Pinstripe Restoration Tips

次回この記事の日本語版を投稿します。

Vintage Japanese bicycle enthusiasts may recall in  "Yamaguchi Maruwai-Go" and "Gold Mitsuuma  Junk or Jewel" the remarkable attention to detail, right down to the double-line pinstriping.

In this post, the restorer (H-san) shares how he recreates pinstripes.

It is said that in the past, pinstripes were painted freehand or with the use of simple jigs.  However, this is a skill that only a craftsman can do, and it would be impossible for the average person.  Here, we will look at an example of how to paint double-line pinstripes on a chaincase using masking tape.

0. Preparation
・Masking tape for curves (width 5mm, 3mm, 2mm)
・Masking tape for divider line (width 1mm)
・Gold paint for outer pinstripe (model paint, Gainotes brand)
・Green paint for inner pinstripe (model paint, Gainotes brand)
・Paint thinner 
・Brush
・Paint dish
・Water (it is good idea to add a small amount of surface active agent)
   * Apply masking tape with water to make it easier to adjust the position during application. This also makes it easier to
      peel off during removal.
・Sandpaper ( #1000 or #2000 grit)

1. Outer line
・Vinyl masking tape for curves.
・A width of 5mm is sufficient (it will still bend enough for the curvature of the entire chaincase), but if you want to paint with
   a fine brush, a width of 3mm is better.  Once you get used to it, you will be able to apply even 2mm width tape without
   painting outside the tape.
・First the outer gold pinstripe.
・Lay two lines of masking tape at equal space between them. Eyeballing it is fine, but if at anytime you feel the gap between
   the tape is unequal, stop and reapply (Photo 1).
・For the areas where the masking tape overlaps, use your fingernail to create a good seal. If paint seeps through any tiny
   gaps, these can be covered up with black paint later.
・When applying the gold pinstripe, gently lay it on.  Do not stroke the paint back and forth as it may dissolve the black base
   coat.
- Once it dries to a certain extent, apply a second layer.  Better to apply three layers (Photo 02).
・[Important] When removing the masking tape, peel it off at a very sharp, "hairpin'' angle (Photo 03). If you peel at a shallow
   angle, the paint tends to come off along with the tape.

Photo 1:  Masking for the outer pinstripe 


Photo 2:  Paint gold outer pinstripe


Photo 3: Masking tape removal (Key is to peel off at a sharp angle)

2. Inner line
・Next, paint the green inner pinstripe.
・It is important that the two pinstripes are equally spaced, so first apply 1mm masking tape as a divider on the inside of the       gold pinstripe. (Photo 04).
・Then apply 2mm or 3mm wide masking tape around curved surfaces for the inner pinstripe.
・1. Lay 2 or 3 coats of green paint in the same manner as 1 above, allow to dry, and peel-off masking tape.

Photo 4:  1mm wide masking tape on inside portion of gold pinstripe

3. Touch up
・There may be patches where the paint seeped through the seams in the masking tape. (Photo 05).
・After these have completely dried, first wet-sand them with sandpaper (grit size #1000-2000) and level them so
   that they are even with the surrounding area.
・Then, mask the gold and green lines and cover up the patches with black paint (Photo 06).
 ・There will be a difference in the border between the gold line and the green line after removing the masking tape, so use
　#1000-2000 sandpaper to wet and level it.
・Finished double-line pinstripes. (Photo 07)

 Photo 5:  Paint seepage



Photo 6:  Masked gold & green pinstripes to touch up seepage


Photo 7:  Finished pinstripes

Thanks to H-san for passing along tips on recreating pinstripes.