Stripes

[Black_peter]

So y'all know I searched...
I'm not finding how people blend stripes. There was a post on transitions but I don't understand it..

If you have say, a red bike and want wide stripes how do you do that?
I think it makes the most sense to start with white then mask and paint the red, but how do you deal with the ridge? Do you sand?
Then does the transition stay as sharp as the mask?

Am I better off just using white tape?

[steves]

Um.... you're asking a paint question? Like... something to do with plastics?

[Black_peter]

Um.... you're asking a paint question? Like... something to do with plastics?

Mr wise guy.. I have paint.. Just not as much as some!


Maybe even more than you!

[seabass10369]

are you talking about how to have a clean line between the white and the red? if thats what you mean you need vinyl tape not masking tape for your paint edge.

[Black_peter]

are you talking about how to have a clean line between the white and the red? if thats what you mean you need vinyl tape not masking tape for your paint edge.

Well that's good info. But What I really mean is that you do your base color..
Then mask and paint the stripe. Now you have a layer of paint higher than the base. Also the stripe will make a ridge where it filled up against the tape.

Do you just sand that down?

[kat_kitten]

wouldn't the clear coat take care of that?

[teddy]

wouldn't the clear coat take care of that?

to an extent...you would most likely have to wetsand and re-clear a couple times to get a real nice smooth surface without any edge to it....just try not to load up a ton of paint next to that tape line...get it covered, and STOP

[Black_peter]

to an extent...you would most likely have to wetsand and re-clear a couple times to get a real nice smooth surface without any edge to it....just try not to load up a ton of paint next to that tape line...get it covered, and STOP

So lay the stripe, wet sand, clear..
I guess I imagined the two colors bleeding together during the sanding.

[teddy]

So lay the stripe, wet sand, clear..
I guess I imagined the two colors bleeding together during the sanding.

close...lay the stripe, clear, wetsand, clear, repeat again if you aren't satisfied

never ever wetsand basecoat unless you are re-applying it before clear
(It's what I have always been told, so I don't do it.)

[Sirhcrod]

And yes, you'd want your basecoat to be the white.

[Black_peter]

close...lay the stripe, clear, wetsand, clear, repeat again if you aren't satisfied

never ever wetsand basecoat unless you are re-applying it before clear
(It's what I have always been told, so I don't do it.)

Hmm OK.. I did some more reading and I guess you also pull the tape early so the edge flows. I guess that will reduce the ridge.

And yes, you'd want your basecoat to be the white.

That make sense from a coverage stand point..
Thanks guys..

[chinto]

sorry I missed this post somehow.

There are a few different approaches I have taken in order to achieve a clean line, this is the most recent one I used on a 2 colour paintjob (55 pontiac) when a line is visible in the paint job.

Basically, I painted the blue portion of the car first. I did both the base and the clear. A couple of days later I taped off my lines using what is commonly referred to as "fineline tape". With my fineline now inplace I proceded to cover the rest of the blue with regular masking tape and paper, and proceeded to lay down the base. Because it was a pearl colour it was a 3 stage and required a coat of pearl effect to be sprayed after the base and before the clear. Because this meant that I was now going to have the 3 coats of base 2 coats of pearl I was concerned that I was going to have a ridge and in order to combat this when I sprayed the first coat of the pearl effect I sprayed it with the gun about 18-20 inches away from the car and sprayed a light coat. For the second coat of pearl effect I moved the gun closer to the car and sprayed a slightly heavier coat but I did not come all the way over to the line. My spray pattern stopped at approx 2 inches from the line. With the base and pearl still wet I peeled the fineline tape, in order to allow the base and pearl to settle. I allowed the paint to flash the appropriate amount of time and sprayed the clear. I overlapped the clear (on the other side of the line) by about 1/2 inch. With 2 coats if clear there was pletty to smooth it out during the cut and polish stage.




This line separation is actually covered by some chrome trim so I did not follow the above process for this line.



The separation at the back of the car is the only spot where the separation was not covered by trim and is the only spot where I bothered to use the technique described above. Not a good pic to show it but the line runs from below the tail light, straight down under the bumper:

[Black_peter]

Thank bud..
That is really clear.
In the case of small areas like a bike would you agree that putting the dark over light makes sense?

[chinto]

Thank bud..
That is really clear.
In the case of small areas like a bike would you agree that putting the dark over light makes sense?

yeah for the most part you are almost always better of going with the dark color over light. Other wise you will need a paint with good coverage or a lot of coats. The latter of course means you "ridge" will be taller, and will require a bit more work to eliminate.

[steves]