Float making.

[Aknib]

Apologies if this has been covered, but 47 pages is a lot to trawl through - can anyone please tell me the best way to apply fluorescent acrylic paint to float tips?

I'm just modifying existing floats at this stage, to make them more visible... experimenting / fettling... call it what you like.

I've got some paint, but it's very thick (Pebeo High Viscosity), so I can't get it on smoothly with a paint brush and it won't run off if I dip the tip into it 'neat', as it were.

I've read that if I simply dilute with water the paint will lose some of its properties and may rub off.

Do I used acrylic pouring medium to make it more liquid, then apply? Do I bin the paint (it only cost £2.00 for 100ml) and use an alternative?

Guidance would be appreciated.

(Lovely floats p.peanut.)
.

I find flouro paints a bit of a 'mare to achieve a good opacity.

I do brush them on and have never diluted them myself but i'm not knocking it... my own way is to slap several coats on as thick and heavy as possible without worrying about the finish and then seal them with a coat of fast drying lacquer before very lightly sanding and repeating the process until i've got the glassy finish I want.

Sounds laborious and probably is compared to other methods but drying times of the materials I use are very quick which definitely helps and it works for me.

My favourite touch is to apply the first coat of finishing lacquer before the acrylic paint has properly hardened off, it seems to melt together giving a perfect finish but don't overlap colours with your brush on the initial coat as you'll see on your brush if you try it that the acrylic and lacquer have 'blended' together and the colour will drag and cause overlap where different colours on your float occur.

 

[purplepeanut007]

5AAA Antennae Wagglers in Charcoal & Slate Grey

fishing,float fishing,float making,hand crafted floats,traditional floats,purplepeanut007,mike cootes,float making,PP007,peanuts fishing adventures

purplepeanut007.blogspot.com

5AAA+ Antennae Wagglers In Charcoal & Slate Grey.

 

[grzyman12]

5AAA Antennae Wagglers in Charcoal & Slate Grey

fishing,float fishing,float making,hand crafted floats,traditional floats,purplepeanut007,mike cootes,float making,PP007,peanuts fishing adventures

purplepeanut007.blogspot.com

5AAA+ Antennae Wagglers In Charcoal & Slate Grey.

What material did you use when making these?
It looks like a balsa+reed/cane combo to me. I am not sure.