Air Brush Suggestions

[GAT]

For years I've used rattle can spray paint for my hard body poppers but I'm thinking about upping my game and start using an air brush instead. Problem is, I don't really need an expensive pro system but there are many, many hobby/craft models of air brushes out there and I have no clue which brand/model are a good bet.

If you have experience with an air brush, for whatever reason, please pass along in tips and suggestions you may have in regards to buying one. Thanks!

 

[Long_Rod_Silvers]

Not necessarily pure air brush, but ordered a copic gun and markers a few days back. Haven't received it yet....
I'll follow up once I've had a chance to test it out if you're curious how it works out.

 

[GAT]

Not necessarily pure air brush, but ordered a copic gun and markers a few days back. Haven't received it yet....
I'll follow up once I've had a chance to test it out if you're curious how it works out.

Thanks ! I have some of the markers but never ordered the entire set up... it would certainly be easier to use then a full blown air brush so I'll be interested to see how well it works ... I wonder about the covered you get with a felt marker blown on with air.

 

[James St. Clair]

These were done with sharpies and a can of compressed air...

 

[BriGuy]

Harbor freight has, or used to have, some really cheap airbrushes. Not the highest quality, but they worked pretty well for model airplanes with thinned model paint. You'd need a source of air. I used my garage air compressor, but the cans would work too. You'll need to regulate and play with the pressure a bit.

 

[Buzzy]

These were done with sharpies and a can of compressed air...
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Okay, James, I'll bite - I have no clue how you did this with a sharpie and canned compressed air.

Very cool tie!

 

[Old406Kid]

Okay, James, I'll bite - I have no clue how you did this with a sharpie and canned compressed air.

Very cool tie!

Not sure what James used but I did a search and found a couple of brands that use special markers and compressed air or optionally an air compressor.
This Gundham is the least expensive. The other brand is Copic and there might be more than that.

 

[James St. Clair]

Okay, James, I'll bite - I have no clue how you did this with a sharpie and canned compressed air.

Very cool tie!

Basically like the pic above, but you hold the marker and the straw that comes out of the compressed air can with your hands.

I read something about it, and before I went crazy and bought a bunch of stuff like the above pic, I thought I'd try it out and see what it looked like. Turned out fine for me, and super cheap. I coated it with softex afterwards to help with durability. I'm sure there is something better for that, some kind of spray on clear coat or something. I just used stuff I already had at home.

That's also a homemade dubbing brush behind the popper head!

 

[Buzzy]

Basically like the pic above, but you hold the marker and the straw that comes out of the compressed air can with your hands.

I read something about it, and before I went crazy and bought a bunch of stuff like the above pic, I thought I'd try it out and see what it looked like. Turned out fine for me, and super cheap. I coated it with softex afterwards to help with durability. I'm sure there is something better for that, some kind of spray on clear coat or something. I just used stuff I already had at home.

That's also a homemade dubbing brush behind the popper head!

Fascinating! I have two bags of Cabelas brass spinner blades (100 each) that I'm sure are way out of popularity, I wonder if I could air brush coat them and then find a home for them............ (what's in your vise, spinner blades?).

Good luck @GAT!

 

[GAT]

Thanks guys. I have used a cheapo air brush decades ago but it kept clogging on me so I was hoping for a brand and model suggestion but things have changed a lot since I bought that first tool. The felt pen approach is interesting because it doesn't cause the mess when using paint and cleaning up afterward. Hareline once sold the kit for the felt pens, I may need to look at that again.

 

[rattlesnake]

Basically like the pic above, but you hold the marker and the straw that comes out of the compressed air can with your hands.

I read something about it, and before I went crazy and bought a bunch of stuff like the above pic, I thought I'd try it out and see what it looked like. Turned out fine for me, and super cheap. I coated it with softex afterwards to help with durability. I'm sure there is something better for that, some kind of spray on clear coat or something. I just used stuff I already had at home.

