posted
I normally do all my straight lines using masking tape as a guide. I attempt to get it as straight as possible. That's part of the challenge, and fun of doing it for me. Customers also want to say it's "hand painted". I do get occasions where the line must be damn near laser perfect. As in a high dollar vehicle. I also do alot of repairs for body shops. Many of the cars have been "taped". Probably using Finesse. Does anyone here ever use Finesse for their straight lines primarily, or under certain conditions? I'm afraid if I start using it, the customers will say " that's so easy, I can do it myself", etc.
-------------------- Luke S. Luke Scanlan Artistry Ocala, Fl. lukescanlan@cox.net Posts: 249 | From: Ocala, Florida | Registered: Nov 2001
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quote: I'm afraid if I start using it, the customers will say " that's so easy, I can do it myself", etc.
That's when I offer them the brush and say "Have at it."
Using the right paint, getting a flow, laying down the tape straight, pulling the lines smoothly, using the right brush.... There's a lot more to doing straight lines than most people would think.
If the tape is the right tool for the job, use it.
I wouldn't sweat it too much, Luke. Rapid
-------------------- Ray Rheaume Rapidfire Design 543 Brushwood Road North Haverhill, NH 03774 rapidfiredesign@hotmail.com 603-787-6803
I like my paint shaken, not stirred. Posts: 5648 | From: North Haverhill, New Hampshire | Registered: Apr 2003
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posted
I've been using Finesse for over twenty years. Great stuff. Straights are something I just never was able to master real well. I tried Finesse when they first came out with it and have been very satisfied with it. We use it on new vehicles used vehicles and body shop repair work. For the body shop work you need to keep a pretty good inventory as far as the various sizes go. If you run into a pattern you don't have it's not to hard to alter one you do have to get the line you want. The nice thing about using Finesse for repair work is on a double line / one color ( like a Crown Vic Ford ) you can use a #6 quill and pull both lines at once. Like anything there are a few tricks to using the stuff but it's very user friendly. In the twenty years I've been using the stuff, I've only had one problem with paint pulling up and that was the fault of the painter who was rushing his work. The clear would always lift on his silver jobs. A lot of "real stripers" look down their noses at the use of Finesse......if that sort of thing is important to you . FYI, I turned Cos on to this stuff many years ago. We were talking about pulling straights using the magnetic guides a few years back. He said "why bother, I've been using Finesse ever since you told me about it" As far as the body shops feeling they can do it themselves, I did have one shop start doing their own. That was over fifteen years ago. Most painters don't want to fool with the color matching, plus the expense of buying/inventoring factory striping paint from Dupont, PPG or somebody else makes it prohibitive. We use urethanes for all our striping repairs. Color matching is easier than using One Shot, not to mention we NEVER have to go back to fix something somebody smudged. If you use urethanes, you have to divide the car up into panels, the window on urethane is too small to allow you to go down the entire side of the car before you pull up the tape. We can get away with two panels at a time around here, anything more is pushing our luck. If you have any questions give me a holler.
-------------------- George Perkins Millington,TN. goatwell@bigriver.net
"I started out with nothing and still have most of it left"
posted
I love striping, but I don't do enough of it anymore to keep "in touch" with doing long, straight lines. I use Finesse. Had trouble with a large roll of tape once. Emailed the company and they told me to send back the unused portion. Well, I had to work through the problem and I told the I used it up, but it had a glue problem. They sent me two new rolls with NO questions and the problem never happened agin.
Great Company!!
-------------------- Tony Vickio The World Famous Vickio Signs 3364 Rt.329 Watkins Glen, NY 14891 t30v@vickiosigns.com 607-535-6241 http://www.vickiosigns.com Posts: 1063 | From: Watkins Glen, New York | Registered: Sep 2001
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posted
I myself can't say enough about Pepe' and his crew at Finesse, I've been using it since he introduced it, it's been a lifesaver, like when I was fighting learning how to stripe left handed when I lost use of right arm, hadn't been for Finesse, I would have gone hungary alot back then...... As far as being looked down upon by "real" stripers, I'm a "real" striper and use it religiously.....no ones looking down on me that I know of, at least not for that... Glue failure is a problem though, I've found if kept cool, it won't happen, so I'm going to say, that it's probably a regional problem...I'd reccomend it to anyone wanting to do nice work and can't for whatever reason... Luke, those diggers don't get all that long a line to begin with, what's matter boy, too much fer ya? heheheh
-------------------- Frank Magoo, Magoo's-Las Vegas; fmagoo@netzero.com "the only easy day was yesterday" Posts: 2365 | From: Las Vegas, Nv. | Registered: Jun 2003
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(done in my best Darth Vader raspy heaving voice...)
-------------------- Bruce Bowers
DrCAS Custom Lettering and Design Saint Cloud, Minnesota
"Things work out best for the people who make the best of the way things work out." - Art Linkletter Posts: 6451 | From: Saint Cloud, Minnesota | Registered: Jun 1999
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posted
We use finesse here as well for certain applications,however if you are going to make a living as a striper it is very important to be able to pull long lines freehand.I do work for several cadillac dealersm and like many dealers they are always looking for ways to save money.They have tried to do the finesse thing and of course had trouble.You will always garner more respect and much more money as rule.It is much faster to do them freehand once you get to the right level of experince.
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I use 3M green fine line tape myself. The other day, after striping a Peterbilt, I went to Starbucks. People were looking at me funny. When I got back to the body shop, I realized I had tape stuck all over my butt. I have this habit of putting tape on myself as I remove it from the vehicle. I don't like bending down all over the floor to pick it up.
-------------------- Signs by Alicia Jennings (Mudflap Girl) Tacoma, WA Since 1987 Have Lipstick, will travel. Posts: 3820 | From: Tacoma, WA. U.S.A. | Registered: Dec 1999
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Randy; I only use the tape as a guide for my hand to follow. I'm going to look into trying some. I'm sure there'll be times for it, and times for "freehand" striping. Thanks everyone for your advice.
-------------------- Luke S. Luke Scanlan Artistry Ocala, Fl. lukescanlan@cox.net Posts: 249 | From: Ocala, Florida | Registered: Nov 2001
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![[Rolling On The Floor]](graemlins/rolf.gif)
![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
. FYI, I turned Cos on to this stuff many years ago. We were talking about pulling straights using the magnetic guides a few years back. He said "why bother, I've been using Finesse ever since you told me about it"
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