Q; How many stencils do I need and which ones to start ? A; Hello. Excellent question. First, the Handicap ( HC ) is used on almost every job, even multiple times. Buy a HC stencil. I’d choose the most popular size; 39″ tall. And, while there is no “Standard”, ( most of your jobs, if not all, are private property ) I’d still choose the International Standard design. That way, if you do secure a “Public” property job, that job may, MAY, call for this design, you’ll have it. And, choosing the thicker material is understandable. That said, I have striper clients / friends that only choose the thinner 1/16″ material. Their philosophy is…buy a new one every couple years. Even at 25.00 per application, perhaps daily, their earnings are there. Moving on…the next job you have is anyone’s guess. Perhaps you’ll need Numbers, perhaps a 24″ STOP stencil. Again, anyone’s guess. That said, I have (2) thoughts that may help: (1) Buy as you go, buy as you grow. We manufacture everyday, all day. We ship almost always the very next day, if not the same day. So, if you do secure a job that needs a 24″ NO PARKING stencil, order that evening. It should ship the next day. If it’s a semi rush, choose to add the UPS option. We don’t tend to mark that cost up. It’s an add on. Or, and I know this is a pain, let your client know you’ll get everything done and be back in a couple days. (2) Try to buy 12″ Worded Stencils. Don’t try to buy EVERY size ! Here’s a hidden rule; you can always go bigger, but be careful going smaller. If I secure a job that has several 10″ GUEST stencils and I own a 12″ GUEST, I grey out the existing stencil, nicely, as I explain in my book, and I re stripe using my 12″. ( You can always go a little bigger. ) BUT…if I have a restaurant that has 12″ CUSTOMER PICK UP, I would not choose to grey that out and re stripe using 8″ letters. ( I don’t own 8″ Worded stencils ! ) Someone may raise an eyebrow. Bottom line, buy as you go, buy as you grow. ( You may never need a 4″ NO PARKING stencil ! ) And, try to buy 12″, maybe 24″ Worded Stencils. ( 12″ for parking lot stalls, 24″ for drive lanes. ) Last, any questions, call me. I’m here. Thank you. I hope I helped.
Q; Can the 4” NO PARKING and FIRE LANE stencils be used on curbs ?
A; Thank you for the email. Yes, but measure first. We sell these stencils in (2) different layouts. 1) …with the words lowered near to the bottom. We call those “Curb Cut”. There’s 1/2″ Edge Distance along the bottom. Consider these if you’re spraying the vertical portion of the curb, which we call the “Rise”. The Rise dimension will need to be slightly more than 4.5″ to house the 4″ letter height and the .5″ Edge Distance. If, however, you’re spraying the top, flat part of the curb, which we call the “Tread”, then… 2) …consider a normal stencil where the words are centered on the plastic. ( 2″ Edge Distance above and also below the wording. ) Last…I’d need to see the actual curb. The height of the Rise may “move”. Is there enough room for the letter height? Bottom line…choose location: Tread or Rise. Decide if there’s room for lettering. Choose a letter height that will fit your particular curb. I hope that all helps. Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks again.
Q; I read your book. What’s the best machine ?
A; The Graco 3400 is a good place to start. It cannot accept a “Rider” though. There’s no place to attach a Ball Hitch. And, I do not believe there’s a Glass Bead Dispenser made for that particular machine. They’re priced around 4700.00. Buy from almost any dealer. They ship free from MN and if you buy from outside your state, you should avoid sales tax. That said, ask Sherwin Williams. They’re dealers too. They can certainly offer a nice price knowing they’ll get your paint business. They may also be able to take payments. If the budget isn’t there, take a look at the Graco Field Laser. It has bike tires. You’ll walk a little slower but…you’ll get done and you’ll get started. I believe these cost around 1800.00. Check me on that. These don’t ship free. And, they have difficulty spraying some paints. Again, ask your local Sherwin Williams for a price. The next step above the 3400 is the 3900 and it can accept a Rider and also a Dispenser. Moreover it comes with (2) guns. You will rarely, if ever, use both guns simultaneously but it’s a great way to secure a spare and a spare cable. I chose the 3900.
Q; What paint do I buy ?
