Paint & Pinstripe questions.

This winter I hope to paint the old BMW R-90. I can shoot the gun metal grey paint bit can't stripe worth a damn.

What do you think, or have you any experience with vinyl pinstripes and then shooting a clear over the top?

Some Honda motorcycles I've had seem to have about 1/8" of clear over the tank stickers, but I wonder how the sticker was treated to keep the clear from peeling off or making holidays.

Dan

you could always mask off where you want the stripes and shoot them with the gun (assuming straight stripes here)

914Driver wrote: This winter I hope to paint the old BMW R-90. I can shoot the gun metal grey paint bit can't stripe worth a damn. What do you think, or have you any experience with vinyl pinstripes and then shooting a clear over the top? Some Honda motorcycles I've had seem to have about 1/8" of clear over the tank stickers, but I wonder how the sticker was treated to keep the clear from peeling off or making holidays. Dan

I think I'd be leery of it to be honest. If you were closer I'd offer to stripe it for you although Im just an amateur myself. Depending on what kind of lines you need to pull I've found a Beugler pinstriping tool can make almost anyone look good. I tend to lay down curved work by hand but I cannot pull long straight lines so I started "cheating" with the Beugler and its pretty easy.

http://www.beugler.com/how2.html

Having worked in the sign biz.....I have seen some clear over vinyl stripes turn out great, I have seen a LOT turn out bad. If you go that route, on;ly use the TOP quality vinyl. Cheap vinyl will shrink over time, even under a clear coat. the results are disasterous.

I've never tried it myself, so that's all the help I can give.

Thanks JThw8. Santa never knows what to get me, maybe that'll get on the list.

Original BMW striping on the /6 and earlier bikes is quite "organic" looking. I'm certain that with a real striping brush, some One-Shot sign painter's enamel and the proper reducer and retarder - and a couple hours of diligent practice - you could do just fine.

I like a grease pencil better than tape as a guide line - it's easier to get a nice, fair line that follows the shape properly. Practice pulling lines with the paint at ever-thinner viscosity until it feels right. It's devilishly hard when the paint is not the correct viscosity, and surprisingly easy when it is.

When pulling a line you have to be deliberate. The length of the brush keeps it smooth and fluid, the height of the brush handle above the works sets the fine adjustment of the width of the stripe. And when using One-Shot, if you don't like the line you just laid down, wipe it off with a soft cotton rag and thinner and do it again. Probably the hardest part is doing the front fender if you decide to run the stripe over the rib down the center, Making that step up is hard...

buy 6 dollar roll of stripe practice before you paint

Bueggler or have your local sign shop cut you out vinyl stripes to mask off where you would lay down some hot shot peel up when 1/2 dry then clear coat.

Edit to add This I did the other day just screwing around.