[mopars69]

can anone help me on how to begin pinstriping and post up some pics of what you've done thanks~jonathan

[71hondachopper]

The way I started out was I picked up a book at Barnes&Noble called Pinstriping Masters studied all the tips and tricks that the pros use and got the general idea of how to do it. Then went to the paint store picked up 2 Mack 00 brushes and a few cans of One Shot stripping paint went home and practiced on everything that I could (laying down an even line, learning how to load the brush, making designs symetrical, learning how to contort the brush in tight turns, etc). Ok lost my train of thought my advice would basically be get a book or dvd get some brushes and some paint and dont get discouraged the first time you try something as with anything it takes practice and determination. Best of luck on your new addiction! Chop

[F&J]

I don't stripe, so no tips here.


What helps me with anything I have tried, is either watch a pro, or at least look at what they did.

Take time to look at all the striping jobs you can find. You should see a noticable difference in everyones work

Then find your style

I just bought some old fenders. Hope you can see how thin these stripes are, and how they vary in width as they turn. Lots of stripes I see these days, are too wide IMO. Striping should enhance the car, not stick out like a sore thumb.

[pepi]

agree with fine line pinstripes .

[dalesy]

The book mentioned above is great for seeing what others are doing. But, as a beginner, pay close attention to hand position. The most important thing in striping is....PRACTICE.

Notice how the brush is held near the ferrule, between the thumb and index finger. The other fingers are to support and steady the stroke. The closer to the work you move the brush, the thicker the line. More up on the fingertips and the line will be thinner. Thick or thin striping is between you and your customer. I've always tended to use thick stripes on big trucks, and get thinner as the vehicle gets smaller; but if the owner wants thick on a bike, give it to him.

Start SIMPLE. Straight lines. Get an old fender, door skin..something shiny and at least 2 by 3 feet to practice on. When you're done practicing, take some thinner and wipe it off, and you're ready for the next session. Get the good old standard Mack sword striper, O size to start. You can get these on the internet, or from most automotive paint suppliers....some call them 'touch-up brushes'. You don't need expensive 'striping' paint to start out.....any oil-based enamel will do. Dip the brush about 3/4 of the way up the bristles into the paint and palette it back and forth on a piece of metal, plastic, or shiny page in a magazine. Use a little thinner to make it flow better, if you need to.

Start at the top, and pull a line straight down. Notice the thickness of the line. Is it uniform? If not, you're either raising or lowering your hand on the stroke. Keep practicing until you can stripe an even line confidently. Then try it horizontally, and get comfortable with this. You will get to know by"feel" when the paint is the right consistency when it "pulls" comfortably.

Curves take more practice. When you make a curved line to the right, you need to twist the brush a little to the left to keep a uniform contact with the bristles on the panel. Going left, twist to right. Try to do one left, then one right and make them symmetrical. Match one side to the other. PRACTICE. Don't try any fancy designs until you master the basics. It's easy to get discouraged if you try to do too much, too soon. Striping isn't terribly hard to do, but you have to get the basics down to make it really happen.

I hope this will help you to get started. I have some pictures, but until I can figure out how to re-size them to post, you'll have to wait. Post any questions you may have and I'll try to help you further. Check out UTube...serarch for Alan Johnson. He has good tutorials. Also Google Joey Madden.....good instructions also.

I tried to re-size some photos and examples..

[79C10]

Howdy.
I searched the forums and found an excellent thread that's about pinstriping and has some great pics.
Enjoy ,
Mike
Pinstriping