That's also a homemade dubbing brush behind the popper head!

Thanks for the tip about compressed air and markers, will need to try that!

I’ve typically used rod building epoxy to coat them and then turn them on a home made fly dryer. In a pinch I’ve also used liquid fusion but it’s not as durable

 

[James St. Clair]

Here is a link to a video Charlie Craven did about using sharpies and compressed air.



I'll telly you, it's not gonna look perfect right away, and takes a little to get used to. But, after a few heads it's actually not bad. Also, don't hold the marker to close to the straw. That was my biggest mistake.

I see some pretty "engineery" fly tying minds on this site, I bet someone could come up with some kind of holder for the marker and straw.

 

[Long_Rod_Silvers]

Here is a link to a video Charlie Craven did about using sharpies and compressed air.



I'll telly you, it's not gonna look perfect right away, and takes a little to get used to. But, after a few heads it's actually not bad. Also, don't hold the marker to close to the straw. That was my biggest mistake.

I see some pretty "engineery" fly tying minds on this site, I bet someone could come up with some kind of holder for the marker and straw.

 

[Dogsnfish]

Amazing, I had no idea. I need to watch those videos.

 

[GAT]

I'm lazing and not interested in messing with free handing a sharpie and air can so I ordered a Copic felt pen holder and air can. It will let me know if I want to go the felt pen route or belly up to the bar and shell out the bucks for a genuine air brush system. I wonder just how water resistant felt markers really are but I plan to give them a try.

I have some bizarre ideas for making bass poppers but need an exact way for painting the bodies. They certainly won't be clipped air poppers. It just depends on if I can get the desired paint job before going any further.

Thanks for the info guys.

 

[tkww]

Question: do you coat your heads afterwords?

 

[GAT]

When I used cork bodies, I would use a clear coat over the paint. Now that I'm using closed cell foam, I haven't found the need to apply a clear coat.

 

[GAT]

I tried the Copic system and I'm underwhelmed. The air can is small and is required for the gun. The pens are excessively expensive and so are the air cans. The amount of "paint" applied is sparse so you use a lot of air to gain any saturation. So, at this point, I'm leaning back toward a conventional air brush system. I don't like messing with paint but to obtain the effects I desire, I may not have a choice.

Thus, I can't really recommend the Copic system.

 

[BriGuy]

I tried the Copic system and I'm underwhelmed. The air can is small and is required for the gun. The pens are excessively expensive and so are the air cans. The amount of "paint" applied is sparse so you use a lot of air to gain any saturation. So, at this point, I'm leaning back toward a conventional air brush system. I don't like messing with paint but to obtain the effects I desire, I may not have a choice.

Thus, I can't really recommend the Copic system.

Here's a decent kit with a compressor for about $120. If you have an air source, you can skip the compressor and just get the air brush and a hose for about $30. Just be sure to get the dual action airbrush where you can control both flow and mixture. Using the gravity feed hopper cup, cleanup is super easy. The ones with the little jars are a bit more work.

https://www.harborfreight.com/airbrush-compressor-combo-kit-57637.html

They do fine for modeling and just about anything short of very finely-detailed, precise artwork.

Frankly, I wouldn't mess with the marker/spray can method. Once you get the hang of using the airbrush, it's fun and easy.

 

[GAT]

Here's a decent kit with a compressor for about $120. If you have an air source, you can skip the compressor and just get the air brush and a hose for about $30. Just be sure to get the dual action airbrush where you can control both flow and mixture. Using the gravity feed hopper cup, cleanup is super easy. The ones with the little jars are a bit more work.

https://www.harborfreight.com/airbrush-compressor-combo-kit-57637.html

They do fine for modeling and just about anything short of very finely-detailed, precise artwork.

Frankly, I wouldn't mess with the marker/spray can method. Once you get the hang of using the airbrush, it's fun and easy.

Thanks! I think that's the way I'm headed !