Flames (not maple)

[Pushead]

Ok, I've seen flame jobs on cars and motorcycles. I even have an ESP signiture guitar with flames painted on it. I've watched the Discovery Channel documentaries about motorcycle building that shows paint shop guys painting flames, so I understand the basics of the process. The thing I can't figure out is how to do the outline of the flame in a different color. Anyone have an idea?

(if you can see the blue outline around the flame)

[GEdwardJones]

Ironically enough I was just about to post a question about this only mine is. I recently did a test run and stained a piece of plywood with flames. The problem was that the stain bled so my flames weren't as crisp as I wanted them to be any idea how to keep this from happening?

As far as your question goes (and this is what I got from taking an interest in custom motorcycle/bicycle helmets back in my freestyle days) you do multiple tape passes. That is you lay down the light color across the entire surface, tape it off then lay down a darker color, tape it off then a darker color, etc. so in this case you'd have multiple taped off "flame" sections. You can blend the colors using a fine nozzled sprayer/airbrush after you get the bulk of the big work done.

And yes, I did get all of that from an issue of BMX Plus! touring the Bell helmet factor in like 1986.

[Scott Rosenberger]

I think the guitar in the picture was screen printed then cleared, but regardless. its a reverse process. The blue line is actually done first, then the red and finally the orange. ie mask for and spray the blue, the remove tape and remask for the red, this time cover a litttle bit of the blue with tape, then spray the red. keep repeating until your finished

[LGM Guitars]

9 times out of 10 on cars, the stripe around the flame is pinstriping that gets cleared over, that is the simple way. The other way is what was mentioned, spray your pinstripe color first, then mask off the stripe, spray your flames in. There are also pinstriping wheels that you can use once you are finished, it's basically a little metal wheel in a handle that you run along the side of the flame. it leaves whatever width the wheel is wide stripe. These are tricky to use (I haven't had alot of success so I use tape or mask it off) and sometimes difficult to find. Pin striping tape is thin enough though that it's not a big deal to clear over it, just be careful with your first couple coats of clear as it can attack the tape if it's a solvent based clear.