Question about paint stencil

[newarcher]

Hi all, it has been a while.

Keeping with my promise last year to let my son have his way with the car this year (after I helped him build a competitive speed design last year), we are building a TANK. I cut it out and have been hands off since.

His plan is to lay down a base coat of a flat military grey and then let it dry. He has some tester's flat black, olive, and tan the will use to make a camo pattern on it.

I am looking for some kind of label that could be used as a stencil but not pull the paint off when we remove the stencil.

The only thing I can think of would be Avery printer labels or even perhaps some of those auto oil change reminder stickers that go on your window. My gut says the glue is too sticky for the Avery & would leave residue and perhaps not sticky enough for the car stickers. Any other ideas?

Thanks!

New

[PWD_addict]

Hi New--
Painter's tape (blue Scotch tape) is supposed to not pull paint off. I've only used it on glossy, not flat paints before, though. It's worked fine for glossy on nearly all of our cars. YMMV. I'd try it on a scrap piece first.
Good luck!!!

[newarcher]

Great idea, thanks!

I will test it out on a piece of wood first but it should work. I can't believe I didn't think of that already.

I gotta say that it is refreshing to let my son do his own car. I am much more pleasant and if he slightly messes something up, no biggie. As I was kidding with the little league dads, my son can build his own car...when he's 35 and has his own kid in scouts! We built the sleek car last year and I micromanaged him to death. This year it is hands off as much as I possibly can.

New

[PWD_addict]

Great idea, thanks!

I will test it out on a piece of wood first but it should work. I can't believe I didn't think of that already.

I gotta say that it is refreshing to let my son do his own car. I am much more pleasant and if he slightly messes something up, no biggie. As I was kidding with the little league dads, my son can build his own car...when he's 35 and has his own kid in scouts! We built the sleek car last year and I micromanaged him to death. This year it is hands off as much as I possibly can.

New

I had to threaten several times this year that we wouldn't build a car unless my son did the work (or at least paid attention) and put down the Nintendo DS that he got for Christmas. It will be nice when he is more "on his own" with the building of the car.

That will allow me to focus on my own or my daughter's (4) and other son's (3) cars next year.

[newarcher]

Our sons must be related!

I threw mine out of the shop because he was making faces at me and acting like a clown. Then I got even madder when he said "Good, I want to play Ninetendo" so I quit working on the car (I was cutting with power tools so he was not doing that part).

Darned kids, I know I wasn't like that....I don't think. Although, I do remember being thrown out of the shop during our build---it is a family tradition.

New

[dna1990]

Do a search on beginner airbrushing etc...there are some tutorials out there...some use handheld 'stencils' made from posterboard, plastic, etc. Some use tape-based, such as blue tape or more specialized items you could find in an art store or place carrying airbrush supplies.

Not saying you have to do airbrush to do camo, but some of the techniques apply to hand brush and spray can...mostly for the masking/layering techniques...

Here are some links I looked thru this season...

http://airbrushvids.com/tony-d-s-videos/urban-camo.html
http://www.instructables.com/id/Urban-C ... oflage-ai/
http://www.instructables.com/id/True-Fi ... rt-To-Scr/

Of course working a 3D tank object with lots of angles and curves is way different from flat paper or a flat computer case...

Post a pic when it is done, good luck.

[newarcher]

Thanks, DNA, I will look into them.

New

[keithg30]

I have used the painters tape and have had no problems with it ...Just make sure you have a sharpe knife or it will rip the tape.......Also ...Here is a quick tip for a stencil.........if you go to your local wal-mart you can buy clear plastic sheets for an overhead projecter...You can then put that paper in your printer design what you want on Microsoft Paint . Or what ever program you want...print it out on the clear plastic ...Cut it out and poof you have a custom stencil !!!! Then all you have to do is get a can of spray craft or stencil adhesive and away you go ....

[cubdad]

I have had nice results with this tape on plastic models:

http://www.ares-server.com/Ares/Ares.as ... t&ID=60725

[Stan Pope]

Also ...Here is a quick tip for a stencil.........if you go to your local wal-mart you can buy clear plastic sheets for an overhead projecter...You can then put that paper in your printer design what you want on Microsoft Paint . Or what ever program you want...print it out on the clear plastic ...Cut it out and poof you have a custom stencil !!!!

Not good success here printing (ink jet or laser) on regular o'head projector clear plastic. But office supply outfits (e.g. OfficeMax) sell transparency film that you can use. It is coated to match up with your printing method. For laser printing to create positives for exposing silk screens, I use OfficeMax OM96384.