posted
I have a new business doing custom vinyl lettering on boats and even with the challenges it's great! 1. I need to learn how to repair vinyl stripes on the hull of a boat. Any advice/tricks to make sure the stripe is straight? Most of my work will be repairing sections that have been damaged. 2. I've been unable to find the exact width and color stripes I need from sign suppliers I know. I guess I could make it myself or any suggestions?
-------------------- Dawn Ellis Signs by Dawn Long Beach, CA signsbydawn@aol.com
Trust yourself. Listen to the voice within. It is always right. Posts: 456 | From: Long Beach, California | Registered: Jan 2003
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Dawn...For repairing oddball width stripes on boats or vehicles there is a vinyl slitter you csn purchase from any Car Quest or NAPA automotive store. There are 2 sizes..2" and 6". With either one you can buy 2" or 6" rolls of the appropriate colour of vinyl and slit the vinyl down to whatever width you wish.
I think I paid about $50 for my 2" slitter up here in Canada about 6 or 7 years ago and I intend to buy the 6" slitter the first time I require it.
OR you can waste a lot of 15" vinyl and cut the stripes with your plotter!
As far as getting stripes straight...
I use either a white or black china marker (gave up on Stabillo's years ago, too hard to remove) and a tape measure to put reference marks on the hull. Then I use 3/4" masking tape to lay down the reference line. I don't worry about slight wobbles in the masking tape. Finally I lay down the stripe using the masking tape as a guide. You can see the wobbles in the masking tape guideline and adjust the final vinyl stripe to be correct.
I apply stripes with the side of my head pressed against the hull and look down the length of the stripe as I apply it. THAT exaggerates any wobbles so that any minor ones won't be seen when viewed from a regular angle.
[ January 08, 2003, 08:20 PM: Message edited by: Dave Grundy ]
-------------------- Dave Grundy retired in Chelem,Yucatan,Mexico/Hensall,Ontario,Canada 1-519-262-3651 Canada 011-52-1-999-102-2923 Mexico cell 1-226-785-8957 Canada/Mexico home
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When doing long stripes, I found it much easier to do these with a second person holding the stripe away from the outward curvature of the hull. Then I would lay the stripe into the boat, taking as long a section as I could handle, and line it up with my guidelines.
I found it easier to do these using the DRY method. When I tried the wet method, the stripes would frequently "drift" away from the guidelines.
When doing repairs, or splices, you'll want to overlap your stripes in such a way that the forward portion of vinyl is on top of any vinyl that's behind it, so that the force of the boat moving thru the water doesn't peel off the stripes.
It's hard to tell from the picture but the red stripe is actually a half inch away from the wider gold stripe, and the black stripe at the bottom butts right against the gold stripe. Each color was laid on separately.
It's fun getting everything to match at the front!
-------------------- EmpY Mayo Pardo #138 South Elgin, IL. Posts: 436 | From: South Elgin, IL | Registered: Nov 1998
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