How to fix a screwed up stencil job...

Malice95

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So I've done 1 and a 1/2 stencil jobs so far.. and every stencil has had
issues. The guys on those car shows make stencil work look easy. The reality
is its not easy to get a perfect job. Screwups happen!

A piece of the stencil falls into the fresh paint as you remove it.
You didnt get good coverage
You got bleed under the edges.
You tried to touch it up with a brush but just made it worse.

When these happen, you can either live with it... or if you're anal like me,
you do you best to fix it.

You can take the shot gun approach, sand down the entire side of the cab
and start from scratch or you can take the surgical route.

I am currently stenciling a Joust. The first stencil went on pretty good but
needed a few touchups. I tried using a small brush but the lacquer paint
melted into the base coat changing the color and screwing it all up.

Sigh... So what do you do?

Well first off you need to wait for the paint to dry 100%.
For oils I would give it 3-4 days and latex a week. Stencil work is not for the
impatient.

Do a rough mask off with painters tape roughly 1-2" around the screwup.
Use some fine sandpaper.. 220 is okay, 320 is better to sand down the
mistake using gentle pressure. You want to feather the edges into the
surrounding paint. Now if you stop right there and slap some paint on
with a brush you are going to see a difference. The sheen will be different
and the repair will be noticable.

Best bet is to mask off the entire portion of the stencil that was damaged
and repaint it.

You're going to need:

1. Razor blade
2. More painters tape
3. Fine Line Vinyl Masking tape (I buy mine from here - http://www.tcpglobal.com/kustomshop/ktape.aspx)

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Start by using the fine line tape to follow the curves and contours
of the art. This tape will stretch so you can make smooth curves and
it gives you a razor sharp edge.

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Once the fine line tape is laid down, break out the painters tape
and carefully using the painters tape to follow the same edge.
You are just looking to have the painters tape end up some where on the
fine line tape. The fine line tape gives you the edge for your painting.

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Continue masking off the cabinet until everything you dont want paint on
is covered. Dont under estimate the ability of paint to get into spots it
shouldnt be. Mask Everything!

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Use whatever tool you used to do the stencil again to redo the masked off
section. In my case I used a small detail touch spray gun from harbor freight
as my big HVLP would have made a mess in my garage.

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After you are done spraying remove the mask. Take your time as the fine
line tape is a magnet for paint. You will get a nice edge if you remove it slowly.

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Your're done.. Easy Peasy.

One other tip...

Never use all your paint for a particular color. Getting an exact match is a
bitch especially if you are mixing your own. Save a bit for touchups and
repainting any mistakes.
 

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Thanks for the tips. A previous owner painted my Joust a mauve color (WTF?), and then did a pretty sloppy stencil job on top of it, so this is definitely on my todo list.

LeChuck
 
So ironic that I had to do this same thing when I restored my Joust. Mine turned out pretty good too though:

jouststencil.jpg

jouststencil2.jpg

P5140627.jpg
 
Ahhh such good memories of the Joust stencil still burned into my brain like a hot poker.... I had the same idea to do this where I dropped the stencil on the huge white feather part. I got it all stenciled off and for some reason my paint bubbled lol. I just gave up at that point.

One thing I would recommend is to only mask an entire portion of the stencil. On the birds neck, above the neck, I had a problem I wanted to fix from dropping a stencil or whatever. I taped the edges and taped across the area I wanted to touch up. I painted that area and it left a raised line from adding that layer of paint. I wasnt sure how to blend that without leaving marks from sanding or whatever so I left it.
 
I'm thinking about putting together a quick video on applying a stencil.
Maybe painting and removing it as well. Maybe that will get some folks
over the initial fear that they are going to mess it up when they actually
see someone else do it.

I'm goona spray the cream layer on my joust tonight. I'll film the red layer
since its small and quick.
 
I'm thinking about putting together a quick video on applying a stencil.
Maybe painting and removing it as well. Maybe that will get some folks
over the initial fear that they are going to mess it up when they actually
see someone else do it.

I'm goona spray the cream layer on my joust tonight. I'll film the red layer
since its small and quick.

+1

I've read and reread all the stencil info I could, but still a little hesitant on pulling the trigger on mine.

Actually seeing one done would be awesome.

Chris
 
I'm thinking about putting together a quick video on applying a stencil.
Maybe painting and removing it as well. Maybe that will get some folks
over the initial fear that they are going to mess it up when they actually
see someone else do it.

