1. There are two ways to finish...
1. There are two ways to finish masking off the flames. You can use regular tape and spend hours filling in the area, or you can pick up a roll of TransferRite. This stuff is basically a wide roll of masking tape that will cover everything and require you to come back and cut out what you don’t need. Having a second set of hands will help lay the stuff down nice.
2. Steve uses a rigid piece...
2. Steve uses a rigid piece of plastic to stick down the TransferRite. You don’t have to be too concerned if you have some wrinkles, just make sure it is stuck all the way down.
3. Cutting out the mask will...
3. Cutting out the mask will take a gentle touch because you want to cut the mask but not all the way through the tape below. If you feel you have cut through the lower tape just use some more masking tape to cover that area. You can use a razor blade, but Steve say you will have more control with a smaller Xacto knife.
4. After all of the flames...
4. After all of the flames have been cut out, any area still exposed is covered in masking paper. Then all the exposed areas of the flames are wiped down with a tack rag to remove any unwanted dust or chalk.
1. Steve mixed up a small...
1. Steve mixed up a small batch of Auto Air Colors Metallic Blue Silver and dumped it into his Iwata W400 gun with a 1.3 tip. He adjusted the fan down pretty small and sprayed along the edges of the tape.
2. He wasn’t looking to get...
2. He wasn’t looking to get full coverage. Instead, he wanted a backlight look, which works well with ghost flames. There will still be paint in the flames, but the bulk of it will be along the edges.
3. When the new flames were...
3. When the new flames were dry, all the tape was removed and the entire truck was wiped down with a tack rag to remove any leftover chalk.
4. Steve had to go, so Richard...
4. Steve had to go, so Richard Klein stepped in to spray the clear. He mixed a batch of House Of Kolors UC35 Clear and poured it into an Iwata LPH400 with a 1.4 tip. The larger tip will allow more material to flow from the gun. As you can tell by the reflections of the filters in the roof of the booth, the clear laid down smooth. Richard has been spraying for a long time and his gun finish is as slick as they come. If you are not as skilled, don’t be too worried. You can always sand out the runs in the clear.
The Final Word
After the truck was dry, it was reassembled and shipped off to the customer. This job set the owner back around $3,000 because he needed a fresh basecoat. If all you need is flames, then look to spend much less. Stefan said if you want ghost flames on your ride, he will give you a little discount if you mention this article. Remember after any painting, clean your gun completely so it will be ready for the next paintjob. Now go to sporttruck.com and watch the video of Steve masking the truck. There is even a short video of the Electra Pounce in action.