Cheap Spectra-Tex!

[[amw]]

I've just received a parcel from Barwell Bodyworks containing some Spectra-Tex. Haven't had time to try it out yet.

The thing that attracted me to it was the price: £2 for 120ml! (also available in 60ml for £1)
The postage was about £6 (to the UK).

Feel free to point out the obvious (it is 'for' textiles, it might well require heat setting, it might not be colour fast etc) but you can't fault the price.

I don't think you can find an airbrush-specific paint any cheaper than than this (if you can, then please post a link!)

I'll add something to this thread when I've actually put some of it through my brush.

 

[jord001]

Not just for textiles, its an all round paint. and yes it does need heat setting on textiles. I've used it for years and its pretty good especially at the price. I've used it on t-shirts, metal panels, plastic, crash helmets, canvas, paper and even on a model car body. I used to get mine from the KKBO show as Barwell were usually there along with Ken Badger himself, however they have stopped coming to the show so haven't stocked up on it for a while. At that price I think I will start getting my stock back up, I could pop in as they are not far away from where I work. My Niece and Grandchildren love using it when they come over, I find that it needs a little thinning but not a lot, and it flows nicely through my 0.2 HP-B+ Hope this helps.
Lee

 

[Jurien72]

They literally cant give that stuff away bwahaha! Nice score on the paint!

 

[Nada]

its not junk, not my favorite. but if it does what you want thats a score

 

[Mr.Micron]

right now the main thing is having paint to practice with , Spectra-tex is made for Badger and it is not really bad to spray with. I think I remember Ken saying it was color fast but you are correct on it being for textile, That being said paper , canvas and other card stock is textile LOL

 

[basepaint]

I use it in florescent colors on some of the lures I paint and like the way it sprays out of my hp-cs

 

[[amw]]

Not just for textiles, its an all round paint. and yes it does need heat setting on textiles. I've used it for years and its pretty good especially at the price. I've used it on t-shirts, metal panels, plastic, crash helmets, canvas, paper and even on a model car body....

Good, that sounds promising, I was going to try it on some non-textile things to see what might happen. When you used it on 'hard' surfaces did you heat it at all (hair dryer ?) or just leave it to dry? If so, how long did you leave it before applying applying a clear coat?

 

[jord001]

I just left it to dry naturally but left it overnight or more, as for clearing, I've never cleared any hard surface with it on only a canvas and some card. So sorry but I can't give you much info.

Lee

 

[[amw]]

Well, I got the time to spray some of the Spectra-Tex using my HP-C onto a random plastic object. The world didn't end and the paint seemed to stick. I did consider using a primer, bt I thought it might be more instructive to just spray it on and see what happened.

The plastic was black, so I sprayed first with the opaque white then used some transparent red and blue over the white. All seemed to work fine out of the bottle at around 25 psi, I suspect you might have to thin them for use at lower pressure, but this isn't surprising. Tip dry happened more with the white, also not surprising.

All in all I was very happy, especially give the price.

I should have taken a picture, but didn't.... sorry.

 

[Mr.Micron]

Well that is good news but anytime I paint on plastic I always use an adhesion promoter to ensure as best one can that the paint will hold up as long as possible.

 

[Leakyvalve]

You hear so little about spectra tex I woulda bet they went belly up years ago. They actually have a lot of colors. Web site looks like it was designed when dial up was king. Of course it's run by badger, which is at least a decade or more behind the times.

 

[[amw]]

You hear so little about spectra tex I woulda bet they went belly up years ago. They actually have a lot of colors. Web site looks like it was designed when dial up was king. Of course it's run by badger, which is at least a decade or more behind the times.

You mean this website? Yes, it's good isn't it? I've only messed around with the stuff briefly, but, I don't think you could do better for that price. I've tried a lot of 'money saving' paints through my airbrush - thinning cheap acrylics kinda works but no where near as well as 'real' airbrush paint, watery gouache works well, but only on paper and not always lightfast, I believe.

Well that is good news but anytime I paint on plastic I always use an adhesion promoter to ensure as best one can that the paint will hold up as long as possible.

Yes, that's the right thing to do. If I was painting this on plastic bits of a bike then I would have used some primer/adhesion promoter as well; I was just playing to see what the paint would do on some thing I didn't care about.

 

[jord001]

I am near Barwell body works when I have to go into work, I might just pop in and fill my rucksack

Lee

 

[[amw]]

Yes, at that price, why not? Fill yer boots...

 

[Dewayne]

This is Spectra Tex on a Harley I did a few years ago. She's now selling the bike on FB and this is what it looks like about... Ohh, I'd say 4 or maybe 5 years ago? I did not clear it, but the guy uses a very high end, hi impact clear on all his stuff. He's had paint jobs go across Barret Jackson's auction block.

 

[Squishy]

I personally didn't like it, both using it or how it looked cleared for auto compared to other paints. But that's just me, and for that price anyone who hasn't settled on a brand yet, give it a try. If you're starting out you'll learn how to get the best out of it as you go along.

 

[Leakyvalve]

I just grabbed a couple bottles of some greys and a white from Blick. Haven't run it through it's paces yet. I have to laugh a little because the labeling looks designed in the late 80's, early 90's, which is typical of anything Badger related. Like the cartoonish airbrush on the label has jagged lines around it because the 16 bit graphics couldn't handle much.