Alan Tyler
Well-known member
Yeah, you can definitely say that patterns works!
Float making.
- Thread starter dicky123
- Start date
no-one in particular
Well-known member
Looking for advice, which paint is best for re painting some old floats, something cheap and small. I need yellow, red and a dark green. Also whats the best way to achieve a good line around the joins, my hands are a bit shaky. They are big floats so I probably wont be able to get a straight line unless I put tape round them or something but, thought I would ask first, thanks. Also they are cork and wood, the biggest one is definitely cork; will I need some sort of primer/sealant first.
View attachment 8349
View attachment 8349
Last edited:
Aknib
Well-known member
These are my favourites...
DecoArt Crafters Acrylic Paint 2oz 59ml Pot All Colours Sameday dispatch 3pm M-F | eBay
Having said that, this float is painted with one of those small tester pots of paints that you buy from places like B&Q, I've used these before and they're fine as long as the float is well varnished and sealed afterwards.
I do always use a white undercoat specifically designed as undercoat, it helps the paint stick and brings out the true colour of the top coat and should act as a sealer of the bare surface too...
I'm no good at painting straight lines on for tip bands, not because my hands are shaky... I'm just rubbish at it so I whip the bands on with thread which isn't as difficult as it sounds, like many things it just takes a little practice and might be an alternative for you if you're prepared to try it and it's easy to knock up a bobbin holder with a bit of wire and a cotton bud or drinking straw.
DecoArt Crafters Acrylic Paint 2oz 59ml Pot All Colours Sameday dispatch 3pm M-F | eBay
Having said that, this float is painted with one of those small tester pots of paints that you buy from places like B&Q, I've used these before and they're fine as long as the float is well varnished and sealed afterwards.
I do always use a white undercoat specifically designed as undercoat, it helps the paint stick and brings out the true colour of the top coat and should act as a sealer of the bare surface too...
I'm no good at painting straight lines on for tip bands, not because my hands are shaky... I'm just rubbish at it so I whip the bands on with thread which isn't as difficult as it sounds, like many things it just takes a little practice and might be an alternative for you if you're prepared to try it and it's easy to knock up a bobbin holder with a bit of wire and a cotton bud or drinking straw.
no-one in particular
Well-known member
These are my favourites...
DecoArt Crafters Acrylic Paint 2oz 59ml Pot All Colours Sameday dispatch 3pm M-F | eBay
Having said that, this float is painted with one of those small tester pots of paints that you buy from places like B&Q, I've used these before and they're fine as long as the float is well varnished and sealed afterwards.
I do always use a white undercoat specifically designed as undercoat, it helps the paint stick and brings out the true colour of the top coat and should act as a sealer of the bare surface too...
I'm no good at painting straight lines on for tip bands, not because my hands are shaky... I'm just rubbish at it so I whip the bands on with thread which isn't as difficult as it sounds, like many things it just takes a little practice and might be an alternative for you if you're prepared to try it and it's easy to knock up a bobbin holder with a bit of wire and a cotton bud or drinking straw.
That's great, i can buy those paints locally, I have seen them somewhere, acrylic paint, that's the job. What do you mean by whipping bands on with thread? is it just that and how thick do you whip them and does the paint leak into them when you paint up against them? And how do i make a bobbin holder, will these floats work without an eye to hang from?
Aknib
Well-known member
If you look at the black tip bands closely you'll see that they're whipped on with thread and not painted on...
You can do it 'freehand' with just a bobbin of cotton but you'll find you have far more control and find it far easier if you use a bobbin holder, this is mine... It's simple, crude and certainly not pretty (not unlike me!) but does the job and has literally helped me make hundreds of floats to date...
image share forum
Paint your floats up first and then whip the dividing bands on last so you don't have to paint up to the thread.
I would personally whip eyes on the bigger floats (apart from the gazette bungs) and you can create an eye easily enough by bending some wire around a nail, if you want any eyes for the smaller floats but don't want to buy any drop me a pm with your details and i'll post a couple of dozen out for you.
I enjoy this thread, and members results are fantastic. I have always been an out and out stick float man when river fishing, but this season I tried out an Avon float on some of the deeper 10ft/12ft river pegs. The results were not astounding, but that was down to the conditions. I was however quite happy with the way the float performed, so the recent combination of weather, water conditions and boredom saw me attempt to make a few avon floats. I bought the materials on line, using a link aknib gave me, and purchased, 3mm cane and 2mm carbon for the stems. The tips were 4.5mm and solid, plus I used 19mm balsa dowel for the bodies. Pre-formed balsa bodies are available, but I preferred to shape my own. I cut the balsa into 5cm lengths and drilled through the centre, by hand, and shaped the bodies using an old B&D drill, held in a vice, with a pin vice inserted in the chuck to take the stems, so minimizing the whip. The hand sanded, shaped bodies were not entirely uniform, symmetrical or concentric, but quite usable and I like to think I have made a float rather than just assembled the components. The finished articles have been treated with dope, two coats of matt black paint and three of varnish. Aesthetically they nowhere near approach aknib or purplepeanut perfection, I don't have that amount of patience or ability. But what is illustrated is that it is easy to produced a 3g to 6g float, that is durable and functional, using just basic tools. I would urge anyone who as never tried to give it a go. The results don't need to be masterpieces to work and it is very satisfying when they do.
