Top question for anyone who lays down a mean stripe and the bottom is for any with any skill for the air gun. Okay so I kinda and I loosley use that term know how to pinstripe, I did a little and I thought it was awesome. Turns out not so much. So I know that you need one shot paint for striping, but what kind of brushes are best? And how long did it take you all to get good? I know it is not an over night thing but an average time frame would be kinda cool. So I have never painted a car before or even attempted, got close but never really happened. So I get how the painting is done and I have seen people spraying panels and such before but I have never really been told how to do it correctly (which will change because I am doing high school classes to teach me how to paint) but, I heard that to get an amazing paint job, wet sand after each coat of clear, even if you are gonna lay another coat over that, is this overkill or does it actually make a difference in the overall end of the paint? Which places are best for buying paint/having good overall quality of their products? Thanks for any answers and have an awesome day! Plus I will be adding on questions once I feel that these have been answered fully because I don't want to over use your help or take up too much of your time. Thanks again.
striping.... brushes... mack brushes are standard. blue handle mack series 10. start with a 00 or 0. one shot over clear. hok under clear. as far as striping guys. just cuz u can throw out some lines in a somewhat cool pattern doesnt make u striper. the hardest thing to do striping is a double line down the side of a car. practice brush control. do long lines. c curves, s curves both direction. practice outlining flames. (uve got some skill when u can stripe a flame set of a motorcylce without wiping it off and doing tight curves on the inside of licks) as with striping, painting is practice. learning proper gun controll. knowing about paint and how it works is a BIG plus. as far as sanding ever coat of clear. no. u dont do every coat. not on a 2k urethane clear. maybe in the old lacquer days it was fine. not now. u can do a clear session( usualy 2 to 3 coats) sand, then reclear for a smoother and less trashed finish. but it depends on the job and the type of work.
Thank you for your help. Do you buy from a certain company? Like I like TCP Global but what do I know, right? Or am I right? P.S. do you do this on the side or as a job, if so (either way) is it in any way lucrative?
I use a 00 mack that i cut the bottom out of. and i,ve been striping a long time. i'm still not as good as i wanna be. your not that far away from me. my son lives in spartenburg. if i can help you, let me know. ed
I like really fine lines and have found that Mr J's Excaliber brushes are ready to stripe with right out of the tube so to speak. Give 'em a day or two to sit in your brush oil to condition , do not trim and enjoy these babys. Practice as much as you can, take up Edweirds offer for help most definitely. You will be amazed at how much technique can be soaked up when you are near someone who can make a brush dance. The best learning I have ever done by far is to get out to a panel jam or two. Beyond that, make sure you're having fun. If you're not into it, you won't practice the way you should. Curse....
You're going to get a really wide variety of answers here, so I'll just throw mine out. For striping I use a 00 Mack. Don't be fooled though, I am not a striper by any means. The only time I ever do it is out of necessity. I wipe off a flame job around 8 times before its even close. BTW, pinstripers tape is a godsend. http://www.finessepinstriping.com/ This shit is the real deal, it works. But Sssssshhh, don't tell anyone... Sanding between coats was a lacquer thing. No need for it here. Like Sik said, couple of coats, wait a day, cut it flat, and add a few more, then cut and buff. As with anything, you need to shop around. Again, many preferences here, but for me its only HOK for reaslly kustom stuff or PPG for less kustom stuff.
Yeah like Chris said...... Go to Panel Jams!!! They are a valuable gathering of knowledge. You'll get to meet sooo many talented and nice people. Practice every minute you can. Prob'ly took me 3 years before I felt comfortable with painting on someones cherished Hot Rod. Definitely not something that can be rushed. Good luck with it!
Thank you guys for all your help but now I need to know, what kind of equiptment is best for a new painter? Not the most expencive stuff mind you but, good and true. I need to know: paint guns air tank and setup ect... and average cost would be pretty cool.
Devilbiss Startingline or Finishline. I'd say to walk an entire car, you need at least a 30 gallon tank with a decent cfm rating.
Okay, now can any of you guys put up some pictures of paint jobs or lines you have done? Not saying you are no good, I am saying however that a little inspiration would be pretty killer!
Here's a place for tutorial DVDs: http://www.coastairbrush.com/products.asp?cat=113 The more you practice the better you'll get. Study other peoples work, and develop your own style. Some like thin lines, some like fat lines. Some like open loopy designs, some like tight technical stuff. Here's one for brushes: http://www.coastairbrush.com/categories.asp?cat=21 Try them ALL, each has it's own characteristics. Some work better for small/tight jobs, some work better for long lines, while others are better for outlining. I started with Macs, but now I use whatever is appropriate. Here's one for Spray Guns: http://www.coastairbrush.com/categories.asp?cat=12 The most important thing about a gun is the nozzle size, fan size and fluid/volume adjustment. They should match the type of paint you use and the surface and item you're painting. You need to know how to adjust the gun according to the paint you use. Air pressure, fan shape, and fluid control are very important. You can pull off a pretty good paint job with a low end gun if everything is adjusted properly. Your air source is super important. But thats a whole other topic. Painting is a much about chemistry as it is about proper application (gun distance, air pressure, overlap, etc). Every company produces a tech manual. Read it, and you'll do OK. Mistakes happen. The difference between a good painter and a great painter is his ability to fix his mistakes. Prep is a huge consideration! You need to know what material you spray first, second, third, etc. What primer to use, what grit sand paper to use. Again, usually covered in the tech manuals. Go buy an old fender, learn how to fix the dents using hammers and dollies and body filler, apply the primers and sealers, lay down base colors, lay down clears, wet sanding, buffing and then throw down some stripes. When your all done, sand it off and try again until you feel confident and comfortable doing it on your ride. Good Luck. Practice, practice, practice!
Thank you. This is really quite useful. Thank you for taking time from your day to write such a complete answer!
All I ever managed to do is stripe a wheel once with a roller striper, with the little steel wheel. Worked.... I have great respect for any real artist and to me striping is real art.......
I get all my stripin' supplies from a place somewhat close to you if yer interested. Repeat Interprises. They are in Holly Springs NC. Quick delivery and good prices.
No Problem, I've attached some images of recent work and some practice panels which you might want to pick up and play with. They are license plate panels, also available at Coast Airbrush. I only paint bikes (so far) mostly high end restorations and some custom stuff. But that market has really dried up and a lot of painters are undercutting one another, but I'll pinstripe anything. I'm looking forward to painting cars... I think? If you have anymore questions feel free to ask
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