Airbrushing
I started to use an airbrush for lurepainting in 1997 when I won a lure competition in Finland and got a gift certificate from this shop (http://www.samfishing.fi/) that sells lurebuilding stuff. I bought my first Badger airbrush (200-1) from them and also a Badger Propel Regulator for car’s tire using. But I have to say: forget that! You use all the air from the tire too fast and motivation to clean your airbrush is quite low when you have ”shot” only thinner after the painting and you notice that the air pressure is too low if you do not pump the tire again. Buy a compressor the same time when you buy your airbrush. I’ve used Sparmax (http://www.tempera.fi/shop/fi/dept_20.html) and I like it al lot.
Airbrushes and paints
I use Spies & Hecker (http://www.spieshecker.com/) car paints for colouring. I bought them from my local car paint shop who sell them as small/huge pots that customer wants. I usually buy 2dl pots. Because the ready paint is too thick for airbrushing I mix it with thinner or acetone. I usually fill about 1/3 paint and 2/3 acetone. For fluorescent colouring I’ve used Finnish CAB paints. Made by lakkavalmiste (http://www.lakkavalmiste.fi/sivut/ ).
Now a days I have four different airbrushes; Badger 200-1 and 150-3, cheap Badger copy WellMade (same as 150-3) and Yama (copy of Iwata HP-C). My favourite is the Badger 150-3 and I mostly use it. WellMade is also quite good and cheap copy of it, it’s a quite popular brush in local cars spare part dealers. Don’t buy plastic handle models, it brakes easily if you open it often. Yama is good if you have to paint huge areas, it’s not good for ”sharp” colouring if you want to do thin dots or lines, it’s also a good brush for a little thicker paint (for example metallic colour with ”huge” silver grits).
Other stuff
I have lot of tiny jars for different paints and colours. Those are made by Badger and easy to use with a Fast Blast Jar Adaptor. An airbrush holder is also very hany. I also use a respirator/mask and gauntlet, acetone and paint steams ARE NOT GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH, LUNGS AND SKIN! If you smoke, do it OUTSIDE.
Painting and colouring
I usually paint my lures white, if those are not lacquered in that colour already. For re-painting (Bombers, Rapalas, etc.) it have to do it to if you skin the original colour away (as I do). I also dip those lures several times in my CAB lure lacquer, otherwise the paint may flow after dipping it on lacquer.
I keep the lures in my hand by locked forceps when I paint.
I use about 2-3 bar air pressure when I paint.
After the blanching I paint wobblers to my favourite colour, I usually go light to the dark colours. Because airbrush paints feel dry soon after the painting I do let them dry only several minutes when I paint, I usually paint a couple of lures at the same time. The lure is about 20-30 cm away from my airbrush nose when I paint.
For example:
I have a white lure blank, first I cover it with a washing bag net and I brush the sides for scales with silver paint. Then I take the net away and brush the belly (again) with white and after that with pearl/white paint. For Rapala-style colouring I paint the jaw in red and the back in black. Now it’s ready.
If I want to make perch bars on the sides I put the lure in a fly tying vice and use my aluminium bar-stencil.
For dots I’ve drilled different size of round holes in a plastic plate and I use them as I use the bar-stencil.
After the painting
Let the lures dry for a few hours before lacquering (please read my article from techniques/finishing/propionate lacquer). When I’m ready I clean my brush right away before the paint become dry. I add clear acetone in to the paint hole for as long as the paint comes out of the airbrush. I also do that every time I chance the colour when I'm painting the lure. If the Crown regulator on the nose is filled with paint I take it away and put it on a film jar with clear acetone in it and let it soak there for a while.
After a little practising you may notice that your lures looks as good as factory made!
Links:
http://www.badger-airbrush.com/
http://www.spieshecker.com/
http://www.samfishing.fi/
http://www.tempera.fi/shop/fi/dept_20.html
http://www.lakkavalmiste.fi/sivut/
Janne Ovaska
