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float making


scott bradley

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Hi all

Can anyone give me some advice on painting floats im using strips of masking tape to get straight lines which works well on stems and tips but the current float im painting is an avon and getting a straight line on the curved body of the float is proving tricky anyone got any tips on how to do this

Cheers scott

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All the float makers I've ever known use decent brushes, steady hands and lots of practice, simply rotating the float and keeping the brush steady.

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Seriously, don't use tape.

Rest the float somewhere where you can roll it, I tend to hold the float in my left hand with my wrist on my thigh. Use a good quality brush and don't over fill it with paint; rest the bristles on the float and roll the float in the same direction as the bristles. It won't take many practices until you can get a good straight line, it's just about keeping the pressure on the brush constant. For me, being right handed, the float rotation is anti clockwise, so the brush bristles are always laying smooth against the rotating float.

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safest tape to use is ptfe plumbers tape ,masking tape is too sticky and stiff ,its better at conforming to shape .do you have a drill (veriable speed are better) set to the lowest speed you can ,then with a suitably loaded artist brush and make contact near the bottom of the float (the floats body as it lays flat .if you have a bench or table (other than kitchen table) take a 5mm+ drill hold it against the edge of the table and give it several twists ,this should create a dimple ,you can then push the floats tip into the dimple and resting your hand on the table to steady it ,apply a loaded paint brush as you rotate the float .

 

i tend to do mine by eye ,don't always get a dead strait line ,but its quicker .and no one notices once the float is in the water .but i've also used most of the above at one time or another .just remember the golden rule is : the end justifies the means .

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Chavender
I try to be funny... but sometimes I merely look it! hello.gif Steve

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I've thought about making my own floats (several times) and I think you do need some sort of rotating device for the painting, maybe the finishing of bodies too. I'd use a pinstriping brush, they're designed to be loaded with enough paint for a good run but with a fine tip to ensure clean edges to the lines. One or two rotations and you'd get a really crisp line with no leaching that masking tape can sometimes cause.

 

I must resurrect this plan for this years close season, I just need a small modellers lathe.

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It's never a 'six', let's put it back

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Why rotate ?? I have made quill floats, balsa, cane etc. and I dip mine into a thinned paint and hang them upside down stuck in polystyrene to drip dry , By the way I use polystyrene from around products I have bought.

THE MIND IS LIKE A PARACHUTE.
IT ONLY WORKS PROPERLY WHEN IT IS OPEN.

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Cheers for the info lads ive never been the best with a paint brush but im quite handy wih the lathe so if nothing else they will work well if not look the best. I think I need some decent thin brushes but I quite like the dipping idea. I made 6 floats so ill have a go at different things and ill let you know how I get on

Thabks again scott

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Kiri,

 

I agree, if you want a machine made float - - - well. We have a lot of wood lure collectors over here. A perfect paint job is a perfect giveaway it's not an antique original. The original ones were made to fool fish not collectors.

 

Phone

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