White Pearl 07 Toyota Avalon

This is the art of using compatible colors on vehicles which are not yet sold to customers directly from the dealership.

The lines as seen are aproximently 1/16" for the top line and a 1/64" for the bottom and both lines done using a Kafka #5 ot striper.

I lay on the masking tape both on the top and bottom of where my work is applied with a space in between approximently 3/4 inch, this way I am assured that my lines will be as straight as I could make them without the brush touching the top tape line. Sometimes I use a different size tape on top depending on how low I want the stripes to be according to lines of the body. In this case the lines will be aproximently 1/4 inch below the top contour of the side of the vehicle. I brush the top line on both sides of the vehicle first before I start on the second line and remove the top tape as I stripe down the vehicle, this is to assure me the lines look correct as well as without the tape and re-assures me that the lines are straight.

While I'm striping I'm paletting my brush with Chromaflo and Paint on the palette to mix both of them together for a sticky effect and not a wet effect. The reason for this is so the line remains the exact size I'm laying down and not exploding into a fatter line which would be harder to control if the brush was more wet then necessary. I also never palette over the used section and fold the page over and over each time I palette, this is so the paint has the same consistency every time the brush hits the palette. This also indicates the correct line thickness I have chosen for this vehicle. I find that using the palette over and over the existing paint makes the brush stickier then the previous time and consistency fails.

NOTE : As seen in the photo as I hold the brush my middle finger rests on the tape line while my thumb pushes on the side of the brush and my second finger down on the brush, this keeps the brush from moving side to side for a clean consistant line and as I pull the line going towards the door jamb. I raise my palm off the vehicle and press harder on the tip so the line remains consistant as it hits the jamb. Finishing the last panel I lay off the pressure and slide the brush so the end comes to a point.

When the brush gets too sticky, I clean it up in each of the 3 containers on my Killerkart work station. This is usually after the vehicle is finished. Two of the containers contain ordinary mineral spirits and one contains Rapid Remover, a citrus cleaner made by Rapid tac. This stuff cleans best and may seem harsh but works really fast.

Prepping the vehicle I use Rapid-Prep from Rapid-Tac using my own method from a clean unadulterated bath towel which has never seen anything other than prepping and is the bomb for me. I spray the Rapid-Prep down the sides or wherever I'm going to paint and leave it on for 30 or more seconds after which I use the towel to remove it to a squeeky clean finish. This removes all wax and grease as well as any dust and has never given me a problem, after which I then lay down the tape.

My tools for this particular vehicle consisted of a KillerKart workstation, Rapid-Prep, a Kakfa #5 ot untrimmed striping brush, a 1/3 of a roll of 3M # 26343 1/8 inch masking tape, 1 - 1 oz medical cup for paint to work from with appx. 1/4 oz paint, 3 sardine containers for mineral spirits and Rapid-Remover, a palette book, 1 - craft mixing stick to keep the paint from thickening while working, and a medical cup of Chromaflo about 1/8 oz. The reason I always use the 3M #26343 masking tape for the bottom is simple, my finger is used to the fact that it can feel the tape and firmly I may add, so my finger rests upon the whole tape rather than only its edge as when others use 1/4 inch.

This vehicle took aproximently 35 minutes to complete from prepping to taping to execution, all done by hand.

My opinion on the finished vehicle though the striping is barely visual at first sight, it is however in consistance with the base color of white pearl and actually can be seen in a shady area compared to sunshine upon it. It makes for a class act as many who view it appreciate the effect as the stripe actually disappears but yet compliments the overall effect.




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