posted
Check the back issues of SignCraft for ones with Todd Hanson's work for some really grat examples. The step by step I did on here was done six years ago. The bottom fell out of the truck market a few years after that. What once made up 75% of my business is now down to less than 5%...funny how things change. I do cars mainly these days and use urethanes so I'm not on top of things regarding One Shot. Adding hardner to O.S. will hasten the drying time but not to the point of having no worries about dirt or something getting into wet paint. The hardners also make it hard to get a nice flow out of the paint, so it's kind of a trade off. I did almost all my jobs without the hardner.
A few things to consider when doing trucks outside. First off, truckers are easily the best group of customers to work for bar none. They are very understanding and respectful. These are work trucks, not show pieces that will never get driven. If a gnat gets stuck in the paint...so be it. It will just be the first of many bugs, along with shredded tire pieces, armadillo guts and what have you to hit the thing over the next few weeks. You are painting outside and at the mecy of the elements...they will understand. Plus, unless you are doing graphics on the lower aero skirts of the few models so equipped, most anything you do is gonna be at least 3 1/2 feet off the ground and not subjected to a lot of crap blowing along the ground. I've painted tons of these things in some pretty lousy conditions and never had any problems aside from when the Cottonwood was blowing
Wet yer brush and have at it
-------------------- George Perkins Millington,TN. goatwell@bigriver.net
"I started out with nothing and still have most of it left"
posted
I view ALL my "graphics" the SAME WAY! As per customer,and vehicle body lines for design. One Shot,with additives as NEEDED for the varibles of the day.ie temperature,humidity,wind,etc. Along with Tod Hanson.Look at Wayne Cannot,s work
Hope this helps
-------------------- PKing is Pat King The Professor of SIGNOLOGY Posts: 3113 | From: Pompano Beach, FL. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
George....... you said "I do cars mainly these days and use urethanes so I'm not on top of things regarding One Shot" You mean HOK stripping paint? I use uros, but only in my airbrush, and then you have to clear. Not sure how one would go about the uros and truck graphics?
I'm all ears though,
I did a search on Wayne Cannot, but can not find anything on him? Any leads?
Thanx,
Craig
[ May 30, 2004, 07:52 PM: Message edited by: Craig Lewis ]
-------------------- Craig Lewis Lone Wolf Graphics W6036 Lost Arrow Rd. Fond du Lac, WI. 54937 920-921-8721 clewis@excel.net Posts: 15 | From: Fond du Lac, WI. | Registered: Sep 2002
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You mention concerns over doing these kind of jobs outside, and rightly so. Not only do contaminants like bugs, dust and dirt become a factor, but the weather conditions themselves also can wreak havoc from time to time, even on sunny days.
Darker vehicles can become very hot during the summer months. Using tape or other adhesive materials for masking that are going to be removed later becomes a problem when the temperature goes to high. The adhesives can break down/soften and not come off with the tapes. If you're masking lettering and run into this, it's adds the time of waiting for the paint to dry and getting it cleaned up before outlining them.
If your also working on the trailer, opening a door while it's out in the sun is a definite plus. You want to make sure the temperature inside the trailer is balanced to the outside air temperature. Should you have to do a second coat of paint, this really helps reduce the chance of having it lift and turn in to the texture of cottage cheese.
Whenever you can, the common sense advantages are pretty easy to convey to the customer.... Doing the job indoors decreases the chances that problems will arise and the temperature and environment are better controlled.
Check around town and see who has garage space available that you could rent on a daily basis. Body shops, trucking and construction companies, distribution businesses, race teams and even farms typically have shops that are not always tied up and usually are easy to schedule with.
Pass the expense along to the customer. I've found it can easily be justified to offset the costs of compensating for problems that pop up working outdoors.
hope this helps... 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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Craig, the urethanes I work with are PPG Concept, which is a single stage and the HOK striping urethanes. I'm no chemist but my bet is they are pretty much the same type paint. They intermix fine and work with each others catalyst. I've done a number of big rigs using the urethanes, but they have all been pinstriping and some lettering. I've haven't done one in a graphic style yet. Gavin Chachere turned me on to a brushing/rolling additive for urethanes put out by the Matthews company (4744SP ) that I've been experimenting with. It really aids in the flow out and extends the window in which you have to work with this stuff. It just might be the ticket for doing large graphics but right now I just don't know. The urethanes are really bad about lifting when taped. I use Finess tape to do most of my pinstriping and had a hell of a time adjusting to the urethanes. Everything about them is different...the way the pigments mix ( making different color shades was a nightmare in the beginning ), the thinning ratios are different. The big advantage to the urethanes is, they tend to bite into the surface and of course the dry time. Since I switched over I haven't had one striping job messed up by somebody brushing up against it.
[ May 31, 2004, 01:09 PM: Message edited by: George Perkins ]
-------------------- George Perkins Millington,TN. goatwell@bigriver.net
"I started out with nothing and still have most of it left"
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