How could this possibly have ever worked? (frame stencils)

[bloo]

These are currently for sale in the for sale section (not mine). I imagine some of you have painted frames. I have. Before the advent of modern special masking tapes, it was almost impossible to paint a different head tube color without bleeding at the join line. It didn't matter if you sprayed it or brushed it would bleed into the other color.

This is not the first example I have seen of stencils like this. There have been some on Ebay, but not recently as far as I know. I think I have seen other patterns (BFGoodrich?) too, and also one set that had dried paint all over it.

So here's my question: How could this thing have possibly worked? No way could it have hugged the frame as tightly as tape. I guess maybe Schwinn could have shot some lacquer with really fast thinner, and hoped it would dry before it bled, but even then it would have lacquer all over it ready to make a giant mess of the next frame.

Does anyone have insight on how the factory used these?

Sold - Schwinn 40's-50's DX/Hornet factory paint stencils... | Archive (sold or withdrawn)

Two original factory paint stencils for DX/Hornet style scallops. One fits the smaller straight bar on later Hornets, the second fits the bottom curved bar on all DX/Hornet frames. $325.00 OBO

thecabe.com

 

[coasterbrakejunkie1969]

My guess is that the paint used by schwinn was far different then auto paint today. For one I do not believe they used more then one coating of paint. Meaning they did not hang all day in a booth to be sprayed multipul times. One and done with all 3 coats red preimer, alumiinium undercoating, and finish coat. So there for I would think it was a much thicker heavier paint then used today. Also the paint process is a baked on finish so perhaps the heating process allowed the paint to adhear with out bleeding. IMO hopefully someone will know for sure. Cool item either way

 

[Superman1984]

Less thinner, more hardener & hotter temps I think would flash cure quick ? Maybe as stated 1 spray of the final details & done.

 

[bloo]

There wouldn't have been any hardener when Schwinn was doing that, and my guess only lacquer or some sort of Alkyd based enamel for paint. I doubt anything else was available.

 

[coasterbrakejunkie1969]

is it possible the paint was more like powder coat and went on almost dry seeing as though it was being baked on? One of the real old times will know exactly. They are all dreaming of original paint phantoms and real black '65 stingrays. Hopefully they will chime in at some point everybody still sleeping in CA. Freqman1 is always awake and most often has the answer.

 

[bloo]

After the war electrostatic painting wouldn't surprise me. That works like powder coating except with paint. The static charge draws the paint droplets to the workpiece, making it easier to get even coverage, and also to get in the nooks and crannies. It also sounds like a good way to blow yourself up. I have experimented with it, but long enough ago I don't remember much.

It would really surprise me a lot if they were doing it in the 30s.

 

[Freqman1]

The reason it seems I’m always awake is I’m 9 1/2 hours ahead of EST over here (Afghanistan). Schwinn used an enamel with no hardner or catalyst. If you ever used any rubbing compound on the secondary color you will find it disappears fast! That’s because it’s shot pretty thin to avoid the bleeding that would occur if the tried to load it up. I’m sure one of the Schwinn gurus can elaborate. V/r Shawn

 

[bloo]

Shooting thin to avoid bleeding is almost impossible, and you still have to cover, and not wind up with a step..... It is possible, and more or less what I did back in the days we only had masking tape. I had a few strip and redos lol. I am trying to imagine how they pulled it off in a production environment, and with THAT stencil, and in enamel too! Shoot one frame and your stencils (3 of them!) are covered in paint. Now what. Wash them off in lacquer thinner and blow them dry for every frame? Dry enough not to attack the paint on the next frame when you put it on?

 

[coasterbrakejunkie1969]

Is it possible those were used to make the stensils thast were used. Shawn thank you for your service. You seem to be one of the wheels that really keeps things rolling on this site .Thank you

 

[Rivnut]

On the original paint job, which is the secondary color? Is this a guide for cutting? Could this device been bolted on over a mask then someone cut the mask using the device as a template then removed the device and the part of the mask that would have left only the mask for the design? Or vice versa?