POPPER FINISHING

[burch 0]

I`m wanting to color some of my foam poppers and was wondering what type paints to use ? Also, what do I use to clear coat them with for a finish ? I tried a sharpie on one of `em and it just bleeds even after a few days of drying.

 

Burch

[TheCream 0]

I think most folks will give you different answers to this, there's a lot of personal preference, but here's mine. Some folks will airbrush, some use paint markers, I prefer to brush and stipple my paint on and epoxy over them. I like the water clean-up acrylic craft paints you can get at WalMart or a craft store. One brand of regular paint colors is Delta CeramCoat. The other I use is Folk Art metallic paints, also water clean-up. These bottles of paint are small but a little goes a long ways and they are only like $2/bottle. I use the Folk Art on almost all of mine now, it gives a great finish. I like to give at least 3 base coats with whatever metallic color I choose, then stipple (AKA dot) a contrasting metallic color as a back, and paint on the eyes. Since I do not currently have a turner, I am using 5 minute clear Devcon epoxy to coat my poppers, and it holds up very well. If you have a turner you could coat them in 30 minute epoxy, allow the turner to rotate the popper body, and cure the epoxy evenly. I am told the 30 minute epoxy yields better results but I can't complain about what I have been using too much, my results have been good.

 

Here's a pic of one of my more recent color combos. This is metallic gold base paint, metallic "Christmas Tree" green stippling, orange eyes with metallic black pupils, and a metallic bright red for the cupped mouth.

 

 

Probably my most consistent producer this year has been metallic pearl base, metallic green stippling, orange eyes with black pupils, and the same metallic red face:

 

[oatka 0]

I've used the Copic airbush and enjoyed it.

You can see how I did it at my website

 

I've seen other's airbrush onto foam with success. I just haven't tried it.

 

Good luck, and post photos of your results!

[Kirk Dietrich 0]

Cream, I'm not very mechanically inclined so I never attempted to do a motorized turner. I've always used a manual turner for drying my 30 minute epoxy. You really only have to flip it once or twice before it sets and levels out.

Here is a video I did on epoxying the top coat and using the clip stand dryer.

http://www.youtube.com/user/KirkDiet?feature=mhee#p/u/3/Jxz8yplFs7c

 

 

 

Berch, I use the same paints that Cream does. However, I've also used Sharpies and never had a problem with them not drying. You do have to lock in the Sharpie color with a water based clear coat or else they will fade. Not sure why yours didn't dry.

These are soft foam, the bug on the right is colored with Sharpies and was fished a few times, you can see the black dot is fading a little.

 

Kirk

 

[TheCream 0]

Thanks for the info, Kirk! I watched the video. The consistency of the 30 minute epoxy must be a lot thicker than the 5 minute stuff I have been using. If I don't rotate the popper body on my vise every 10 seconds or so for the first few minutes, it starts running and drooping really bad.

[Kirk Dietrich 0]

...The consistency of the 30 minute epoxy must be a lot thicker than the 5 minute stuff I have been using. If I don't rotate the popper body on my vise every 10 seconds or so for the first few minutes, it starts running and drooping really bad.

 

Interesting you said that, I recently tied up some of the mono/wire framed spoons that you fill with a blob of 5 minute epoxy. Man, that stuff was running all over the place and then, bam, it was set. I attributed the running to the thick amount that I was using. Could be that it is thinner.

 

Before coming up with the clip/balsa drier stand, I used a block of foam to stick the flies in and for legs, I used toothpicks. I'd epoxy, stick the head in the foam and flip it over on the toothpick legs to level out the finish and flip it back over a few minutes later. The downside to that is the foam wears out, but it is a good/cheap way to try if you just want to try out the flip stand before you invest time and a few dollars in making a clip stand.

 

Kirk

[bluegill576 0]

I think most folks will give you different answers to this, there's a lot of personal preference, but here's mine. Some folks will airbrush, some use paint markers, I prefer to brush and stipple my paint on and epoxy over them. I like the water clean-up acrylic craft paints you can get at WalMart or a craft store. One brand of regular paint colors is Delta CeramCoat. The other I use is Folk Art metallic paints, also water clean-up. These bottles of paint are small but a little goes a long ways and they are only like $2/bottle. I use the Folk Art on almost all of mine now, it gives a great finish. I like to give at least 3 base coats with whatever metallic color I choose, then stipple (AKA dot) a contrasting metallic color as a back, and paint on the eyes. Since I do not currently have a turner, I am using 5 minute clear Devcon epoxy to coat my poppers, and it holds up very well. If you have a turner you could coat them in 30 minute epoxy, allow the turner to rotate the popper body, and cure the epoxy evenly. I am told the 30 minute epoxy yields better results but I can't complain about what I have been using too much, my results have been good.

 

Here's a pic of one of my more recent color combos. This is metallic gold base paint, metallic "Christmas Tree" green stippling, orange eyes with metallic black pupils, and a metallic bright red for the cupped mouth.

 

 

Probably my most consistent producer this year has been metallic pearl base, metallic green stippling, orange eyes with black pupils, and the same metallic red face:

 

 

+1 on this. Also if you have a joanns near you they have a paint that is the same but store brand for only $0.55 for a 2 oz bottle.

[Stippled Popper 0]

As has been noted above, water based acrylic craft paint may be used on foam popper bodies. This includes both the hard and soft foams available.

If they are too thick for you, they may be thinned with a bit of water. It is unlikely that the contents of a two ounce bottle will be used before tiny bits of

dried paint become a problem. At that point I buy another bottle.

 

I use Devcon Two-Ton Epoxy(unthinned) with a turner sold for use building fly rods. A few times I've had epoxy drip off the popper head after I coated

it if I wasn't quick enough getting it into position on the alligator clip. To counter this I've gotten into the habit of rotating the head in the forceps I use to

hold the fly while coating it until I lock it into the alligator clip.

[burch 0]

Now this is some info. Keep it comin` fellas

[wes917 0]

As bluegill576 stated I use the store brand acrylics at .55ea. You can't afford to not have a million colors. This last batch I cleared with an out water based polyureathane and was happy with the results. I have some pics posted in the warm water section under the inverted fire tiger heading.