Get the perfect pin lines with something like this.
nice tool!
I have a similar one that I hardly use.
freehanding is a good skill to learn though especially if you want pinlines that taper at the nose and/or tail.
When you are starting out or are in a hurry your tool is perfect. The skill you use to follow the pencil line with the tape is the same as laying it down free hand. There will be a point where you can lay it down free hand as accurately and as quickly free hand than with the tool.
This took me about a minute to make from scrap foam. I measured one inch and 1/2 inch increments then puched the pencil through. I have 2 versions, one is longer on the side that runs along the rail. I use these when I shape a lot.
Whoa,
that’s some hi-tech tools there guys.
You can buy them that slide,
and have measurements on them.
Wood workers call them mortice guages.
All you have to do is adapt it to fit a pencil.
Yeah but who needs to spend cash when you can use what you have in the shop for free. IT also doubles as a way to mark your rail bands when shaping.
Here’s a trick that came originally from Wayne Miyata : Lay 1" tape around the outline sighting from above to the edge of the rails. Lay your narrow tape (pinline width) against this one. Lay wider tape along the inside of the pinline tape. Pull off the narrow tape, burnish the edges of the wider tapes and then resin or ink the lines. This technique allows you to change the distance from the rail at the nose and tail uniformly since 1" tape only stretches on curves so much before it kinks on one edge. You can also use this method for taping cutlaps, just put the second tape directly against the first tape, pull off the first one and stick it over the second to provide additional masking width.
aahha, there is the trick. Laying 1 inch tape flat around the board. This is something I can not master around a tight pintail.
I have a similar tool the shape the planet’s that Stingray gave me a couple years ago. Before that I stuck the pencil between my index and ‘tall boy’ fingers facing palmward and put the rail between my thumb and index(like feeling up the rail) and gently dragged the pencil from nose to tail. Gets you pretty symetrical. Mike
Also can be adapted to cut laps.
Aloha…
Also can be adapted to cut laps.
Aloha…
Chuck the training wheels and learn to pull tape by eye. Follow the foil of the rail, not just a scribed offset of the boards outline.
Me neither with the wide tapes (probably why I don’t do pintails). But I had seen Wayne and other glassing masters pull, stretch and rub 3/4 and 1" tape and lay it flat on some impossible curves. The wider tapes give the smoothest pinlines but I’ve cheated and spliced in narrower tape when needed at times. Normally I do 2 passes of 1/2" tape from the rail inwards to get 1" for a pinline, and even 4 passes for a 2" cutlap. On cutlaps all the tape is reused for additional masking past 2" so it’s not very wasteful. This method teaches taping that follows the rail foil rather than the outline like Atomized says. On certain noses and tails, pinlines and different color cutlaps following the outline just don’t look right. And if the shape is slightly inconsistent side to side, the lines won’t meet at the stringer either.
Bravo sir, that needed to be said. Artfully applied cutlaps and pinlines accentuate the outline. Duplicating the outline is boring.
thick tape and tight curves no problem. Cut the tape lengthwise in the curves. It’ll keep the continuous tape edge and be twice as easy to bend
That is not think tape (1in) going around a tight curve. That is semi thick(.5 -. 750) tape being cut into thin tape going around a curve.
Yes, split the tape at the nose and tail to wrap the curve and widen the tip. But! If you use 1/2"(cheaper) it will curve better than 1" or 1 1/2". Also; I’ve been using the method mentioned above by PeteC for years. Primarily because I so rarely do my own pininles and need a crutch to get the width of my pinlinle consistent. I’ve got a tool that is simple and cheap(about $20) that is adjustable and gives an accurate line around rail but can’t post a pic until I get back home to Oregon in a couple of weeks. I sent one to one of the Sways Bro’s about four years ago on the condition that he post a picture of it to share with all on this site/ forum, but he never did it. Kept my secret for himself.
…those tools that mark a pencil line do not work if you plan to paint only the rails or rails and deck panel without pinlines…how do you hide the mark?
so, be patient and have the best tape model for the application; in this case, a tape like the 233+ or similar does the trick because it follow a “natural” line when you are doing by hand; a normal tape do not do this, so beware about it. That, long distance between hands and develop an eye is all what you need; exactly like shaping.
For the beginner, you can do few pointy marks with the tip of an H pencil (to not have a mark in the foam so do not use the normal HB, etc), use a square and mark, parcticulary in the more curved part of the outline.