I have read a lot of great threads on this forum. People here are great about giving advice and genuinely helping pinstriping newbs. I am such a creature at 55 years old. I like to buy and restore old USA made machinery. These are all for my own use. A few get done and collect dust because I really didn't need them but thought I had to have it. I recently finished a Burke #4 horizontal mill and it came out superb, if I may say so myself. I posted about it on a vintage machinery forum with a pic or two in the finished state and one reply said, "good job, now all it needs is some pinstriping". I thought this would be a great idea so I got a small brush that I had laying around the shop and you know what happened next. I am doing this only for my own satisfaction-no plans to open any pinstriping business EVER. Fast forward about 6 months and I am at where I am now with my progress. My two main questions are: I have purchased several sizes of the Mack series 10 (blue wrap-can't ever remember the right series?), Excaliber in all sizes and Kafkas in several sizes. I have been using mainly the Mack and Excaliber with slow but unsteady progress. I didn't keep track of which ones I trimmed but it was only one or two brushes and only the absolute very tips-maybe 2-3 hairs. I seem to be fixated on the brushes right now because the few "favorites" that I've been trying to get dialed in with seem to need t*******. I don't want to ruin them so I'd like to know how to proceed. The big problem with one or two is that I can see hairs at the tip or slightly toward the ferrule that don't seem to be on the same team as the others. I load & pallet the brush as best as I know how and when I touch down on the gl*** I practice on the brush(s) act a little squirrely before I can even start pulling. I look at the brush and I can see some hairs at the tip sticking out from the loaded brush without much paint on them. One another I load/pallet and look at it and see the same plus a hair or two about 1/3 of the way toward the ferrule that are showing below the loaded hairs. Hard to explain but it is making my *** ache big time. Just to cover what I've done thus far in my quest: One shot paint Mineral spirits for thinning and/ or OS high temp reducer Tried & may continue to use Penetrol when practicing in the heat. Clean after practice & oil with Neatsfoot oil & lay in my tackle box Bought & read Pinstripe Master, Herb Martinez, Larry Johnsons books Bought & watched Pinstripe Masters Vol 1 Watched every ******** youtube video including the SK marketing videos (is it me or is there some overly done product hawking going on-if it's me let me know-I can take it) Looked at so many forums that when I now google anything to do with pinstriping my browser returns results that are all highlighted as being visited prior. How should I approach this brush situation? Lastly I'd love some advice on how to keep my cans of OS in proper operating condition. I've learned not to shake the cans to mix the paint . I started with just 2 cans but I just got a 5 can "kit" of 4 oz each which I have not opened. I'll likely use the 2 mini cup method from now on but I'd like to avoid the crusty rims & tops that my two original cans have now. I read about using lag bolts through the tops here but I am wondering how to mix the paint prior to practicing. Do I remove the tops, mix, then replace the top with the screw in it? Seems like this would still allow air inside every time?? I may be able to offer a little tid bit I learned about canned liquids of (almost) any type. All metal cans & jars (like PVC glue etc.) allow air in & out as temps go up & down. If these containers are stored upside down the **** inside lasts much longer. I found this out after having to buy PVC glue damn near every time I needed it. Maybe everyone here know this but at least I tried to contribute. Thanks for any advice. Howard Hampstead, NC
I hear ya on the frustrating part This is how I do and store it; I always used Mack brushes. Never trimmed the swords. Lightly trimmed the daggers with a razor when hairs are wet, just to make the ends all the same except for the top bristles being further out then the bottoms. Store them in 2 stroke compressor oil (detergent free). Using older less mineral spirts for cleaning the oil out before painting, and for clean up. I have a can of mineral spirits while painting on the side and dip the paint soaked brush into the can lightly and brush it in for each or every other stroke. Never m*** mixing. Each stroke is different. Dip heavier on longer lines or long curves. Lightly dip for other simple lines. I notice my OS cans can crust over the more I use. I keep a pocket knife in the kit to cut away any skin to keep tip paint layer fresh. Some colors like silver don't last long. Which is why I buy small cans incase I have to toss one and don't have a pint sized can full of crust. Never turn cans on their side. At least I don't. Store em all upright. Hard to avoid crusty rims unless u wipe em down every time. Pinstriping has been a fun side thing for me and still haven't figured it all out. But that routine has always worked for me. I have bought precut and oiled brushes and found em useless to me. I'm not quite sure how it works but as long as it works for you and most of my Mack's have never needed much t******* Happy striping
If there are a couple unhappy hairs, they can be sacrificed. That will encourage the others to cooperate.
Sometimes you just get a few wild hairs in a brush and I just clip them with a razor blade or pull them out with tweezers. Make sure you get all the paint out at clean up or the hairs will spring back crooked when you use next time, even after stored in oil. I hang my Macks in a small jar of thinner with a clothes pin holding the handle at the top until all the paint is gone. Don't thin the paint too much, that helps with the stray hairs too. Stay with it and Good luck.
Ive trimmend the brush with small finger clippers, and once you open the paint and the air gets in theres nothing you can do they will start to dry up if you dont use them alot.
The Jalopy Journal
