How to do 2-color stripes? (3 colors total)

[stronghold]

Hi, I've been reading a bunch on different approaches to do stripes. Everything I've read is 2 colors - main color & stripe; I'm looking to do 3 colors - a main color (Magnetic metallic), and two stripes colors (Lightning blue with black pinstripes). Something like so:

How would you go about doing this? So far I'm pretty sure I want to spray the gray then clearcoat (as an intercoat) then wet sand and apply the stripes (so I can buy myself a bit of time and not mess up the basecoat applying tape). Assuming that, I see 2 options (well really, 4, if you switch up the order of the black and blue):

1) Spray the black, let it dry a few hours, tape off the just-painted black and remove old tape, and spray the blue. Let it dry and remove tape ASAP. Then spray clear over it all.

2) Spray the black, let dry & remove tape. Spray *another* intercoat of clear, wet sand, and spray the blue stripes. Let dry, remove tape, and spray clear.

Has anyone done a 2-color stripe like this before? Any tips? Option #2 seems a bit crazy with the clear, as it would end up being 3 applications of clear in total. Not sure what the best way to do this is.

Thanks

 

[Chris_Hamilton]

#1 would be the better option, but use intercoat as opposed to clear. If it sits for anytime simply scuff the intercoat with a grey scotchbrite pad. Much better than using clear as you'll have a lot less film build (which is a good thing). Less sanding as well.
Base, then intercoat. Spray the smallest color first (black), use a high quality fineline tape to tape off the black pinstripe. Then tape off for the blue. No intercoat needed between colors. Plan everything so that you have the tape on the car for as short a time as possible. Allow proper flash off and tape off times (read the basecoat TDS) for the base you are using. Only use a high quality base (no Omni or equivalent junk). Remove tape, tack everything well and spray clear. If you need to wipe down any of the base or intercoat because of smudges, oils from your hand, etc, only use a solvent based W&G remover. Do not use a water/alcohol based W&G remover. Use it sparingly, don;t soak the panel with it.

I should add that intercoat is only needed if you think the base on the car will sit for a while before you do the stripe. If you are going to do the stripe within a couple of days you don't really need the intercoat.
Another thing, when you are removing the tape always pull it straight back from itself. Any other way and you run the risk of not having very clean lines.

 

['68 Coronet R/T]

I would love to see a step by step of the actual process some time. Taping over fresh base coat scares me but eventually I'm going to give this a try.

 

[stronghold]

Thanks for the tips Chris, that helps a lot

I would love to see a step by step of the actual process some time. Taping over fresh base coat scares me but eventually I'm going to give this a try.

Same, I'm pretty apprehensive about tape on top of fresh basecoat. The 3M "precision masking tape" (fine line) I bought says specifically that it's safe for taping fresh basecoat, but still...

 

[Jim C]

assuming your using a good quality polyester base then just give the base maybe an hr to be safe before you mask on it. if i was doing this i would shoot the black pins first, then the blue then the charcoal on the rest of the car. almost always work from the smallest color to the biggest. doing it this way then is no unmasking to be done until the end. spray one color, mask it away then shoot the next. the pins are the separating color as well so you can tape your masking paper or plastic right to the fineline when shooting the blue and grey.

 

[Chris_Hamilton]

Thanks for the tips Chris, that helps a lot



Same, I'm pretty apprehensive about tape on top of fresh basecoat. The 3M "precision masking tape" (fine line) I bought says specifically that it's safe for taping fresh basecoat, but still...

Done all the time, just follow the tape times in the Technical Data Sheet of the basecoat you are using. I always give it more time but when I was doing collision repair and had to do a two tone, I pushed the limits and never had an issue. Bigger thing to me is to get the tape off fresh basecoat as quickly as possible. Make sure you are within the recoat window of the sealer you are using. (if you are doing it the way Jim described) This type of job you would want to use epoxy as your sealer as it has a much longer open window than urethane. Some urethane sealers only have a one hour recoat window. Usually two hours max.

If you are going to base the whole car first it's not an issue as you'll be doing you work over the basecoat not sealer.

 

[stronghold]

Thanks for the help everyone! It turned out great.

Anyone wondering about what I did:
Saturday - spray gray & SPI intercoat clear
Sunday:
* Tape off middle gray stripe, and put tape for the outer total width of the stripes
* Spray black on the whole exposed area (in the pics, the black & blue area combined)
* Let black flash off (~40 mins - 1hr), put fineline tape right on top of the black to keep 1/4"
* Spray blue on the remaining black

(the reason for spraying black on the whole area instead of just the edges is so that the blue looks uniformly blue on top of the black, and it minimizes the amount of tape lines you have to put down)

Monday - fix paint bleed-throughs (600 grit, gray basecoat as needed), spray clearcoat