# Automotive pin striping



## markoles (Jan 2, 2008)

I've been holding out on you guys. 

I've repainted my Aristo heavyweight coach. I'm trying to add automotive pin striping, but while it was easy to get in position, how do I get the pin striping to stay on? I thought it was done last night, but this morning, half of one of the stripes was off. 

Thanks, 

Mark


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## pimanjc (Jan 2, 2008)

Mark, 
I have used automotive pin striping on my UP & SF FA/FBs. After being placed, I oversprayed with Krylon cleas satin. I don't have advice about the tape peeling off, since that didn't happen to me. Is the tape old or has it gotten hot in the past? That might make a difference. 
JimC.


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## markoles (Jan 2, 2008)

Jim, 

Brand new yesterday. I was going to put a few decals on the coach, but maybe I'll do that after spraying on some clear coat. 

Mark


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## Bob Pero (Jan 13, 2008)

Is the finish gloss or flat? Tape does not stick well to flat finishes.


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

You might try glue (like thick CA) used SPARINGLY on the ends of each stripe... particularly if the end is somewhere not easily seen.


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## markoles (Jan 2, 2008)

Gloss finish. I will try a little glue and then paint it with some dull coat.


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Clean it with alcohol first. Jerry


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## GNSteamer (Jan 16, 2008)

Patra makes pin striping in various widths for R/C aircraft where the stripes are located and adhered. Once satisfied, a heat gun or blow dryer is used to heat the stripes activating the adhesive and bonding it more or less permanently to the surface. I'm not sure if the striping for automotive use has the same properties.


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## markoles (Jan 2, 2008)

I was thinking about hitting it with the hair dryer to fix it in to place. I spoke to MB at lunchtime and she said that the one stripe had fallen off again. I think a little dab of glue, and then some clear coat will hold it in place. Maybe a little heat, too. 

Mark


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## Greg Stevens (Jan 3, 2008)

Mark, 

Don't overlook the possibility of using decal stripes. They are a little more work that using auto pin stripes, but they are more permenant as long as they are fixed properly. No worries about lift off. But they can be fussy to get into place in the beginning. Good Luck.


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Maybe the striping was pretty old stuff. That could be the problem.


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## Guest (Sep 23, 2008)

3M pin auto tape should work better. 
Toad


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

this was done with Pactra tape 








It doesn't stick as well as I'd like. especially the small pieces. I didn't try the heat gun idea--that sounds good. I could not find auto pinstripe tape in the right widths or colors


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## Russell Miller (Jan 3, 2008)

How long has the paint been dry? Solvents outgassing from paint will cause the adhesive on the tape to fail. It takes a long time for paint to completly cure. 
Russ


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## GNSteamer (Jan 16, 2008)

Nothing beats the old fashion hand painted pinstripes for longevity especially after being clearcoated. The 3M automotive masking tape product can be layed down, burnished to seal the edges and then a coat of paint applied between the tape lines if you wanted a painted stripe. You wouldn't have to worry about lifting edges or ends.


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## markoles (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks for the advice! 

3 out of the 4 stripes held on, no problem. For that fourth one, I used a teeny bit of Elmers white glue. I plan on clear coating this whole car tonight. I posted pictures in a new thread so you guys can see what I was trying to do. Perhaps on the next car, I will use the automotive pin striping as making instead. 

Mark


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## cudak888 (Mar 22, 2008)

The best surface for automotive pinstriping is one which is extremely smooth and of high gloss. Surfaces polished (and of course, cleaned afterwards) with microfinishing compound in particular, if the surface was not particularly glossy before. 

I've found that most of the run-of-the-mill pinstriping is far too thick though. Look at the original (first seven seasons) models built for the Thomas The Tank Engine children's series - these models used automotive striping on their boilers, splashers, and tenders, and it was painfully obvious. Apparently, it was fragile too - in one scene in the episode Edward's Exploit (book version of the TV series only), a good portion of striping on Edward's splasher has been damaged by handling. Mind you, these models had some severely high-gloss paint jobs during the early seasons too. 

-Kurt


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## W3NZL (Jan 2, 2008)

Mark, 
I've been using 3 M automotive pin stripping for many years without any difficulty 
what-so-ever, maybe U got a bad roll, or something is on that car causing it... 
Also used the model airplane stuff too, works well too, but not as many colors and 
sizes awailable as the automotive stuff. Couple of years ago I did some HWs for 
a fellow which required gold lettering and pin-stripes, so I had my print shop 
cut the lettering in gold vinyl, and cut pin-stripes in the same gold vinyl, they 
worked out very well also... 
Paul R...


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## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

Gee, I'm kinda disappointed. I saw the thread title and thought somebody was using the little glass jar thingy with the toothed wheels... (My dad has one but I can't make it do anything but blobs and squiggles, lol)


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