Best Trick For Doing Pinstriping

[Gregg]

If you saw the workbench topic on the '49 Merc wagon, you know I'm building a KTKB '49 Merc wagon

my problem is the pinstripping between the gold and the dark blue

I used to use pinstripping tape in the old days, but that's so old days

What have you guys used that works the best?

The stripe will be red, to match the rims.

I need this to be flawless, in order to Kick Tom Kren's Butt (The KTKB above) at Toledo.

Tom, love yah!

[RodBurNeR]

If it was me, i would use striping tape to masking the line off and cover the rest of the car with paper or glad press 'n seal or something....

shoot light coats so it's not a heavy stripe. Did that with the Bright Aqua stripe on this a few years ago. I know you didn't want to hear about the striping tape

Hosted on Fotki

Hosted on Fotki

[novadose71]

I haven't found any self adhesive pinstripes that I've been happy with. I have been using strips of Tamiya masking tape cut with Excel (sharpest out there IMHO) #11 zacto blades for all my paint separation/pinstriping needs. I stick it to a piece of glass from an 11x13 picture frame , grab my metal straight edge, cut off and discard the factory cut edges as they're not real clean, then measure and cut the strips approximately 1/2 mm wide. It's real flexible, so you can lay a good curve with it and it will follow contours well also, sticks good, and it releases easy too. The pic in my sig. is an example of this idea. The separation was done with a single strip of tape. I taped off and sprayed the candy red and the candy blue separately, so the tiny amount of white you might see along the separation is the base color showing due to my (un)steady taping hand, and the fact that it will get some sort of white stripe along it so I wasn't too concerned with it being perfect.

I've also thought about trying a vinyl dye or paint right on the tape strips, then laying my stripe on the model. The dye is pretty flexible for curves, but dries semigloss, so it would have to be cleared on the car, I'm thinking gloss paint could be used for a straight stripe, but have not tested this idea yet. I also wonder if the tapes texture could be buried under the paint, or if it would be visible. That's all I got to say about this. I'll be watching for more idea's.

Edited September 24, 2008 by novadose71

[crispy]

HEY! I used striping tape!

This is Pactra trim tape. You know, the stuff that has about 6 different widths on a roll. I'd never done a separation line and thought this would be the easiest thing to do. Just add clear-coat to level it off.

But since you don't want to use tape, never mind...............

Chris

[PatRedmond]

"Yes, Gregg Needs Help"

Well duh.

[Guest zebm1]

You could always Hand Paint it....or "Hire it Out" ...on tha sly.....

[george 53]

Gregg, How bout a fine line sharpie? Or maybe a gel pen? I guess you'd need a pretty steady hand, But maybe it would work.Just a thought.

[Olle F]

How about using this?

http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=11856

[TimKustom]

Might be REAL difficult on this build, but the best (and in scale) pinstripe I've seen was done by Tony "Tinman" Inman. I've got photo prints of the car at home, done on a '40 Ford Sedan, dark green, with a bright orange stripe.

First off, get "In the Zone" cause you really need to be in a happy place to pull this off.

Lay down some fairly thick tape to use as an "edge" or if your feeling extremely self confident get ready do it free hand. Take a deep breath...

Now take a BRAND NEW exacto blade and lay down a groove between the two colors. In this groove flow some opaque color into it. Don't worry if the paint gets slightly out of the groove.

Next polish off any paint that's out of the groove. Bet you can do a double line with two blades glued together...

That's all.

[Raul_Perez]

I too use the Pactra pinstriping tape and clear over it. If you really want to spray it, which I've also done with good success, the best masking material I've found for a perfect line every time is BMF.

Good luck,

[Joe Handley]

Might be REAL difficult on this build, but the best (and in scale) pinstripe I've seen was done by Tony "Tinman" Inman. I've got photo prints of the car at home, done on a '40 Ford Sedan, dark green, with a bright orange stripe.

First off, get "In the Zone" cause you really need to be in a happy place to pull this off.

Lay down some fairly thick tape to use as an "edge" or if your feeling extremely self confident get ready do it free hand. Take a deep breath...

Now take a BRAND NEW exacto blade and lay down a groove between the two colors. In this groove flow some opaque color into it. Don't worry if the paint gets slightly out of the groove.

Next polish off any paint that's out of the groove. Bet you can do a double line with two blades glued together...

That's all.

ok, let me get this straight.....he would "key" his freshly painted body and "touch it up" with the color of choice?

I'd screw that up for sure

Edited September 24, 2008 by Joe Handley

[TimKustom]

ok, let me get this straight.....he would "key" his freshly painted body and "touch it up" with the color of choice?

I'd screw that up for sure

That's one way to look at it... The stripe was so fine it almost had to be pointed out to notice.

Bet it would like real killer on a flame job...

[mikelo]

Two things;

1- a good brush.

2- a steady hand.

Seriously though, there is a guy on here (Steve Millberry) from Canada who paints his stripes his stripes on by hand, and they look great. He said he just uses a good thin brush and rests his hand on the corner of his desk.

Mike

Edited September 24, 2008 by mikelo

[Olle F]

Now take a BRAND NEW exacto blade and lay down a groove between the two colors. In this groove flow some opaque color into it. Don't worry if the paint gets slightly out of the groove.

Next polish off any paint that's out of the groove. Bet you can do a double line with two blades glued together...

That's definitely not for the faint of heart! Still, it made me think that you can use a dentist's pick to carefully scribe the paint, instead of cutting it with a knife blade. As long as you use a sharp tool, a guide and of course, providing that the paint doesn't chip or act up when you scribe it... There's a lot of "ifs" and "buts", but I might just try this method on a scrapped body to see if it works.

[Steve D.]

How about trying clear decal film sprayed the color of your choice . They go on nice and thin and can be cleared over , or not , if you want the effect of stickers ala NASCAR . Stripes like this are used by aircraft modelers to depict stripes on ordinance and wing walkway stripes etc . The thing thats good about these is the fact that you can make a ton of them for next to nothing and keep applying them until your satisfied with the results. When used with solvents they disappear like they are painted on .

Just another option , Take care and see you around the clubhouse ,

Steve D.

[Smart-Resins]

I like to use pin stripping tape myself too for the line as I can lay it over contours. Then tape or syran wrap over the rest of the body.Lay down in thin coats. I have heard of poeple using silver paper, whatever you call it for chroming, but A I have never been able to use it because of B, I always cut my paint job and ruin it!LOL.

[Jairus]

I hand paint it with a nib and a ruler... but that is just me.

[Gregg]

I ordered that pinstripping tape

hope it gets here quick

I used Kren's credit card....

[Tom Kren]

I ordered that pinstripping tape

hope it gets here quick

I used Kren's credit card....

HA HA HA ! Be a real man and do it free hand! Did i say that?

[Gregg]

HA HA HA ! Be a real man and do it free hand! Did i say that?

Bitch

[RadRidesByDan]

I masked mine and airbrushed the redline pinstripe. it works very well

[Rick Forrester]

HA HA HA ! Be a real man and do it free hand! Did i say that?

You got it Tom hand paint it. And who's the BITCH NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[evilone]

Bitch

now what were the rules

NO CUSING

busted with your own rules

[Gregg]

It's my sand box........

[Rick Forrester]

now what were the rules

NO CUSING

busted with your own rules

SORRY IF I BROKE THE RULE. I WILL TAKE A TIME OUT IN THE CORNER .

PAPAFO