thought some of you do-it-yourselfers out there might appreciate this info. try it! anyone can do it! anyway, here goes- i was striping my friend's tank for his honda motorcycle, and i thought i'd take a few pictures and show you guys how it's done. if you already know this stuff, maybe the pictures will be amusing to you, and if you want to learn- read on!! --by the way, there's a million ways to do this, and this is just how i do it. please, feel free to share your tips and techniques if you guys have anything to add. thanks!! here's the stuff you need to begin with- paint- i use one shot 3m fineline tape 1/8" tack cloth wax and grease remover (or you can use comet cleanser) ...and, brushes- lettering quill and sword stripers the quill is used for the thick lines and the striper for a thin line. although i'm not using it this time, my stabilo pencil is invaluable for drawing in center lines when doing designs or lettering. it's water soluable, so you can wipe it off after the paint has dried. next, i'll show you some work being done!! jon
i forgot some very important supplies!! paper towels, for cleaning your hands, brushes, and wiping screw ups an old magazine, for palleting your brush- i'll explain it later. and thinner- for cleaning brushes and thinning out thick paint *here's a little trick - take an old pickle jar, and stuff two of those cheapo plastic scrubbies from the kitchen in there, then fill with mineral spirits. when you clean your brushes, you can use the scrubbies to pull the paint off and the dregs will sink to the bottom, leaving fresh thinner at the top for you!! -- also works well for fine arts oil paints- you artists out there!! jon
ok, i'm ready to paint- but first a little note about cleanliness-- always plan on getting paint all over everything!! wear old clothes and shoes. paint in a well ventilated area- the fumes are killer. if you're outside, try to block the wind and dust and work in the shade as much as possible. if you're inside, put newspaper down or an old rug you don't care about, because swmbo will not appreciate this!!! jon
alright, after i cleaned the carpet for about 30 minutes, and my girlfriend stopped yelling at me, i moved back into the studio and got painting!! yeah!! this is what i started with. the blue is the fine line tape i used as a guide to keep both sides looking the same, and i made sure to keep it symmetrical from a top view. i wiped it down with the tack cloth, to remove dust and dirt, then the wax remover, so the paint will stick right to the tank, and not get fish eyes (bubbles), then one more time with the tack cloth because the rag i used for the wax remover left some lint. don't want that in the paint!! now i use the secret unobtanium can opener- a single red cent. grab some paint- all the way to the hilt don't want drips, but keep as much paint on there as you can!! jon
here's the most important step- palleting your brush. wipe the paint on the magazine, keeping the brush in line with the page- you're looking to make the hairs nice and flat and get a feel for the consistancy of the paint. usually, the paint straight out of a brand new can is just about right! this is how to hold the brush. the little wooden part always goes to the left- even if you're left handed. this is so that the point of the brush is at the top and it allows a very thin line with little pressure, and a thick line when you smash the brush down on the tank. let's paint!! here's some shots of laying the line down. sometimes you really have to be a contortionist to get the brush where it needs to be, but the paint still flows. it's amazing!! you'll notice here, i had to stop and load the brush up again- the secret is to make bold, long strokes with the brush and then pull it up sharply when you start to feel it drag more. then you get more paint, pallete it again, and start your line about 1/4 to 1/2" into the last line you laid down. if you're quick about it, the paint will flow into itself and when it dries, you'll never know you even lifted the brush!! keep on truckin'!! fast forward to the future... viola!! it's done!! next, the most important step- cleaning your brushes. btw- store this in a cool, dust free environment for about 24 hrs until the paint can set up! then we'll tackle the other side!! jon
now for the cleanup- the magazine pages fold in half- then when the paint is dry, you can rip them out and toss em. as for the brushes- they need to live on to paint another day!! first clean them in the thinner as best you can then i like to rinse out the caustic thinner with regular hand soap. just lather and rinse, then repeat! here is a great picture of how the sword striper works. this is it's natural position. it should be stored in this way, and it should be paleted this way before you paint. the top hairs are longer than the bottom ones. this allows the paint to flow from the hilt of the brush all the way down to the tip. this is nice, because it allows you to paint those really really long lines down the side of a car! otherwise, you'd be getting more paint ALL THE TIME and that's no fun! some people store their brushes in motor oil, or linseed oil, or even ATF. if you do this, be sure to rinse that stuff out before you stick it in the paint! ewww!! that's it. hope you guys can benefit from this stuff. it's really not that hard, it just takes a little getting used to. i hope to post more of this sort of thing, if you guys are interested, including a hand lettering demo, and of course the pinstriping designs!! let me know if you want more!! thanks! jon
Outstanding! This site just bumped up a few more notches on why it is so invaluable! That was like something out of a hot rod magazine article! I know that took a LOT of time to get together and post for us, so let me just say THANKS! I can feel members getting ideas right now! Lines on wheels anyone?
Thank You !! It is always amazing to watch an artiste at work . The really cool thing here , is that some one will look and say " I think I'll try that " and discover a hidden talent Keep the tech articles coming ! .
yeah, i hope someone does try it!! anyone can do it, i'm not just saying that. i'll post some more stuff. right now i'm reading some literature that ed "big daddy" roth wrote about striping back in the day, and he was all about sharing info and helping people do this stuff, so why not? more to come!! jon btw- if any of you guys want to return the favor by posting something similar, but dealing with stuff like tuning carbs or welding in patch panels, or painting a fender, i would be much abliged!! you know how much we love pictures!!
very Kool tech tip sloromon that very good job. I hope you out of the dog house for the spill .Any how that was a kool tech post on how you did the work and the steps we might try it some time. thank for sharing
Tech Tips I've written quite a few over the years but I dunno how to save 'em , they're in the archives , perhaps the most popular one is how to adjust the valves on an InLine 6 Banger engine , it's posted over on Deve's site @ speedprint and I think maybe it's been posted here... (ya know I worked on one of these old trucks once... ) Some of the body work how to's I've read here are simply priceless . -Nate
