Need use of an early hubcap stencil

[Desertpagoda]

Hi! I am in need of a hubcap painting stencil or mask or whatever you want to call the thing that helps you paint a hubcap. Im working on an early style small hubcap. The so called "dog dish" style NOT the large whole wheel cover later style. If anyone has or knows of one please let me know. Keith 520-404-2875
I would like to rent/borrow/buy or whatever works  khbrooks22@lycos.com

[RBYCC]

I just purchased one for about $60.00 on EBAY.
The seller usually has them but none currently listed.
Contact the seller and see if he has any available.


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=221200850375

[wwheeler]

I bought one of those and tried a quickey on an old hubcap. The one I got was slight warped and I used hot water to form it back again (its plastic). It will not produce a sharp fine line like vinyl tape will, but I don't think the factory had a sharp line anyway. It missed some of the paint lines, but again very similar to the factory. Sure takes a lot less time than taping and you don't have to worry about the paint peeling on the edges.

[stickandrudderman]

The factory stencil is metal and gives a soft line.

[Harry]

Years ago on a 190SL, I painted the hubcaps by manually masking the star and outer chrome portion (if that's what you're attempting).  To do this, you use sufficient masking tape to cover the star (and of course some of the area of the hub cap center that you want to paint), then use an Exacto knife (pencil sized razor knife) to trace around the star.  Once you have traced all around the star, you use the edge of the Exacto to lift the tape that you want removed, leaving a nicely masked star.  Easy to do and it works very well.

[Jonny B]

There should be some information on the forum about painting these with tape. I would agree that it gives a sharper line, but be sure to use top quality masking tape, I used the 3M green for the star, and a fine line plastic blue tape for the raised rim around the star. The tape was exactly the right width to cover the rim, and being flexible plastic it bent around the circle with no crinkles.

[Benz Dr.]

The one thing I wouldn't use is one of those rubber things. God awful results is the best way for me to put it. Who ever invented that POS needs an ass wuppin'.......  

[wwheeler]

I also tried painting a scrap yard hubcap with vinyl tape as suggested above. It took awhile but did a nice job and left beautiful lines. One word of caution is not to lay on too many coats of paint. The fewer the better. Otherwise you will get a build up of paint on the tape lines which takes away from the overall look. 

[Jonny B]

One other point about the painting (I would also echo the comment about multiple thin coats). Don't let the paint dry too long before taking of the paint. If the paint is completely set, you can get cracks where the tape and paint separate.

Oops - one other point - if you remove the tape when the paint is a bit tacky, just be very careful to not let a dangling piece of tape muck up the paint finish.