Easy ways to paint stripes on rims?

[FInnRat]

So, I need advice.

I got four Westwood profile old school rims and I want to paint striped on them. I've done this the most slow and pain in the butt way, by tapeing and then using a rattle can or a brush, but its inaccurate to an extent and very slow to do. I don't have the tool for this and no idea where to get one. Would you have some advice on how to make it easier and faster? I could think of using ink pens for it, but that stuff isn't as well lasting as decent paint, so any ideas are welcome. You might help me a ton with my current project if you come up with something. So discuss away.

 

[Couch tater]

Paint the rim the color of the stripe. After it cures lay down a piece of narrow striping tape where you want the stripe. Paint your main color. Remove the striping tape carefully about 45 minutes later.

 

[FInnRat]

Paint the rim the color of the stripe. After it cures lay down a piece of narrow striping tape where you want the stripe. Paint your main color. Remove the striping tape carefully about 45 minutes later.

Oh darn! So obvious! Why didn't I figure this one out! Great idea. Heck, with that I could even make multiple colors and some crazy combinations of stuff. Jeez! I went through art school, I should have known to think of this.

Thank you kindly, that's fantastic idea!

 

[Kruez]

Create a truing stand from an old fork. Mount it to a bench. Order a pinstripe brush the size of your stripe. Turn the wheel while holding the pinstripe brush steady. Watch a YouTube video on pin-striping for beginners. Practice on an old rim.


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[Starnger]

Create a truing stand from an old fork. Mount it to a bench. Order a pinstripe brush the size of your stripe. Turn the wheel while holding the pinstripe brush steady. Watch a YouTube video on pin-striping for beginners. Practice on an old rim.


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I think this can be done also with a special pinstriping roller attached to the fork/trueing stand in a fixed manner. But honestly when i wanted to do it last time, i just ended up going to a professional painter after failing for a few times with masking tape and pinstriping brush.

 

[FInnRat]

Thanks guys, I know about these but have no idea where to get one around here. (I haven't looked much into it.

I got quite a lot of experience on painting and masking stuff btw, just making the stripes easy and quick is something I haven't yet looked into. Doing the inverse painting is such a simple trick, how in heck didn't I ever think of it? On the rims it was harder to nail, but this is what I've done on fenders with tape + rattle cans.

Anyway, I ordered some neat 3mm and 6mm tapes, will make it far nicer this time.

 

[Kruez]

Thanks guys, I know about these but have no idea where to get one around here. (I haven't looked much into it.

I got quite a lot of experience on painting and masking stuff btw, just making the stripes easy and quick is something I haven't yet looked into. Doing the inverse painting is such a simple trick, how in heck didn't I ever think of it? On the rims it was harder to nail, but this is what I've done on fenders with tape + rattle cans.

Anyway, I ordered some neat 3mm and 6mm tapes, will make it far nicer this time.

You are already a pro. You got this. Lol. Striping takes a steady hand. The guys that stripe for a living are amazing, and amazing to watch. They make it look so easy. Practice and patience, or pay a pinstriper for the entertainment of watching them work on your ride.


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[FInnRat]

You are already a pro. You got this. Lol. Striping takes a steady hand. The guys that stripe for a living are amazing, and amazing to watch. They make it look so easy. Practice and patience, or pay a pinstriper for the entertainment of watching them work on your ride.


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Oh wow, I wish I were. Doing my best with what ever I can. I wish I had a shop, compressor and decent paintgun. Would be so much better, but I got to make due with what I have. Rattle cans I can handle quite well, but the paint quality just isn't that awesome. I used to paint graffitis when I was kid, later did art school and so on, I deal with a brush better than spray I would think.

The current build I'm painting really old school way, rather ordinary metal paint and a brush. Its gonna get interesting to deal with the tapes and stuff. The only problem I can think of is the type of paint I have, its very thick, oil based and rather easy to paint but for any details I think I must make it thinner and paint several coats or there's gonna be a lot of residue when I remove the tapes. Already tested it on the front fender and it worked out ok. With better tape and slightly diluted paint its likely much easier. Just takes time, that stuff dries for ages but it is quite resistant to damage.

That would be interesting to have some pro do the paint job some time. At least I could get the base paint done quite cheap and easy in the same shop who sand blasted the frame and four rims for me. They also do paint jobs, at least simple one color ones. I could think of getting that done and then do the detailing myself. But this time, its all my doing as I really want to learn this stuff.

I got a 70's combi bike frame which I'm thinking of turning into something really cool some time, perhaps into a chopper or something, perhaps with that one I'll ask for sand blasting + paint all in one go.

Anyway, the inverse painting is a brilliant idea!

 

[MattiThundrrr]

One of our members, @léocwc does pins with one of these rollers.

Not cheap by any stretch of the imagination, but the results... I want one so bad, but I'd have to stripe the entire universe to justify the expenditure.

Just putting the idea out there for reference

 

[FInnRat]

One of our members, @léocwc does pins with one of these rollers.
View attachment 156145
Not cheap by any stretch of the imagination, but the results... I want one so bad, but I'd have to stripe the entire universe to justify the expenditure.

Just putting the idea out there for reference

That's really neat. Couldn't get any better than that.... Do I even dare how much does a thing like that cost? In Finland any curiosity items and professional tools most people have no use for are specially expensive. Likely out of my scope too as I'm not sitting on a pile of gold.

 

[Starnger]

Here is a video about that method:


Here is a video how to DIY such a tool:


And here is a very in-detail instruction on how to use this tool for bicycle pinstriping and how to modify the tool for the best result. The video is in Russian, so you'd have to switch the subtitles on. The guy is an experienced bike restorer, so i advice to cope with the foreign language and watch it, it is very useful:


And here is an alternative tool and alternative technique demonstration:

 

[RustySprockets]

I'm surprised someone hasn't come up with a 3-D print knock-off of the Beugler.


EDIT: Ta-Da!

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2897767

 

[Duchess]

I used a cheap imitation Beugler and it leaked all over. Maybe it could have worked for something thick, like un-thinned outdoor latex paint. I ended up going with stripe masking tape. It came out pretty swell, but it made me appreciate the hand-painted double box stripes on the tubing of my 1912 Iver Johnson all the more.

 

[RustySprockets]

I used a cheap imitation Beugler and it leaked all over. Maybe it could have worked for something thick, like un-thinned outdoor latex paint. I ended up going with stripe masking tape. It came out pretty swell, but it made me appreciate the hand-painted double box stripes on the tubing of my 1912 Iver Johnson all the more.

Yeah...I'm told you need to use sign paint in these mechanical stripers. I suspect it's thick like pudding--no runs.

 

[FInnRat]

Yeah...I'm told you need to use sign paint in these mechanical stripers. I suspect it's thick like pudding--no runs.

Sounds just like the paint I'm using, its like jelly. A lot of pigment in it.

 

[Dr. Tankenstein]

Here’s an alternative too, albeit for Schwinn S2s

https://www.ebay.com/itm/324555580466
But, overall, I like the idea of painting the wheel stripe color(s) then masking off the stripe.


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