Pinstripe Legend Tramp Warner shares tips on thinning paint, what type of thinner to use, job layout. striping brushes and the Bugler Striper.
For more than 40 years, John “Tramp” Warner has been painting cartoons and pinstriping. In 2008, his dedication to his craft was recognized by his peers, when he was presented with the lifetime achievement award at the Milwaukee Pinstripe Legend charity event.
A native of the Toronto
metropolitan area in Canada, Tramp began his career as a teenager, when he
bought his first can of 1 Shot lettering enamel in the late sixties. That’s all
it took to get him hooked on paint. Today, Tramp is a spokesperson for the 1 Shot
paints. As a cartoon artist, he designed the company’s icon “Louie”. He is so dedicated to the brand that he even
has a can of 1 Shot paint tattooed on his arm. Now that’s what I call
branding.
If you ask Tramp what the
secret to his success was, he will unhesitatingly tell you that it is hard
work. “Some people say that I am a gifted striper,” Warner says. “My gift is
that I practice my craft daily. I can’t overemphasize the importance of
practice. While other people spend there evenings watching TV or sitting in a bar or whatever, I'm at home practicing. If you don’t practice, you will lose your skills. As the saying goes,
if you are not climbing, you’re sliding.”
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As a self-taught artist,
Tramp looked to others for his inspiration. As his was learning his trade, he
maintained a journal of design ideas that he clipped from trade publications or
gleaned from the painters, who he admired. While Tramp learned from others, his
style is truly his own.
I have been privileged to
know Tramp Warner for many years. In that time, I have learned a great deal
from him about the paint side of the business. Here are a couple of his tips,
which I would like to share with you.
On
Thinning Paint.
Tramp says that many stripers make the mistake of overthinning their paint. “If you overthin your paint, you reduce its durability because you reduce the amount of pigment that you lay down,” Warner says. “I have seen many stripers, who do scroll work, thin the paint to the point that it runs off of their brush. Paint that is thinned more than 10% must be clear coated with a urethane or it won’t last outdoors. And if you are going to clear coat with a urethane you must use a hardener in your paint.” Warner says that 1-Shot makes a great hardener (4007), which is formulated to accelerate the drying time of their enamels.
Tramp decorating a Rat Rod.
As an alternative, he
suggests that you can also add the hardener that you use for the urethane clear
coat as the hardener for your paint. “Other advantages of the hardener are that
it improves the anchorage of the paint to the substrate; it makes the paint
glossier; and it extends the life of the
paint,” says Warner.
What
to Use as a Thinner.
Pinstripers use a variety of solvents, such as mineral spirits or turpentine, to thin their paints. Mineral spirits is a blend of a variety of solvents, all of which are made by refining petroleum. These solvents include varsol and naptha in addition to a long list of other chemicals. According to Tramp, you never know what you are getting. The mixture of solvents in mineral spirits can vary greatly from one manufacturer to another. What’s worse, is when you use mineral spirits to thin a lettering enamel, the results that you get can vary too. In some cases, the result is a paint failure. Mineral spirits can also dull the gloss of your paint.
That’s why Tramp recommends using a paint thinner or enamel reduced formulated by the paint company. Enamel reducers, which consist of (Toluene, Aliphatic Naptha, Acetone, Butoxyethanol, Methanol, Xylenes and Ethylbenzene),are formulated specifically for thinning enamels. Tramp usually uses either the 1-Shot Hi Temp or Low Temp reducers. These reducers can also be used to clean your spray gun. Another alternative is to using mineral spirits is turpentine.
Knightworks banner.
On
Job Lay Out.
In laying out a job, Tramp uses a number of aids, such as a grid. Whatever you use to draw a grid on the substrate, do not use a grease pencil. The reason is that the paint will not penetrate the lines of grease and bond to the substrate. It’s only a matter of time before the paint fails wherever the grease is. The result is that paint comes off where the lines were and your guidelines will stick out. “Sometimes that creates a really cool effect,” Warner says. “But more often than not, your customer usually won’t think it’s too cool.”
In the past, Warner had used
Stabillo pencils, but has since switched to using Staedler pencils. “Some
harder pencils will scratch the customer’s paint job,” says Tramp. “That’s why
I use either a blue or a white Staedler pencil.”
On
the Bugler Striper.
Tramp Warner also recommends buying a Bugler striper for doing long straight lines. “You aren’t cheating when you use a tool like the Bugler,” Warner explains. “The Bugler is one of the tools of the trade that helps you accomplish your job. I keep one in my pinstriping kit because it’s a tool that can make me money. And that’s what the sign business or any business is all about.”
On
Striping Brushes.
“I have an assortment of brushes in my case,” says Warner “but I generally work with a few of my favorites. These include Mr. J’s Xcaliber brush, Dave Jeffery’s Virus brushes and a couple of other Mack brushes.”
