Make your cheap paint the same thickness or thiness.. I dont know paint terms.. heck I dont even know my wife's middle name.. but I know she is my wife!! Any how.. Dont be scared to screw up!! I do it daily! Vince (Fatfingers) had a tip about clearing the base first then do your detail work that way if you screw up your detail work you can wash it off like Bob says and your still have your base!!

I practice on a paper towel alot and make sure my paint is flowing. I spend more time cleaning my gun and keep my tips clean than I do paintin most days.. A HAPPY GUN is a CLEAN GUN!!

Good Luck! Post us a picture so we can see it!!

The Rookie

[LOZ]

thanks guys, ha i think your right, ill get tired of practicing on carboard after about 5 minutes. Bob, i was thinkin that id seal it first w/ Devcon 2 ton thinned by acetone, then apply the white base, then paint. but then id wipe off the white too if i messed up. how do you do it?

[Palmetto Balsa]

Krylon white shouldn't wipe off.
Blades suggested to prime a 6" length piece of 1" or 1.5" PVC pipe with Krylon and test out the paints, patterns and techniques. It sure does help out when I need to test something on the go. BobP had it right about the paints, practice with what you are going to shoot. It will give you a better feel for what you are doing. I am willing to bet you won't be practicing for more than an hour, before you grab a bait to paint.

[Hawgydawg]

No doubt it will not take long for you to want to paint your baits. I played with my gun about 10 minutes and off I went on the bait. Remeber if there are small mistakes on your bait that is OK it is a custom painted bait now and no two are the same. We are all out to catch fish not fishermen! One of the best paint colors Bandit ever put out was called mistake, and that has caught ALOTTTT of fish.

[Predator Bass Baits]

Paint your bait white first then clear coat it,
This way your white is always there.
I used krylon rattle can of white for plastic yesterday for my base coat for the first time and I will NEVER spray a bait with createx white again.
What a difference, quick, easy, did I say quick.