[snooterfish]

Originally Posted by BobP

About half the unthinned pearls I try shoot thru a .2mm brush are fine, half clog after a few seconds. I use a .3mm tip brush to color basecoat, which is when I use pearls most often. No problems then. I'm glad to have a .2mm tip brush for fine shading but seldom use it for fine line work because I like to use templates for that. They are the only way I can get the same design on both sides of the bait, which I personally can't do freehand. To me, the .3mm is a good intermediate size that comes close to "doing it all". But it depends on how much freehand line detail and fine shading you want to accomplish, plus your airbrush skills.

what would you suggest i use as a templet for making small stripes(1/8") on cranks?

[BobP]

Shoot through a large womens' comb. The side with large teeth will be right around 1/8". Works nice!

[SeniorChief]

Another suggestion to spraying small stripes, especially if you'll be doing more than one bait and want to have it equal on both sides. Go to any arts and craft store and buy a couple sheets of mylar, .010 or so thickness, and a solder iron like used for soldering wires together and melt your lines the way you want. Then you can make it even on both sides. Basically you make your own personal templates for your library.

[mark poulson]

Chief,
Do you make your templates 2 sided? I cut my pattern in one side, fold my template in half, and duplicate it on the other half, so both sides are, more or less, symetrical.
I think the soldering iron would be perfect for making double sided templates.
Do you use clear mylar?

[BobP]

I use frisket material (thin plastic film with paper backed adhesive). But I don't remove the backing - I just hold it down, shoot the pattern, dry the stencil, and then flip it over to shoot the other side of the lure. An Xacto knife can make fairly detailed/small features with it. A stencil lasts indefinitely, or until you get small lines clogged with dried paint. A big roll of the stuff costs around $10 and is enough to last years and years. Other guys use milk jugs or other plastic but I like something that you can easily cut with an Xacto.

[rjbass]

Mark,

I use mylar templates all the time....cut one side and then turn them over and use the other side for opposite side of the bait???? Then you get exact on both sides.....I don't know what you mean by two sided stencils. All stencils are two sided.

Rod

[mark poulson]

I meant putting the stencil over the back of the lure like a saddle. I do that so I can use the fold in the back to keep both sides the same distance down from the top.