John,
Thanks again for your gift. Let me know if you want any other RonRigs or mods to them. Also I can make the bend in the spinner bait, will try to play with it later this week.
Ron

I Have used the master airbrush and didn't like it in my opinion. I use the Iwana neo I got from hobby lobby also, I like it because it is more simple and easier to take apart and easy to clean. It may have been the model of the master series I had but I didn't care for it. I cant remember which one it is, I gave it to a painter at work and he loves it lol.

Thank you!
Ron

Started out using the Master series G-44 airbrush I bought with a kit....paint, compressor, airbrush. Great warranty service...just not a great airbrush. On a scale of 1-10 its a 6

I'm going to disagree to an extent, with the right needle and nozzle I don't notice much difference in my master and my neo. I think the masters actually puts out more volume it won't get the real crisp lines that some of the other more expensive brushes will do. With that said though can a fish tell the difference in the paint job on a moving bait when sprayed through 2 different guns. I personally don't think so and honestly most of my more productive baits have been the less complex patterns.

Most airbrushes can out paint us. I upgraded from the Neo to the High performance series and it is hard for me to even pick up the Neo anymore. I don't judge the airbrush purely on the ability to do detail work or I would have gotten a .20 tip instead. I do judge it on the ease of painting. It has a .30 tip vs the Neo's .35 and still sprays pearl, iridescent, and metallic paints better than the Neo. I have less difficulties w/ the brush clogging or needing to be broken down and cleaned. It has the needle adjustment to help you regulate how far you pull the needle back that the Neo didn't have. This helps me be MUCH more consistent. Plus the addition of the external MAC valve really makes the whole process faster when cleaning the brush and adjusting air flow. I also figure if I am going to do something that I enjoy, using high quality equipment makes the whole experience more enjoyable to me.

My biggest beef with the Master airbrush was the needle tips and the needles. I had all kinds of trouble with the tips splitting and the needles getting deformed. Finally gave up on it. Thinking the metal was soft....maybe it was just me being heavy handed. Also, it was a bear to disassemble, clean and reassemble.
For me its not so much what a fish sees when my pattern swims by, but rather, what I see when I'm done putting a pattern on a blank. Kinda like a game for me....how to make it look more lifelike?? But Brad's speaking the truth....some of my best "fish catching" lures were just simple two color paint jobs.
Many, many studies have been done on how bass locate a meal. For bass its first the inner ear for general location....second the lateral line to zero in...and finally, in the last several feet, the eyes, for the strike. I think depth, speed, color and size are the four important factors to consider when bass fishing. Color is probably less important than the other three factors. BUT....there are those times when the bass are on a specific color/pattern....change it in any way and the bite is over! Wish catching bass was as easy as painting bass lures.

i use the Aztec air brush and love it!! badger compressor

So i've been wanting to get into painting myself, and this thread has a lot of good information, but what supplies would I need besides a compressor and gun?

Work area with a ventilated paint booth. If you're married and choose not to get this you might start looking for a good divorce lawyer
cleaning station: for paint changes
moisture filter: for the compressor
something to hold lures while they're being painted
paint...lots and lots of paint
painters tape: to mask lure bills and other areas
hairdryer: for that really cool hairdo ...(use it to flash dry paint)
mesh cloth: bridal veil, loofa, etc. for scale patterns
gator clips: to secure the mesh over the lure
coffee can: for trash paint
paper or cloth towels
eye dropper: for mixing/measuring paint
epoxy: to clear coat your finished lures
brushes: to apply the epoxy
denatured alcohol: to clean up your messes
Patience...if you don't have this don't bother with all the other stuff

I think it's a good deal