Black hairline stripe

David Satter

Wooden Canoe Maniac
I have to paint a black hairline stripe on a red canoe. Like it says on the build sheet. I'm thinking just under the gunwales a couple of inches and just shy of the stems. Maybe 1/8 inch wide. I haven't really seen a photo of one. Any thoughts?
 
Penn Yan canoes and boats almost always had a stripe approx. 2 " below the gunnel. Unless the customer insists, I always use vinyl tape. A marking gauge can be made from a 2"x4" piece of 1/4" plywood with a hole drilled 2" below the top. Using a washable marker, the location of the line is easily marked.
 
Dave,
Pretty easy: make a little making jig like a piece of rib and run a white line under the gunnel where you wish with a white marking pencil . I use the " prismacolor " one found at any art store. Keep it sharp and use a light touch, even marking only every foot for a few inches. The white should easily wipe off after the painting. I run a masking tape line down the line marks and then another 1/8 " below. You could run another line below the first easily if you were to use a stepped jig with both line points established under the gunnel with one pass, if you will. You now have two masking lines ready to run. I have used the Scotch masking tape but I prefer the very thin mylar product called " The Edge ". It, in the 1/8 and 1/16 " will bend around any curve without kinking and hardly leaves an edge...like .040" . You will appreciate this if you start adding much in the way of design to finish the canoe. Be careful when removing the tape and check for stray paint before you have the glass of wine. Oh, and use as thin a coat as you can to cover in one coat as it will want to move down to the top edge of the bottom line and show a not-so-pretty-wave along the whole line if you go too heavy.
Have fun, Dave
 
They also make pinstripe masking tape. It has three sections hooked together. You apply it and then peel out the middle part, leaving the two perfectly aligned lines of masking tape with a gap in the center where the paint goes. Once painted, you peel the two lines of tape, leaving the pinstripe.
 
Here is an example on a PY. I used the tape that Todd mentions.
upload_2022-7-22_12-22-34.jpeg
 
Red week in the paint room. Epifanes #16 on your left , that's getting the hairline stripe. I like the pinstripe tape idea ...but by the time I order it.. I could have the stripe done. My wife says if there's a harder way to do something I'll find it. :) The other is Kirby's #24 red. That's only got one coat so far. Sanding red paint between coats , what a mess.
IMG_0960.JPG

Peterbourough and an Old Town HW
 
A squirrel hair dagger and a 1/4 pint of Oneshot will do the trick and last you forever. With a bit of practice, a simple stripe should be pretty easy. Loading the brush is probably the trickiest part but there are a lot of youtube videos on that.
Just keep some shop towels and odorless turpentine handy.
 
Back
Top