A; The best paint is probably Sherwin Williams. It’s a great product, it’s priced right, but still look around. There are other paint stores that compete, they just aren’t national. SW is on every corner. Not all SW stores carry striping paint, but…they’re still my choice. Next…if the weather is hot, I’d use latex. Water is the “Cleaning Agent”. Water is cheap, easy to get and easy to dispose of. If the weather is cool or cold, I’ve used Oil Based. ( Alkyd. No one really says; Alkyd. We all just say Oil Based. ) I now use Acetone. ( Oil Based is not allowed in Ohio. ) If you choose Oil you’ll need Mineral Spirits to clean the machine. If you choose Acetone, I use Xylene. Next…because the latter (2) aren’t easily disposed of and aren’t cheap, we rarely, rarely clean machines. I hope that all helps. There are ups and downs with all these paints. But, it’s still simple. I like Acetone because it dries so fast and does not “Track”. And, because it dries in almost any weather, it extends my season. I can stripe in early, early Spring and well into December. Let me say (1) oddity. If you go back and forth using Latex, ( Water Base Paint ) and then Xylene, my rule is this…only allow the “Cleaning Agents” to touch each other. That’s the rule. Here’s the application…if there’s latex in the machine, I clean it out with water, then, I clean out the water with Xylene, then, I add the Acetone. When I am done, and switching back to Latex…I push the Acetone out using Xylene, then, I push the Xylene out with water, then, I add the latex. Again, I only allow the Cleaning Agents to touch each other. One time I forgot. Nothing crazy happened. BUT, when the Acetone was pushing out the water, paint came out of the gun looking like silly string. It was the longest (3) seconds of my day. Then the Acetone started flowing, all was well. But still. In a good, better, best world, I only allow the Cleaning Agents to touch each other. Thank you again. Dan
Q; What spray tip do you use ?
A; First, thank you for the email. Next…If it’s a Graco, I use the 319. If it’s a Titan, I believe the equivalent is their 619 ? Next…the Graco “Striping” tips are Yellow. The Titan “Striping” tip is White. The numbers indicate (2) things. 1) The first number tells me how wide the line should be if the spray gun is an assumed 12″ off the ground. With the Graco, you double that first number. ( The 3 says; 6″ wide. A 419 should produce an 8″ wide line. etc. ) With the Titan…the 6 means 6″. The next (2) numbers tell me the orifice opening. In both cases it’s .019″. Again, most stripers I know use a 6″ wide, through a .019″ orifice. Here’s why… No one wants to spray 12″ off the ground. Wind will effect. Bumps will be more “wiggly”. AND…you cannot easily tell if you’re right over the start or the stop. So…we like our spray guns as low as possible. And, we do not want to spray from a 4″ tip and then raise it sky high to produce a 5″ line. I buy the 6″ tips and simply lower the spray gun. Next…make sure you buy a “striping’ tip. These tips produce a paint pattern the sprays equally across the width of the line. That’s what I want. Next…if you’re just starting, you’ll be offered a few tips withe purchase of the machine. Often you’ll be given a tip that has a .017″ orifice. Take it, but ask for a .019″ ( Yes, .002″ makes a difference. ) Moreover, you’ll probably be given a 4″ tip. Ask for a 6″ tip. Bottom line here…when you first start, you’re nervous. Use the 017. You’ll walk a little slower. But again, you’re nervous and walking more slowly is ok. But, after about, maybe, 6 jobs, you’ll try the .019″. You’ll have more confidence, you’ll move a little more quickly and, you’ll never go back to the .017”. Next…we do not switch out tips for stenciling. Use the same tip. Done. That said, learn to spray methodically. The nemesis of our job is a drippy stencil. So, I spray the letters one at a time. I spray top to bottom. I spray the Handicap the same way, every time. Once you spray that stencil maybe (3) times, it’ll get drippy. Again, we don’t switch out tips for stenciling and learn to spray methodically, effectively, efficiently. I think that covers it. I hope I helped. Let me know. Thanks again. Dan
Q; How do I clean and store my stencils ?
A; Hello Thank you for the email. First…as bad as it may sound…after we stripe, we simply don’t make it a practice to “clean” stencils. After we spray the stencil, if it’s only a time or two, we just get on with some other chore and let it dry. Toss it on the truck and head for home. And, even later, when it is completely dry, we may or may not bend the material to make the paint peel off. Again, we don’t really clean stencils. That said, if you need to spray a bunch, paint will build up and you will need to “clean”…”wipe down” as you go. ( The stencil will drip. ) I carry a plastic paint scraper and a bunch of rags. In a situation where you know you’ll be wiping down, I wear food service gloves under brown jersey gloves. And again, a bunch of rags. Sherwin Williams sells all. Next…my personal stencils are hanging on my shop wall. Less used stencils are under a certain large table. That said, on the job, most hang their stencils inside the enclosed trailer or lay them flat on the bed of a pick up truck. When I first started, I had a van. ( I also had an El Camino. I loved that car. ) I loaded the stencils first, onto the floor, then rolled the machine up on top. Next, if you are fortunate enough to own an enclosed trailer, most hang stencils on the walls. My best advice would be to drill (2) holes and hang from the holes. If, IF, you hang from the “Head” of the Handicap or from the “N” in NO PARKING, after a while the stencil may hang like an older robe. Bottom line…in a good, better, best world…we only take the stencils we need for that day. Lay them in the bed of a truck or on the floor. If we own an enclosed trailer…we hang them using a “J” style hook…so when we drive around a corner the stencil won’t fly off ! I hope that all makes sense. I hope I helped.
