Custom Paint Tricks - You Name It We Flame It

The ‘pounce patterns’ (that’s what they’re called) you see here will be laid down one at a time on a sheet of fiberboard, and then we’ll pounce and pounce again ’til we have a complete set of reversible patterns to transfer to the B-side. Time spent here saves time later on.

I once thought I’d never need a computer. Obviously I was wrong, but I can still say that I’ll never need a computer for flames. Once pounced, we’ll check each pattern by holding ’em up to the window. Light shining though the perforations confirms that we’ve done well.

Here the pounce patterns are reversed and ready for the next step. Curvaceous bodies can present a challenge when flip-floppin’ pounce patterns, but patience prevails as thoughtful cutting, folding, aligning, and taping pays off.

What you’re lookin’ at here is chalk in a sock. Ordinary line chalk in a nylon stocking, when rubbed across the perforated pounce patterns, will leave a chalky dotted line to follow. It comes out quick and messy, but we’ll vacuum up the excess before removin’ patterns and movin’ on.

Over the years we’ve found it best to steer our tape just to the outside of the chalk dots, then blow the chalk away with clean compressed air. The outline is kinky and just a little larger than the other side at this point, but a second lap with ¼-inch tape will allow us some fine-tuning.

After fine-tuning, some tape will be cut away where tips cross. Some prefer an X-Acto knife (clean new blades before use—they’re oily), but a single-edged razor blade also works well. Double-edged razor blades are strictly for shaving and not recommended for flames at all.

After filling in with ¾- and 1½-inch tape, we can begin sanding. Using the folded edge of our sand-paper (320-dry), extra attention is paid to the edges. Care must be taken not to rub the tape the wrong way, as this would destroy the details of the layout we’ve worked so hard for.

Louvers are like speed bumps. They also distort flames. For those times when louvers can’t be steered around, some thoughtful planning during the layout can go a long way toward minimizing distortion. Below the third louver down, we’ve carried a tip all the way through.

Once sanding is completed, we’ll go back over all the edges with a red Scotchbrite pad. A sharp red Scotchbrite (close to 320-grit) has a slightly better reach than sandpaper. This is helpful for abrading the shiny spots left near the very edges. If ignored, it’ll peel there later on.