how do you pin-stripe a tank?

[smaeda]

I have a photoshop of how I want to stripe my tank but have no idea how to do it. Do you just buy pin-stripe tape and tape on the stripes? Or do you paint it on? Could someone enlighten me on how to do this?

Thanks

 

[gribbs]

Higher quality job would be painted on stripes under a clear coat. Sometimes stripe stickers are used undere clear coat. The easiest and cheapest would be to use sticker tape. The question is, how can we do 90 degree corners and intricate detail with stick-on stripes?

 

[smaeda]

exactly my thoughts. The design that I have would require lots of sharp corners. I wasn't sure how tape could do that.

 

[forcefanajd]

Higher quality job would be painted on stripes under a clear coat. Sometimes stripe stickers are used undere clear coat. The easiest and cheapest would be to use sticker tape. The question is, how can we do 90 degree corners and intricate detail with stick-on stripes?

actually higher quality jobs are done after final paint, color sand, and buff on top of the clear coat this way here if there is a mishap it is fixable without sanding and painting again.

what i would do is mask off the entire tank (after paint and one coat of clear coat to protect the paint, be sure to scuff before painting the gold) and seat in green painters tape, then using 1/4" blue tape, tape off the desired design, then cut through the green tape with a razor blade on the outside of the blue painters tape, peel off the blue tape and the green tape which is underneith it and then paint your gold laying the paint on VERY light (almost dry) then peel off te green tape when you are done and clear coat the entire thing with 3 coats of a good 2k clear.

 

[JA-Moo]

I use the 3M pinstriping tape to tape off my painted stripes and such. With some practice you can do pretty tight U turns if you want. One thing is not to stretch the tape when you are laying it down, and second, using your thumb as a anchor and holding the free end of the tape 4 to 6" from where you are laying it down, you can stretch the tape to lay down around the corner.

 

[smaeda]

thanks for the replies guys. Another thing I thought of was to make a template and have a sign shop cut out some pre-made vinyl stripes.

 

[mrtracy1990]

I finished my first gas tank last summer and I used blue 3M pin-striping tape. It follows any curve and you don't have to worry about any disconformities, bubbles or bunching in the tape. It made perfect lines. Its difficult to find, but I found some after the 3rd auto parts store I had gone to, I believe it was O'Reillys Auto Parts. Was about $6 for a med roll (not sure on the ft or cm).
-Michael

 

[Staffy]

Mate if you want something like that done, take it to a professional. It'll be so worth it in the end. If you get onto youtube and look at some pinstriping vids you'll see the skill these cats have. I've got some brushes here and have been planning on getting some paint and laying some lines down but i haven't had the inclination yet, so i'm gonna pay a fella to stripe my bike(s). I just spoke to the guy today and he wants to bike painted, clear coated and cleaned. Don't worry about polish etc cause they're just gonna clean that stuff off anyway before they can lay down one shot.

That said, what you'd be looking at in that first pic is gold leaf, which is a whole new ball game again, but most good stripers should be able to do that for you.