9 Y/O wants to learn to pinstripe

my 9 y/o daughter wants to learn to pinstripe!!! this is for real!! for her 10th birthday I have been looking for brushes / starter kit, ie: mack brushes and 1 shot!! I can not believe the prices of 12-15 bucks a piece for them, since she is learning she may forget to clean brush, or damage them, therefore I am out the scratch for that item!! so I am asking if anyone knows of a cheap copy cat type of brush, and equivelant paint that she could use?!?!? Or does anyone have any used brushes they have NO use for, I will give a fair price and pay shipping, but ***ume you have the brushes YOU want, so any advice will be appreciated...Ken

 

I would say to get the mack brush and just get one color, I think black is the cheapest.
I am personally think the paint is inexpensive. Find somewhere to get 1/4 pints and it should be less than $10 for paint.

 

the paint i aint to worried about, cheap enough, it's those damn brushes!!! she really wants to do this, but thats alot for some horses ***es HAIR!!!

 

pfft you try rippin the hair off a horses ***...

 

yeah you got me there ...good point!!

 

Buy her two of the good brushes, & a couple colors, & a book. Go over the book with her & supervise the practice sessions. She's worth it!
P.S. if you don't want to do all this let me know & I'll be glad to take over - you lucky SOB!
I expect to see pics soon.....
~ Paul
aka "Tha Driver"

I drive way too fast to worry about cholesterol.

 

It's worth it to spring for the right brushes and paint. They make all the difference. I'd recommend getting her an Excaliber, or at least a Mack 000. I just see something with shorter bristles being easier for a kid to get the hang of [I know they were easier for me to get the hang of. ] as opposed to the venerable 00. Just make sure she takes the time to clean them properly and oil them when she's done.

Beyond that, just tell her to practice a whole bunch and not get discouraged if she doesn't get it down right away. Who knows, maybe she'll be able to pay for her first car with pinstriping money.

 

If I remember right Eastwood has a like starter kit of Mack brushes for about 45 scheckels. I think you get 6 brushes. Look at it as in investment in her future. Once she starts striping, the brushes will have paid for themselves many times over.

RRR

 

Do her a favor and spend the money to get a new Excalabur... do not set her up to fail ... Just about everyone that I know trims their brushes some how and if she can start out with an unmolested brush the she will be well on her way. I have been working with a buddies 10 year old son and I got him his first brushes (Mack 00 and 000) and he couldn't hold the brush up far enough to pull a good line. He was working with one of my Excaliburs and wham... he was doing great. Also go buy John Hannicaine's Pinstriping book... It is great for the beginner

 

I've been buying the little cans (1/2 pint?) of 1-Shot at the **** Blick brick & mortar store for about $5. Some colors and metallics are more. The gold is like $15. But most primary colors are only $5. A little 1-Shot goes a long long way. Teaching her to be conservative with the paint and cleaning/oiling the brushes is all part of the zen of the process if you ask me.

I don't have any great recommendations on the brush. I think my 00 was only like $8 at Painter's Supply. I think Blick has them for $10. You're better off if you can find a local place to buy stuff. The web is a last resort if you live in the sticks.

I'd just get one striping sword and a few cheap lettering and "dot" type brushes from a store like Michaels. A little variety makes it more fun.

 

a good brush, water and cardboard...

 

I can't believe yo're *****ing about the price of brushes. I paid $25 Aus for my Macks and I can't believe how cheap they are. I used to be a graphic designer many years ago when we used brushes and such and I happily paid $12 - $15 for a good brush (that's in the 80s).

All that aside, if my 5 yo boy wanted to learn I'd give him a couple of my brushes without question. Sounds like a cheap, worthwhile present that she really wants. What more do you want?

Pete

 

2 things--do excercises focused on limbering up and doing lines in long sweeps, as most youngins are handicapped by a tendency to try to do lines slowly and carefully, like sketching...
AND safety!! I believe many One-Shot colors use high levels of lead, so be sure to teach her to be real careful about cleanup and not touching her mouth or face with paint in use!

 

Any 1-Shot made in the last year and a half has ZERO Lead,by Federal mandate.
It also doesn't cover nearly as well as the old stuff.

Since her hands are smaller,I would suggest an X-caliber,or a Mack 250.

 

cool!!

 

That's great!! Hope she loves doing it. It's a cool art form and great introduction to art for your girl as well. Post some pics of her stuff when she's happy with the results.

I have a brother in law who's very artistic. I gave him a striping kit a few years ago for Christmas. I mean a box, 5 brushes, thinner, rags, neatsfoot oil, 5 colors, a book on striping and lettering, fine line tape, a wrist rest - the works. He's never even tried it. I know he can do it if he'd just practice. I told him if he learned to do that and lettering he'd never be without some cash in his pocket, but what do I know?

The irony? He's now a house painter.

 

Never get water any where near a striping brush, it will turn it into a club instantly. Any paint left to dry in the brush will also ruin it. If you are using One Shot, rinse with mineral spirits throughly after use until no color shows up in clear thinner. Spin it in your hands, like you were rolling a piece of play dough, to spin out any excess thinner and then work brush oil into the heel of the brush to keep any paint from drying there. The heel is the part closest to the handle. If you can't afford brush oil, use automatic transmission fluid. Proper care of a striping brush has more to do with straight lines than anything else.

 

wasn't so much "*****in'" as much as looking for a good deal AND some advice!kids seem to have a "short" attention span, although I know she wants to do this, so $75.00 total for brushes, paint, intructional books, etc. to then "just sit in the corner" is what I was trying to avoid!! per everyones advice here I will spring for the --good 'chit-- and help and stand behind her 100%, by the way, she already has her ride...a '49 fleetline!!!

