After messing around with a Mack brush to touch up a friend's pinstriping job on my car, I have really developed an interest in trying it out for real. I'm interested in trying the Kafka brush and getting his dvd. His grid looks like a nice addition for the newcomer, as well. Sooo...I guess the question is, if there are any stripers on here (or "pinheads", I guess), do you have any words of advice? I used the OneShot paint when I restriped my flames and it was pretty smooth. The Kafka brush looks pretty cool, compared to the Mack sword, but has anyone on here used one? Any thoughts on teaching myself to stripe? Is Kafka's dvd worth the...ugh...price? Thanks for any help... E
I got Kafka's brush, not to impressed with it. Maybe it's just me. Most people I have talked to or read about like the Bob-O, I believe it's called from Mack. The Kafka brush to me didn't seem to pull a consistent line or make tight corners. That they claim to, like I said it probably is me.
I would consider myself a total amateur when it comes to striping but I definitely get out and play once in a while. Best things I ever did was watch an oldschool local striper lay down some lines and veeerrrryyyy gingerly ask questions. Seems like the old schoolers are all pretty damned salty! -Got a piece of flat glass and taped grid paper to one side and used that to help keep an even balance. -Got 3 different Mack brushes, 0, 00, 000 and got a feel for each. I personally like pulling super thin lines but knowing how to manage line thickness is key IMO. -Practice inside and outside circles because you gotta mirror what you did on the other side. I'm sure there's a million other things I gleaned but that's all I got right now. Good luck and post a few pics. NAES
Xcaliber brushes are the best. I really like the shape and they are very durable. I learned useing Mac brushes, but I think I would have learned faster useing the Xcaliber brushes. Buy a 00 and a 000. Try to learn without a grid, so you will be able to lay down a line without that crutch.
I have been trying to teach myself also , and I bought the Mack 0 and the mack 00 , I cant buy 1shot around here , so , I had to buy the H.O.K. stuff , and let me tell ya , it can really make you dishearted at the whole thing , I tried some of the rustoleum also , but again , I shake like a dog shitting razor blades , I am trying to learn stoke technique and I have only been practicing on old fenders and shit I have lying around , but , I tell ya , I am thinking seriously about the grid and the kafka scroller , I mean I cant get any worse than I already have...lol , so , the moral to the story is: DO NOT BUY H.O.K. enamel , and like a pinhead told me "Practice , Practice , Practice".....man , I wish I didnt live in WV.....
I have been striping for 50 years and I hate the word crutch as used in the post by Bishop above. Saying that someone is using a crutch to lay out a design when they use a grid, stabilo, or pounce pattern is using a crutch is wrong. A craftsman in wood, steel, or any other medium, always measures in order to do a correct layout. You sure wouldn't build a house by eyeballing it. What counts is that the design is pleasing to the eye and proportionately correct. I can stripe without any layout as well as the next guy, but I won't because I want my work to be correct or I will always know.
I will second that.Although I don't use a grid(usually just a center line)I will use some reference marks if I am doing a large area such as a deck lid.My feeling is that anything you can use to make the job easier and come out nice is fine.I also use a magnetic guide to rest my finger on when I'm doing long straight lines.Some people say all you need is a piece of tape and some say nothing at all.This works for me and makes my job a lot easier so why not use it? I have talked with many stripers over the years and a good many of them were old-timers and I could probably count on the fingers of one hand the number I found to be unfriendly.As with anything I would use discretion when approaching someone and engaging them in conversation when they are concentrating on what can be very tedious work at times. I notice you are from Saginaw.If you want to pick up some good info and watch a bunch(about 125) of artists at work,come down to the Detroit Autorama at the end of February and hang out at the Motor City Auto Art Mavens area.You can pick up more in a weekend of observation than any video I know of.Questions will be gladly answered. You say that 1-Shot isn't available in your area;do you have a Painter's Supply anywhere near you?They deal in 1-Shot and I'm sure they would be glad to direct you to a place that does if they don't have what you need.I would recommend 1-Shot as the HoK and other urethanes are about twice the price and they usually require using a brush with synthetic hair as the natural hair brushes dry out very rapidly and lose hair due to the aggressive reducers used.Make sure when you get reducer that it is compatible with the temperature you will be working in.1-Shot has both a low temp and high temp reducer. X-Cailber brushes can be good for someone just starting out as they seem to make sharp turns easier.The down side is they don't hold as much paint as I like so they aren't really suited for doing longer lines. I personally use a Mack #3 for an all-around brush now. I also co-host(with Unkl Ian)a Yahoo group called the Pinstriper's Page which has a huge amount of info we have inputted into the data base.Check it out. http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/pinstriperspage
I use Mack or Bobo, tried the Kafka and don't like it. I think it is the hair it is made of. It seems to go limp very fast. I likethe 000 or 00 10 series with the blue thread Not the green thread. Ratroddude if you get a copy of Sign Craft magazine, www.signcraft.com, there is many sign supply company in there you can order 1-Shot from.