Many
pinstripers will customize brushes to suit their needs. “My favorite brush is a 00 Xcaliber,” says
Tramp Warner. “Some stripers will trim about 1/16” of the tip of the brush off.
Anything more than that and you can screw the brush up. Generally, Xcaliber
brushes don’t need to be trimmed. Just the same, I have customized a few,
trimming off about half of the belly of the brush.” With these customized
brushes, Tramp can make tighter turns. He explains that the downside is that
the more hair that you trim from the brush, the less paint it will hold.
“If
I am painting tight curves I use my customized Xcaliber brush,” explains Tramp.
“By cutting out the belly of the brush, I can make a tight corner maintaining
my line consistency. I don’t calligraphy
my line and I don’t have to worry about the hairs of the brush flaring out as I
make the bend.” By the term
“calligraphy the line”, pinstripers refer the characteristic of varying the
line thickness from thin to thick. “For some designs, line variation can add
some visual interest,” Tramp says.
“Usually, I want to the line that I am pulling to stay at the same thickness.”
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Conclusion.
After more than 40 years of painting, Tramp is still passionate about the business. He especially gets excited about striping and lettering the big rigs. “I love the smell of coffee, diesel fumes and 1-Shot paint in the morning,” he says. Now that’s a man that really loves his job!
You can see examples of
Tramp’s artistry on his website at: http://www.trampsdesigns.com/gallery.php.
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Squeegee Technique. Nothing is more basic in vinyl application than the squeegee. But some squeegees work better than others. And there are right ways and wrong ways to use this simple tool. This video clip reviews squeegee selection, squeegee care and squeegee technique. Click here to view the Squeegee Technique video.
Wet Applications. Dry applications are typically recommended for most vinyl applications. For those exceptions to the rule, this instructional video explains the right way to perform a wet application. Click here to view the Wet Applications video.
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Using Linseed Oil to Make a Medium
Why Paint Wrinkles
How to Clean Brushes Used for Water-Based Paints
Proper Prep Prior to Repainting Walls
Coating Woodworking Projects with Epoxy Resin
The Practicality of Repainting an Old Acrylic Sign
Acrylic Mediums & Additives
Acrylic Glazes
Finishing Tips
Blending Colors
Making Oil Paint
Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 Primer
Mediums for Oil Painting
Faster, Easier Paint Clean Up
Penetrol Paint Conditioner
Shades of Black
Flesh Tone Paint Recipe
White Lead Oil Paint
Safely Working with Pigment Powders
When to Thin Paint with Naphtha
Damar Varnish Recipe
Fat Over Lean Rule
Applying a Wiping Varnish to Your Carving
Asphaltum
Essential Solvents for Sign Painters
Traditional Gesso Recipe for Encaustic Painters
Painting with Gouache
Epoxy Resins
Bondo Tips
Flattening Paste for Enamel Paint
Paint Chemistry Terminology
Scratching the Surface with Grey Scotch-Brite Scuff Pads
How Temperature and Humidity Affect Paint Drying
Why Paint Wrinkles
How to Clean Brushes Used for Water-Based Paints
Proper Prep Prior to Repainting Walls
Coating Woodworking Projects with Epoxy Resin
The Practicality of Repainting an Old Acrylic Sign
Acrylic Mediums & Additives
Acrylic Glazes
Finishing Tips
Blending Colors
Making Oil Paint
Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 Primer
Mediums for Oil Painting
Faster, Easier Paint Clean Up
Penetrol Paint Conditioner
Shades of Black
Flesh Tone Paint Recipe
White Lead Oil Paint
Safely Working with Pigment Powders
When to Thin Paint with Naphtha
Damar Varnish Recipe
Fat Over Lean Rule
Applying a Wiping Varnish to Your Carving
Asphaltum
Essential Solvents for Sign Painters
Traditional Gesso Recipe for Encaustic Painters
Painting with Gouache
Epoxy Resins
Bondo Tips
Flattening Paste for Enamel Paint
Paint Chemistry Terminology
Scratching the Surface with Grey Scotch-Brite Scuff Pads
How Temperature and Humidity Affect Paint Drying
Hingst began his career 42 years ago in the graphic arts field creating and producing advertising and promotional materials for a large test equipment manufacturer. Working for offset printers, large format screen printers, vinyl film manufacturers, and application tape companies, his experience included estimating, production planning, purchasing and production art, as well as sales and marketing. In his capacity as a salesman, Hingst was recognized with numerous sales achievement awards.
Drawing on his experience in production and as graphics installation subcontractor, Hingst provided the industry with practical advice, publishing more than 150 articles for publications, such as Signs Canada, SignCraft, Signs of the Times, Screen Printing, Sign and Digital Graphics and Sign Builder Illustrated. He also posted more than 325 stories on his blog (hingstssignpost.blogspot.com). In 2007 Hingst’s book, Vinyl Sign Techniques, was published.
© 2015 Jim Hingst
A true master. Great article
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