speed only comes into play when you are planning on striping for money and trying to make a living at it obviously the more vehicles you stripe the more money you make ive only been striping for about a year and a half now and i use lacquer thinner as well because i like how fast it dries the lacquer thinner tends to dry fast enough for you to cross back over lines with other colors (if you arent patient then thats a good thing) starting out youre not going to be fast and shouldnt try to be if you strive for quality, the quan***y will come if youre only striping only for yourself it doesnt matter how long it takes i suggest exploring your options and finding out which method suits your particular needs
There was a guy who did a LOT of commercial lettering work in this area and he used MEK to thin with. Many of his jobs that were done only several years ago look worn and like he was going for that now popular patinaed look. I'm sorry, but if you've got a business going for say a plumbing company, even if your truck is ten years old, the lettering should look respectable. Having a worn out looking logo on the side of an electrician's van is not that. That might work if you have a rod shop and use an A-bone truck as a parts chaser. I know of at least four companies that were done by this guy and the style and quaility of the lettering is great! However the quality of the painting is sub-par. Do what Darin, Ian and especially Ray are telling you. These guys are all masters of the art and want nothing more then to see it grow. As for Darin... Tha first time I saw him was at a KKOA gig in Muncie, IN. He striped 18 vehicles in the same time window as it took another striper, (who was a legend in his own mind) to run long lines down the sides of a '60 Olds. There is no way Darin could stripe that fast with anything but lacquer. Laying one color on top of another that was already on the first, no way. Darin is fast AND good. Ray and Ian are just plain good. I don't care how long it would take either one to stripe a car, it's worth the wait. I use MS and take my time and try to be as good as the guys I look up to. Vance
Here is the best advice I was given (on Sketchkult): Thin the 1-Shot until it is like melted ice cream. Give it a shot and you will see what I mean. - Joe
I was told that MEK is a good surface/paint prep cause it softens the paint up lets the stripe really bite in. As I have said, I'm just starting the long road to quality lines, just trying to do the practice thing right now and read as much info as I can to stuff into my dry sponge. My wife is a bit pissed about a bad stripe job on the washing machine...hhhmmm...what else can a guy paint thats around the house. Its hard to just stay on the practice paper without trying to do something that looks kool! Man...I'm really on the long road! Thanks everyone...hope the thread continues in a direction that will bring more info I havn't thought about yet.
I know I'm late on this. There is a DVD called "10,000 Strokes" by Spider. (forgive me if I'm wrong) The nice thing about it is he walks you through everything a beginner needs to know, and you can watch it over and over. I use and like the CHEAP no-fume minieral spirits and use baby oil for the brushes. I only stripe for myself as a hobby and enjoy it, but I'm no master. Mick
I can't imagine using MEK for anything;ESPECIALLY as a surface prep.Aside from it's extreme toxicity,it would be very aggressive on any painted surface with the possible exception of Imron.I've used it as a final cleaner after stripping paint from a metal surface.If used on fibergl***,it will actually soften the surface as it is a component of most body fillers(the catalyst for Bondo and similar materials is MEK peroxide). If used without protective gloves,it evaporates most of the oils in you skin and will actually leach through the layers into your body.Latex surgical type gloves will deteriorate if exposed to it.It is a proven carcinogen.Inhaling the fumes will not only get you high,it will get you comatose if you do enough.Why anyone would want to use it is beyond me when there are so many more efficient and far less toxic materials available.
Ray, you've met Bob haven't you? That might explain a lot ;-) When Jennifer, Bob's wife told me he uses MEK I didn't believe her and had to ask him myself. He said that he has used it before and only on certain things. And doesn't recommend anyone try it. Which makes me wonder why he uses it. But that's Bob. Vance
As for what to use when storring brushes? Ed Roth asked me what I used to keep my brush soft when I put them away. I told him that I used the 1-Shot brush preservative. He told me he kept his in Automatic ****** fluid, cause he traviled all over the states and when the temp got below freezing all the other stuff he had tried would freeze. That's what he told me but does that realy work? All you guy's that live where the temp dips is that true?
I've met Bob,took a weekend seminar with him around 10 years ago.Pinstriping,airbrushing,etc. I think he uses MEK to remove that spray on Silicone paint coating; it goes by different brand names like Permashine.High markup stuff for the dealers,but paint doesn't want to stick to it.Bob called it Slick **** 2000. Alan Johnson uses Polycracker,to remove Silicone finishes. Not nearly as aggressive.
Some people use ATF or motor oil,because it's cheap,and easy to get. A quart of oil today is maybe $3 or $4.00,a quart of 1-Shot Cleaner is over $10.00. The 1-Shot Cleaner works great.I frequently mix it 50/50 with Mineral Spirits,for my final rinse.Works so well,I don't have to oil my brushes,the residue is enough to stop any paint in the brush from drying.I also have a try,with 1-Shot Cleaner and Mineral Spirits in it,for short term storage.Be warned,the 1-Shot Cleaner can get Gummy,constant long term exposure can remove the paint from handles. Mackbrush.com has a good page on brush care.
I got mine and the brushes from Keith at Sketchkult. Nice guy to do buisness with. There are HAMB guys over there also. Mick
Hey thanks for the response. I'll check out that link. I'm largely self-taught couldn't find anyone close around me to apprentice with. But in the end I've never quite felt that I'm doing it right. I see guy's achieving a line quality that Ive never gotten, and I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I use the dip/pallet method & usually the 1-shot 6001 reducer. And mineral spirits to clean the brushes. Then the brush preservative before storing the brush. I will try the 50/50 last rinse suggestion next. Thank you! I wouldn't put it past Ed to pull my leg. But he showed me his homemade paint box with all his brushes (having lots of brushes made him feel more secure) It looked like automatic ****** fluid to me. What ever it was it was oily & red, so Take Care! Eye Bone
C.J. Allan uses Marvel Mystery Oil. As long as the oil doesn't polymerize,it will work fine. Mineral Oil,or baby Oil,are easy to get,and contain no additives. Do NOT use Linseed or Boiled Linseed for storing brushes ! Eye Bone: if you want to learn,go to a panel jam,and work with some people who know what they are doing. 99% of them will help you,and answer questions.
He might also use it to remove stripes and grafix that are dried real well. Should work faster than Easy Off. He told us to test it with a white rag on the inside lip of the wheel well. This are is less noticable if it does take off the gloss. If any of the paint color showed on the rag,don't try it on the rest of the car,because it WILL ruin the finish. Definately nasty stuff,I don't own any.
I use to store my brushes in motor oil, but an "ol Ace letter I know said it will knock the " snap" out of the brushes .. went back to the traditional lard like when I started out . Kind of makes sense, the hair is a natural product like the pig fat .. Also keep the brushes in a metal box so the mice don't make dinner out of them.. Happen to another 'ol timer I use to work for ... I personally like mineral spirits and a small amount of turp or linseed oil depending on weather... I don't think it's about drying speed as much as getting the 1-shot to flow and lay down. The oils tend to do it with out making the paint thin, runny and flat ... Anybody know if they still make Dagger Laq ???
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