 

completely innocent here, and NOT being sarcastic!!! I'm not sure what you meant by "a club" do they harden up with water? how? Also I thought oil and paint didn't mix!!! wouldn't the oil/****** fluid make the paint seperate upon applying it to a surface??? I have heard of "oil based paint" but figured that was just a --nick name-- for house paint. I know if I get any trace of oil on my car surface prior to paint I get fish eye!! I'm just trying to learn as much as possible to give her the info. After her birthday, I will let her read all the posts here for inspiration, from you all, she usually reads along with me BUT I am keeping this one from her until then thanks ...ken

 

No advice on what to buy, but my 9 year old has wanted to learn to pinstripe for a while. We have bribed him with if you make the honor roll with his report card(something he can do if he just did his work on time, smart kid), then we'll buy you anything you want, and he chose everything he needs to pinstripe. Like I said smart kid. He has a plan to pinstripe in the summer at shows, and live on the beach and surf in the winter with the money he makes from pinstriping when he's older. I didn't know Missouri boys knew how to surf.

I was thrilled to see this post and have book marked it so when those A's come in, I'll know exactly what to get him.

By the way he has his ride already too, a 46 willy's jeep, that he wants to make "turtle low" and green with gold and white pinstriping. He wants McLean wheels too, since that's his middle name. Not sure what to bribe him with to get those.

MissyD
(wife and secretary)

 

Oiling the brush stops the minute traces of paint left over from drying.
The trick is to use a non-drying oil.NOT Linseed Oil,or Boilded Linseed Oil,etc.

Neatsfoot Oil works well,as does Mineral Oil.
Motor oil and ATF will work in a pinch.

When you go to use the brush next time,
the oil needs to be rinsed out before you start.

One decent brush is a better investment than a few crummy brushes.

 

very KOOL, although --fyi-- McClean has been out of business for about 8 years now, BUT any set of roadsters, crowns, or LA wire, look the same, just buy the McClean sticker for the pan, (McClean never made a true knock off rim, only bolt ons), I may have some (stickers)! If I do i'll send them to you free!! I have no use for them! I have all knock offs now...ken

 

http://sketchkult.com//phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=1110

 

Said nonsarcastically-I may be a chick, but I knew that(That's why I made the joke) .

Ben has been trying to educate me about wheels for a while now. Ask anyone about his wheel collection.

Chase would love the stickers, thanks. I don't think we have any. Thanks for the thought. I really really appreciate it..
MissyD

 

DAMN, those are 2 great sites!! thank - you! never would have seen those if not for you/this post!! lots of info, gotta get off the **** site and gather up all that info!! ken

 

I'm heading out to the garage now, to work on the '49 I'll look for them..but can't promise, it's been years since I have seen them, I do have some metal "cloissene"--(spelling) centers for knock-off roadsters, but want those...sorry! Lowrider magazine, ( me: subscriber since '82 when it was run by Alberto Lopez) still have a couple of companies with adds that show the stickers for sale, 5 or 10 bucks, so that may be a possibility too!!! I'll let you know if I have them tonight, --unless i forget-- while under the "fleet" and I "pre-appologize" if I do forget!! I always have to pre appologize to my wife for garage outings like that ALL the time...ken

 

Hard to get a point across by typing. By a club I mean it makes it useless. Water takes all of the snap out of the brush, causes the bristles to swell. Snap is the quality of the flexibility of the brush. When striping you are pulling lines and twirling the brush in your finger to make curves. The brush has to be flexible to do this. The oil is used to keep the brush supple in between uses and keeps the paint from drying in the heel of the brush. It is rinsed out before using the brush again, so you are not actually applying oil to the surface just keeping the brush flexible between uses. One shot paint are enamels which have always been refered to as oil based. Early paints were mixed with linseed oil as a vehicle. If you are using modern paints to be used under basecoat clearcoat systems you use compatible paint to the system. Starting out you will be best to learn brush control using One shot sign paint that most stripers have always used. Sometimes it is hard to explain these things, but make sure that the brush is cleaned after every use.
When you want to paint, remove the oil from the brush with thinner, or mineral spirits, and ALWAYS pull using your first finger and your thumb from the handle out so you don't mess up the bristles. Make sure the brush has been wiped dry and the thinner has been removed.Then you can dip the brush into the paint and work the paint into the bristles by laying the brush down on a palette like a slick paper catalog and pulling it so the bristles pull out flat. That means pulling so the bristles follow and never push against the bristles, always pull.Do this a couple of times until you see that the paint has been worked into the brush. Now you can put the brush between your first finger and your thumb and turn the edge of the brush down and pull a line. Thats about all I can explain and the rest is practice. As you said the brushes are expensive so treat it accordingly.

Sorry if I wasn't clear.

 

I use to have mineral oil on all my brushes but I have been known to go along time between picking up a brush. The mineral oil always seem to run out because it was so thin. A sign guy here in Fresno told me he used ****** fluid just cleaned the brush with mineral spirits, dipped it atf and your good to go. Said if you don't get it all out it just makes the paint shinier(???) I guess because their both petroleum products their compatable? I'm just an amatuer, but this guy's been lettering for almost as long as I've been alive so what do I know.

 

air gun oil works great.... murphys mystery oil...

 

Don't be cheap. A can of paint and a brush comes to about 25 bucks if I've added correctly. Give your little girl this opportunity. Hell, I don't always clean my brush as well as I could, but I always oil it (30w non-detergent) and it's fine.