I like Mack 00 blue wraps, I don't recommend the 'grid' method of learning either, seems like it inhibits the 'flow' a nice piece should have. Glass also doesn't have the same 'feel' as striping on paint, at least to me. You can buy a bunch of pizza pans for $1 at the dollar tree etc. spray paint them up and practice on them - as you get more proficient you can give them away or even sell them to pay for your supplies - I bet I painted and sold a hundred toolboxes while I was 'learning' Like Ray said above, I pull a center line and if it's a bigger piece I might make a few light reference marks with a stabillo pencil. I usually pull one line, then the opposite side - left, right, left, right. I also never pass up the chance to watch another striper work, if I go to a show and see another striper working I'll introduce myself and ask if they mind if I hang around, nobody's turned me down yet. Good luck!
where u at in WV?im from here as well.HOK is awesome.you must not b used to it.its meant to be cleard over too,it drys way faster than 1SHOT.i use that for on top of clear
I can't work a Kafka. Stick with the Macks, there is a reason they are the standard. I have tons of brushes, but I tend to use a 00mack and an Excaliber 0000. Use the ex for short designs, as it turns easier, 00 for the longer lines. Don't start out on HOK, it isn't as forgiving. www.coastairbrush.com has all you need, I also use www.QHF.com as they are in SC and can have my stuff to me next day. Collect books on striping, I haven't found a bad one out there yet. The videos are good also, just don't waste your $ on Wizard's pinstriping basics, he just tells you to do 1000 strokes of each type of line. Hang out at the rockabilly car shows, someone always shows up to stripe, frequently more than one. Ask away, just not when they are pulling lines. Good luck.
my 2 cents... start with the Mack and practice, practice, practice... just run long lines first and it will eventually come and you start getting the feel for consistent line widths and paint consistency, etc. I use turpenoid with my 1shot to help keep it flowing longer. I received what I feel was invaluable advise from Pete "hotdog" Finlan. He told me to find an old hood or whatever and don't worry about designs just practice the straight lines and turns. A Stabilo pencil will be your best friend for a while as your learning. Once you start laying out designs if you are right handed lay your left side then your right so your hand is not blocking the lines you are trying to mirror or vs. if you are left handed. But, in short when I was learning I bought all of the the brushes actually Kafka first and in my opinion you can not get the feel from those brushes like you can with a Mack or Mack style brush. As you said above "pinhead" once you have got your lines down you can goto www.pinheadlounge.com and get plenty of design ideas. Good luck... it is fun and addicting, watch out in a few months everything in your house will likely have stripes. A man has to practice on something right? LOL!!
hey all i can say is practice practice practice. like olskoolrodder sated above soon everything in your house will be striped. im 18 and have been striping for two years, it just takes time.
I'm no pro but here goes my opinion..... Ditto the blue wrap Macks and Excaliburs. I have a blue and green Mack 00 and an X-0000, Bobbo Quad, and an Alan Johnson Signature from Mack. I thought I was doing good with the green until I bought a blue....world of difference. Still learning every time I stripe. Practice surfaces can be ANYTHING....glass bottles, cigar boxes, pane glass, painted or stained wood, bare aluminum.....anything with a smooth surface. Can't comment on other paints, I've only used 1Shot. Good Luck!
A brush that looks cool doesn't mean it works. I've always used Mack because with practice they work. And all you need is one 00 Mack with the tip slightly trimmed not a box of 20 different makes and models. You can only use one brush at a time so pick one or two you feel comfortable with and use it. Yes your tool is vital to the finished art but you should spend your time learning the craft not trying every brush that comes along. After 35+ years of "life on the line" (no job since '78) using just a few brushes at a time and not a box full of trophy queens, I'm proof that minimalism works.
Wow! Thanks for all the replies! You guys ROCK! I pick up my OneShot at a local hobby shop, but they don't carry brushes. I have a few Macks, and will continue to use those until I feel comfortable. I just wasn't sure if the Kafkas are as good as Kafka says. Can someone enlighten me on the "blue" and "green" brushes? I thought they were just numbered. Now I find out there's colors? If I were to buy an Excaliber or two...any suggestions? Thanks a ton E
Green is for auto paint touchups and is a less expensive brush. Blue is for sharp, consistent lines. From experience, you want a blue! A couple extra dollars is money well spent! Excaliburs...definitely a 0000 and probably an 00. I love my 4/0 for small stuff and/or real sharp detail....I use it for Christmas ornaments (among other things)!
Herb Martinez's Guide to Pinstriping - This book has some really good illustrations for proper hand position and remedies to problems you will run into regarding different thinners, etc. I really found this book to be helpful for me.
my advice is practice. it ain't gonna happen overnight. and also you have to be passionate, you gotta love doing it. i just use a cut down mack most of the time and 1-shot paint.
BTW... I haven't read everybodies posts but, incase nobody has explained "trimming" your brush. I was told to take brush conditioner or thinner and wet the brush so it takes the shape it would if it had paint in it. Then lay the brush flat on its side and cut about 1mm off the tip of the brush with a razor blade. Watch out so not to cut to much off. This will give you a clean tip with no stray hairs amung other things. If this has been explained my apologizes.
As a result of all the "kulture" exposure that I have given the wife over the years, she has decided to take up pinstriping. I think that it was the magazine photo spread she saw with the high heels and purse that were striped that won her over. I took her up to Coast Airbrush and bought her one of just about everything so that she could experiment and decide what is best for her. I have also found a number of good striping videos available for rent at smartflix.com...we rented the Kafka DVD among others and it was a big help for her to see how each striper worked. BTW - she has been bugging me for weeks already about the GNRS coming up at the end of the month...she spent hours at the stripers area there last year. That's my girl!
ive heard some good things about the kafkas for scrolling but for lines a sword will work better(again just what ive heard from friends since i only have macks)...ask questions,listen,practice,practice,practice,and when youre ready to toss the brush and paint in the trash practice some more. love the mack #000 blue wraps still learning but im getting there...
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