View Full Version : Tags........
I get asked to paint these things all the time ...so I thought I would show you all step by step how its done....These 12 are gonna be for a Poker Run I help out with in Jacksonville Fla...
You start with blank powder coated car tags ...available at www.coastairbrush.com
Or in my case I walk to the sheet metal shop and ask the guy to cut me up some....
With bare aluminum there is a little more prep work....I take the raw tags wash them with wax and grease remover and then dry...then scuff them up with a D/A sander with 150 grit paper on it ....after that 3 coats of any epoxy or acid etch primer.....
After the primer dries scuff sand with 320 grit ...wash again with PPG DX-330
and your ready to begin
If you buy the powdercoated ones from Coast airbrush all you need to do is scuff with a red scotch brite pad ..and your ready...
These tags are gonna have their graphics done in House of Kolor Kameleon color shift paint ...which works best over black.....so the next step is to basecoat them in black
Raw aluminum
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After the black basecoat is dry......Its time to decide what the backround graphic is going to be.....In our case it will have flames ...of course....and a single pirate skull and crossbones in one corner.....These tags are going to have the name of the poker run...the date .....and what award it is for....best paint ...best engine...ect....
So to start....I layout the flame design in 3m fineline tape....when Im happy with the design I put some masking paper over it and rub a crayon or stabilo pencil over the design...which produces a reproduction of the design on the paper.....after that you take a pounce wheel....small tool which looks like a spur ...which puts tiny holes in the paper as you follow the crayon outline....now you can position the paper over the tag...Take some chalk powder in a rag....and bounce and rub it over the tiny holes ...then remove the paper and you have a perfect outline of your design in chalk...to follow with the fineline tape...observe...The use of this pattern ensures that they all look the same ..and is a big timesaver..
Pounce wheel and design pattern.....not the one we are using this time..
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This is the pattern I chose for these tags......and the chalk bag.....a rag with a rubber band...lol
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The pattern left in chalk to follow with the fineline tape
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Now follow along with the blue fineline tape
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Next transfer tape ..used in making vinyl signs....very cheap...avail. at Coast also
Smooth this on the tag....and then very carefully cut on the tape line ...you can see it thru the transfer tape as its semi transparent....You have to cut the transfer tape only and not the blue tape or down to the metal...takes a little practice but is easily mastered....when you cut along the lines peel off the area to spray the flames....
here you can see the tape line you need to cut on thru the transfer tape
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You are now ready to spray your flame pattern...
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To give you an Idea of the cost of color shift paint.....this is 4 one ounce bottles I just got......for a mere $85...
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Ok....So now we have the flame design masked off ....the trick to ghost flames ...whether its with Kameleon paint ,pearls or reduced contrasting color is how you spray them...
Airbrushes spray in a conical pattern ...not a fan ....so the trick is to aim the spray dead center at the blue outline tape...and follow the design from beginning to end....this way the overspray will be light enough to fog into the design...and the lines wont be too heavy.....For these tags I am going kinda heavy ....but you still will be able to see the basecoat thru it.....also after the outline is done I give a light wash of color to the remaining open areas to tie the two areas together
These tags are gonna serve as a test bed for the color of the flames going down the side of my cobra
The colors are 1- green to magenta
2-magenta to gold
3-blue to red
4-cyan to purple
5- 50/50 mix of colors #3 & 4
One of these are going to be the ghost flames on the cobra sides and hood
after spraying the Kameleon I put a light image of a pirate skull with a dagger in his mouth ....to give it a nautical theme....
spraying the Kameleon
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After all the Kameleon is applied the tags have to be coated with a basecoat clear ....to protect the delicate base from the next round of masking for the lettering...you can start to see some of the color in these shots
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And a shot after the protective base clear...
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Time to pick a font and print out the lettering required...I am gonna weed the positive image of the letters and leve the negative space for my paint mask...
observe
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When all the lettering is weeded and in place ...cover the tag with transfer tape ...to act as a paint mask
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Then take a razor blade and trim only the transfer tape ...exposing the lettering outline you wish to paint...
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clear....buff....done!...everyone liked them...
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BarryMac
09-27-2007, 01:02 PM
That's freaking aweome, love to see how those things are made. Thanks Bryon for sharing with us...
RiverDave
09-27-2007, 03:18 PM
Little more work goes into those then i originally though... LOL
Now I feel kinda bad for not mentioning you in the OP6 article.. :D
RD
A few other shots.....
A little advertising on the back of each tag...:D
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Some others...
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Lewiville
09-28-2007, 11:08 AM
very nice, I thought I was watching the Discovery channel there for a sec
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