Pete.
Pete.
Aknib
Well-known member
Lovely looking floats Pete, if you think you feel some satisfaction now just wait until you start catching fish on them 
It's a slippery, but enjoyable, slope...
It's a slippery, but enjoyable, slope...
purplepeanut007
Well-known member
Lovely looking floats Pete, if you think you feel some satisfaction now just wait until you start catching fish on them
It's a slippery, but enjoyable, slope...
I will second that Aknib.....lol
no-one in particular
Well-known member
If you look at the black tip bands closely you'll see that they're whipped on with thread and not painted on...
You can do it 'freehand' with just a bobbin of cotton but you'll find you have far more control and find it far easier if you use a bobbin holder, this is mine... It's simple, crude and certainly not pretty (not unlike me!) but does the job and has literally helped me make hundreds of floats to date...
Paint your floats up first and then whip the dividing bands on last so you don't have to paint up to the thread.
I would personally whip eyes on the bigger floats (apart from the gazette bungs) and you can create an eye easily enough by bending some wire around a nail, if you want any eyes for the smaller floats but don't want to buy any drop me a pm with your details and i'll post a couple of dozen out for you.
Thanks Aknib, I think I got it now but I was wondering about the big fat round float, might be difficult to whip some thread around that but I will give it a go.
I think I will be OK with the eyes but if I get stuck I will send you a PM and thanks for very much for the offer.
wetthrough
Well-known member
...
Presumably you have some sort of spindle to actually make the floats and have tried painting while rotating in the spindle, or doesn't that work for some reason? I've been using pre painted bristles but don't particularly care for them so your experience might be helpful.
no-one in particular
Well-known member
Aknib
Well-known member
I'm not that organised I'm afraid.
I make my floats lounging on the sofa in the living room and don't really have an intention to buy something like a mini-lathe so I just freehand paint the main body and tip colours and then whip the thinner dividing bands on with thread.
I did use to paint them on in the early days but it wasn't as neat, hunched over and pushing the float into the side of my knee whilst rotating it with one hand and painting the line with the other.
I think some sort of spindle is a good idea though, if you prefer to paint the bands on rather than whipping them on.
Is that before or after the pub Pete?
To be specific Mark. That would be in between so technically before and after. Pete
no-one in particular
Well-known member
A well balanced approach then
By the way Pete, love the floats seriously, I was only having a joke, hope you have not taken offence.OaA-I managed to buy a box of 12 acrylic paint tubes from a place called "TheWorks.co.uk" today. They are small 12ml in a range of colours and i only want the red, yellow and green for my floats. Plenty of paint for them and a lot left over. The thing is they were only £3 for the box.
ian g
Well-known member
I bought these from Amazon
Deco Art Amerciana Neon Acrylics, Scorching Yellow
They do a nice orange and red as well
Deco Art Amerciana Neon Acrylics, Scorching Yellow
They do a nice orange and red as well
Mark. Absolutely no offence taken. In fact if you want to upset me you'll have to try a sight harder than that as I impervious to insult. However should I ever catch you in the bar unawares, your wallet will incur serious damage. That is in no way a threat, just a certainty. All the best. Pete.
Last edited:
By way of closing the loop. Here is a photo of the recent set of 3g to 6g Avon Floats I made . They now nestle in their own bespoke leatherette wallets. It only remains for me to toss them, unceremoniously, into the bottomless pit that is my 45 year old blue Shaky river tackle box. Loathed that I am to get rid of it. Pete.
Aknib
Well-known member
Not sure what was going on here as I took these way back last year, might have been for the chap who makes the oak boxes for me.
Anyway, it's quiet in here tonight, it's saving me from watching the ever more depressing news and they cheered me up...
I still haven't finished the sets of bodied goose quills in the box far leftmg:
Anyway, it's quiet in here tonight, it's saving me from watching the ever more depressing news and they cheered me up...
I still haven't finished the sets of bodied goose quills in the box far left
mg:
purplepeanut007
Well-known member
A BLAST FROM THE PAST !!!!!!
Here are some more floats I haven't made in an age.
These three " Tinca Sticks " are more traditional than my current offerings these are designed for tench fishing, usually at close quarters but these three are much longer so they can be used for general fishing.
Made from reed & cane with red/green tips, black and white segments, plus black gold and violet whipping.......Its all on the blog.
2
Here are some more floats I haven't made in an age.
These three " Tinca Sticks " are more traditional than my current offerings these are designed for tench fishing, usually at close quarters but these three are much longer so they can be used for general fishing.
Made from reed & cane with red/green tips, black and white segments, plus black gold and violet whipping.......Its all on the blog.
2