aus flag help

im trying to do the oz flag! no trouble with the blue bit with the southern x , but how on earth do i do the union jack bit!! i taped the x and left the blue bits but i am not sure how to do the red and white lines and keep them straight! it all comes out "messy", any help appreciated. riki.

[noaksey]

ah forgot , a "ps" to sabre, couldnt get the plastic folders to try for stencils (not without a long drive) but ransacking the house turned up some old x-rays (legacy of horses} and they are really good, seem to be made of the same stuff my "sheilds" are made of!! so now all i need is to get people to donate their old x-rays!!

[Sabreghost]

funny you should say that Riki, i forgot to add that in my post, i have aslo been told old xrays are good, so now i have it on good authority, lol. can't help with the flag, sorry, skulls.....but not flags...

[Sabreghost]

i'll have to search on top of the cupbards for any ols xrays i have, lol

[GregerLMacleod]

Riki, you can cut your stencils out of just about anything, even tracing paper. Use a nice sharp x acto and a straight edge. I like mylar, copie paper, tracing paper, etc...

I don't know if that will help at all, or if it's timely?

Best wishes on your flag project.

Greger

[KDSilverBrush]

I'm guessing an OZ flag is a confederate flag?

[noaksey]

thanks all, i tried stencils with tracing paper greger but cos its "little bits" it curls!! i think my prob at the moment is its so damp and cold, (yes we finaly got rain!) and when i "mask" it pulls the paint off!, so went and baught a hairdryer today and will see if that helps, kd im not sure if its "confederate"? its all blue with 5 stars (easy bit) then in the top left corner it has the "union jack" which is the bit im having trouble with as its red, blue, and white, fiddly! not what im good at but "son" wants it so have to try. thanks . riki.

[GregerLMacleod]

Ah, the union jack in diminutive perspective! That would be a tough one riki.
Depending on how small you're doing it, perhaps Pin striping tape guide lines and hairy brush to fill in with red in between the tape.
That's the best I'd be able to come up with............. That's always easier when You're there looking at it.

Thank goodness for rain! Hope it's good for ya.

Greger

[innocenti]

don't forget to put the union flag the right way up

[fontgeek]

What color is the surface or material you are painting on?
If it's white, then use tape to cover the areas you wish tø*remain white (the stripes of the Union Jack, and the stars in the large blue field).
Leave the stripes that need to be red exposed, and paint them red Cover the large blue field so that you don't get overspray on it. Then you can cover the areas that are supposed to remain red or white, and remove the covering from the areas that are supposed to be blue, and paint them blue. Before the paint dries completely, remove all the tape. Now let the paint dry completely. If you are using a textile paint like Createx, you can heatset it. If you are using a two part/pack paint like an automotive urethane, you can do your clearcoat.
If this is a one off project, then you may find that using painters tape will do just fine for doing your work. It comes in various widths, and it already has the adhesive on it, and it won't rip away existing paint when it is removed.
You just need to think in steps for your procedure or plan. Keep in mind that darker colors cover lighter colors more easily, and that all paints are semi transparent, so that they WILL be tinted by the color (or lack or color) that lays beneath them. All colors of paints shown are generally based upon them being applied to a white base, so you need to understand that if the base you are working on is red, that spraying blue over it will make the blue apear to be more of a purple or violet color than the blue you intended. The trick is usually to spray a white base, and let it dry completely before proceding with the other colors. If it is a two part urethane, then you may find that using an intercoat clear or even a clear coat to seal it will give you the base you desire. If it is something like Createx, then you should heatset the white before you procede to the taping and the application of other colors.

Mark the pieces of applied tape so that you know which ones are for white, blue, or red. While it seems like you should know which should be which, it's easy to get screwed up when you are in the heat of the project, and rushing to get things done.

Hope you guys have a good wet winter, I know that you, like us in California, had a long dry fire season, and the drought didn't help.
Conserve water while you can, rain barrels, etc., anthing you can save from waste lets you keep your reservoirs from going dry when you need them most..

[noaksey]

thanks guys, following your directions fontgeek, i will post a pic when finished, the hairdryer worked a treat! and found some real thin tape which helped, i have ordered some proper tape and frisket which will be better, but had (like everyone) to "save up" fore i could go ordering more stuff!! yup the rain is good, we live a long way out, and live on rain water collected in tanks, so no rain no water!! so we are very "water careful". thanks heaps all ,hopefully i will finish today and post. riki.