painting some stripes, need pointers

[my70stang]

hey all,

so i bought a "paint your own stripes" stencil from ** Graphic Express * Ford Mustang Stripe Kits and Decals - Boss Cobra Mach1 Mustang GT King Cobra Maverick Torino and more and this weekend my ride will definitely have a meaner look to it.

i know i'll need to strip the wax (but with what?)
ill have to rough up the paint with some sandpaper (what grain count?)
should i prime it?
and what primer would be the best?
and i have a prepped and painted hood scoop thats already flat black;
what is the best paint for the job?

i figured some veterans have already done this, and you could really help me out with this. thanks guys

 

[zookeeper]

Painting stripes is actually fairly easy, but you do need to keep an eye on the details. As for your questions:
Strip the wax with a wax and grease remover, available at any paint store. Follow the directions on the can closely, since they're not all the same.
If you're shooting over base coat/clearcoat, use 600 grit AFTER you clean it.
As for shooting over flat black, I've never done it, but if there's clear, scuff it and shoot it, but only scuff the part that you'll paint.
Here's a few tips that'll make life easier as well. Afetr you've masked everything off and are ready to paint, try using an intercoat clear. This is a clear that painters use to protect different "layers" when they lay out complex designs. It's basically a base that has no pigment. The reason for using this is that if you just lay down color, it's highly likely that color will seep in under the masking. But if you use intercoat clear, it seals the taped off area so you won't get any bleed through and you'll have nice, crisp edges. Just make sure the intercoat clear is compatible with your stripe paint and you'll be fine. Also, if you're not clearing over the whole area, you may want to use a single stage paint to prevent a big ridge at the edge. You'll still have a ridge, but not as big as if you laid down three coats of base and another couple coats of clear. If you have a spare hood, door or other scrap body panel, it would be a great idea to try stripes on it first. You don't need to use your good stencils, a little tape and paper will work nicely and give you a chance to try using as little paint as possible (to prevent a ridge) and still cover. Hope this helps, Jim

 

[my70stang]

thanks for the tips, i heard of something similar to the clear coat idea, i was thinking of that just before i read your reply

 

[65ShelbyClone]

What if you end up with a ridge against the tape anyway? Is there any special way to knock it down, or is it just a case of carefully sanding it?

 

[zookeeper]

You will have a slight ridge, and if it's single stage, I wouldn't sand it. Just remove the tape early and hope for the best. I have seen an article where the painter used a dulled knife, dragging it across the egde (not cutting, but lightly scraping) to knock it down slighly. But in reality, the ridge won't be that bad if you don't go overboard with the paint coats and remove the tape early.

 

[65ShelbyClone]

Thanks. The stripes I plan on putting on my 68 are going to be under a few layers of clear; they won't be added on later or anything.

 

[my70stang]

how early would you take the tape off? an hour after the final coat? maybe a half an hour?

 

[zookeeper]

Thanks. The stripes I plan on putting on my 68 are going to be under a few layers of clear; they won't be added on later or anything.

That's what I did with mine. If you add anough clear, like 3 good coats, then when you color sand and buff, you won't feel a ridge at all. I actually shot my stripes, then 3 coats of clear, then waited a few days, then wet-sanded with 500 grit, then re-cleared the strip area. Even before I buffed, there was no ridge at all.

how early would you take the tape off? an hour after the final coat? maybe a half an hour?

As soon as the paint is what painters call "hand slick" which means as soo as you can gently rub the BACK of your hand across the fresh paint and not have it stick, then it's dry enough to un-tape. BTW, DO NOT test on your paint! Instead, try the hand-slick test on the masking paper near the stripe area. When you un-mask, go very slowly and pull the tape "ahead" of itself. By that I mean, keep your hand low so the tape is making a tight angle, don't pull the tape straight up, as it has a tendency to peel your fresh stripes off. Let me know if you have any other questions at all. Jim

It's tough to see in this photo, but if you look closely, you might notice no ridge at all between stripe and main color. That's from clear and wet-sanding over the stripes.

 

[my70stang]

thats awesome man, thanks for all the help, ill get some pictures up by the end of this weekend

 

[my70stang]

the stripes are on, they went really well, there were a few drips because of the spray cans, but otherwise, they look great, thanks for the help.

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[my70stang]

and by the way, the owner before me had these hood pins in them, and i guess he didnt space them properly because my stripes were measured at least 6 times to insure a straight and centered stripe

 

[whatagearhead]

sweet - nice job

 

[zookeeper]

Oustanding results! As far as taking care of them try Meguiars Quik-Detailer. I used a semi-gloss black from a spray can on lots of smaller parts under my hood (horns, battery tray, some brackets) and I use the Quik Detailer to keep them looking like new. Nothing sticks and it doesn't stain the black or make it look like ArmorAll got sprayed on it.

 

[Grabber70Mach]

Nice job, like the way it came out.