But the thing is, you DID mess up, as did I and Lazerhawk and I am sure countless others, and I have stenciled several cabs before and after my Joust. 5 of mine turned out perfect so far, 2 did not. There is no science to this. You can do everything 'right' and something can still go wrong. There are so many variables. Paint type, number of coats, thickness of coats, curing time, primer type, no primer, subsurface type, sanding, time til you pull the stencils, humidity, air temp, stencil quality, number of stencils per side, etc. Not trying to rain on anyone's parade, but the fear and potential for fuck ups will always be there no matter how many videos you make.
 
But the thing is, you DID mess up, as did I and Lazerhawk and I am sure countless others, and I have stenciled several cabs before and after my Joust.

Yeah, things can go wrong with any stencil job. Here is my Moon Patrol AFTER I put on the first stencil. I didn't like it so I started over.
IMG_0546.jpg


Don't let this discourage you as there is no greater restoration experience than pulling off the stencil and seeing the masterpiece that you created. Don't be afraid, just give it a try.
 
But the thing is, you DID mess up, as did I and Lazerhawk and I am sure countless others, and I have stenciled several cabs before and after my Joust.

Never claimeed to be perfect:) I've been pretty upfront about my mistakes
on my stencils. Of course I fix them as well.

Not trying to rain on anyone's parade, but the fear and potential for fuck ups will always be there no matter how many videos you make.

Some people learn by seeing other people do it. While the great posts with
pictures everyone puts together are helpful, a video might be the learning
tool that others need to get started. Sure, people are going to still make
mistakes, but for some people.. the fear of screwing up means never trying.

I'd like to see more cabs restored. If a video could help 1 more cab get started.. its worth it. If not, noones time is wasted but my own.

Actually I'd like to see you put together a video. You obviously have a
lot of experience doing them.
 
That's my point, this statement you made:

I'm thinking about putting together a quick video on applying a stencil. Maybe painting and removing it as well. Maybe that will get some folks over the initial fear that they are going to mess it up when they actually see someone else do it.

Does not fit with this statement:

Never claimeed to be perfect:) I've been pretty upfront about my mistakes on my stencils.

You are making a video of how to stencil so others will not fear screwing up, yet with your method, YOU screwed up and had to fix it. Get it? I am in no way putting you down, as I have screwed up before and know that it sucks and can happen to anyone. Most people don't like to admit the mistakes. Most people leave the 'fixes' out of the restoration log because they are embarrassing. You admitted yours and documented the fix. Props to you for being honest. I'm just saying, you show/tell someone how to do it 'right', and they still screw up, they will then most likely blame you, when it's really not your fault. You can minimize most mistakes by proper prep and method, but there are still random variables that can cause disaster for anyone. Personally, I'd never want to put out a video documenting this process as someone would still screw up and somehow blame me. Trust me, with this group you'll be sorry you ever thought of this idea. Maybe I'm wrong, but I doubt it.
 
Trust me, with this group you'll be sorry you ever thought of this idea. Maybe I'm wrong, but I doubt it.

All good points and You're probably right. It would be nice if there was something more visual for people though.

I learn new things every stencil I lay down. The cream layer I just did
on my joust tonight was the best I have done yet.

Maybe we could start a restoration wiki and fill it with tips/tricks that way
people who are just starting out doing restortation work on their cabs dont need to make ALL the same mistakes others have made. They are going to
make some but it may give people the confidence to try..
 
All good points and You're probably right. It would be nice if there was something more visual for people though.

I learn new things every stencil I lay down. The cream layer I just did
on my joust tonight was the best I have done yet.

Maybe we could start a restoration wiki and fill it with tips/tricks that way
people who are just starting out doing restortation work on their cabs dont need to make ALL the same mistakes others have made. They are going to
make some but it may give people the confidence to try..

Now that's a great idea. I can get on board with that one. My first tip:

PULL THE STENCILS IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE LAST COAT IS SPRAYED.
 
Now that's a great idea. I can get on board with that one. My first tip:

PULL THE STENCILS IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE LAST COAT IS SPRAYED.

Absolutely. Although..with latex you probably can't pull it soon enough without some tearing and screwy edges, which is why I'll never use it again for a stencil paint layer. On my Stargate (oil based), I pulled the stencil a minute or 2 after the last coat. Keeping it from falling back into the paint is challenging.
 
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