There's a float making thread -
https://www.fishingmagic.com/forums/threads/float-making.360156/
I'm fairly new to making floats but some resources:
Rigid foam (it's what I use):
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rohacell...468436?hash=item1a492765d4:g:Dz4AAOSwySlaFp1n
Bristle material:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/124262348438?ViewItem=&item=124262348438
I have some 1.7*1.2. I'd be willing to part with some if you don't want to order 200!
@nottskev has some 3mm on the way which he might part with.
I don't do them by hand (but have done) as I machine almost everything but these are apparently useful
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mini-Bea...600129?hash=item1f1349f501:g:4fIAAOSwMGhfEVVI if you think it's worth the expense. You might be able to get them cheaper somewhere.
As I use foam I find grain filler helps get a decent finish. A small tin of Rustin's will last forever.
Tip paint: I use Revell luminous Yellow and Orange but it's dear for what you get and you really need two tins, one for topping up as they're only just deep enough for dipping a tip.
@Aknib who has a lot of experience uses DecoArt Crafters Acrylic Neon paint. I have some but haven't tried it yet.
You'll have to ask someone else what they use for painting bodies as I use some commercial stuff because I happened to have it.
When it comes to painting I find dipping gets by far the best result. Dip and withdraw very slowly. It takes about 7 minutes (might be able do it quicker) to put a coat on these:
A tip I thought I picked up here but haven't been able to find it is for painting the bands on the tip. Use a piece of wire, I use a piece of 1mm pole bristle the way you would use a brush. I've tried bigger dia and smaller. 1mm seems about right with the paints I use. Dip it in the paint about 3mm and use it as you would a brush, holding it against the bristle while you turn the float.
The BB rating of floats doesn't tell you a great deal about the size of the float. It's very dependent on the material a float is made of. A 4bb Drennan Glow Tip Antenna takes 1.9g to cock and the float itself weighs ~1.4g which without accounting for the shot weighing less under water means the body has a volume of 3.3 cm^3 or the equivalent of ~8bb!
I'll add more if I think of anything.
The weight of paint is not insignificant. The float on the right in the picture has ~0.21g of paint consisting of grain filler, primer, two coats of black and the tip paint.
