Newbie With a Question

[Lo-Brow]

First off, just wanted to introduce myself as a newly registered forum member. I have no experience with painting sheet metal but I LOVE flames. I believe Jesse James of West Coast Choppers was right when he said "Everything looks better with flames!"
Of course my wife thinks I'm a redneck and to that I reply "You JUST noticed?"
Anyway, I also had a question that I thought I'd ask while I was at it. I was wondering how you prep and paint outline-only flames. I did a search and found lots of info on related topics but I couldn't find threads on this particular style of flame.
My dad has a super weathered and much abused '94 Bronco in black that is a prime candidiate for some red outline flames around the wheel wells. You pros will likely cringe but I was even considering using spraypaint.
Told you I was a redneck!
Thanks and glad to be here.

 

[shaunboy]

Hi low brow this is quite a hard one to explain(for me anyway)

if you want do this just as practice on the bronco without repainting the entire panels then but choose your color and buy a couple of rolls of 6mm /or is it 1/4inch in U.S terms / 3m blue plastic tape .And some grey scotchbrite pads.
clean the panel thorougly with meths or some solvent wipe then scuff the area where the flames will go and clean well again.
Now apply the tape on the panel as though it were your final flames and use a spreader to press it firmly down and cut with a razor the follow through of where the tape overlaps and continues throgh the panel.
This is the hardest part now.
On each side of the (TAPE FLAME) you need to tape right against it as close as close can be but not onto it but just touching it.
Now pull away the first tape that you made the flame with.Now youll have the area inside the two outside tapings to paint in.
Just mask with normal tape and masking paper the rest of the panel and use a spreader again to make firm the tape around the flame area a SPRAY AWAY

For me a painter by trade it would be easier to do an outline flame by spraying the panel in the flame color where the flame will go then make a tape flame .
Then spray the original vehicle color back on.
-then remove the Tape flame and Whalla there is you outline flame ,
Now just clear the entire panel.

 

[Lo-Brow]

Shaunboy,
Thanks for the tutorial on outline flaming. I thought that doing the entire panel in the flame color then spraying over that with the background color made sense. Although in my case that would be a lot of spray paint!

I will try the double taping method. Pics to follow.

 

[hdchuck]

I know this is probably too late but another idea woul be to tape both sides of the line you want as described above then use a striping brush and some striping enamel and make pinstripe flames this may last better than spray paint.

Chuck