Making a template for custom hood stripes

[john! 1]

Hey guys, I have a customer wanting custom hood stripes for his cowl hood. Now he wants them to stay on the flat tops of the cowl and come all the way to the front and stop 2 inches before the end of the hood.

What would be the best way to make this template fit good for the taper and all?

Thanks!

[Jay2703 704]

I would try to lay them out with masking tape where you want them. Just a basic outline. Then get a picture of it as straight on as possible with some measure reference included so you can scale it. Import it into your design software and go from there.

[john! 1]

Thanks! I was too thinking that. Hopefully it works out.

[sarconastic 29]

+1 on jays idea, that works well.  I only supply my idea for those that may be challenged trying to deal with images and vectors combined. A guy showed me this several years ago before it was as easy as it is now to import a picture. Didn't know back then I was going to do this as a business, I was just helping out a friend.

The way he did it, but not on a really rounded scoop like the one in the picture, was to lay a large piece of craft paper across the scoop. The take a pencil and line out the rough dimensions of the stripes. remove from the truck trim it along your lines with scissors, lay it back on the truck and get the final edge lines using your fingers and knuckles as guides to trace the edges as close as possible to the location you want your final image to be.  Fold it in half so you dealing with only one dimension, make any necessary trims to make them mirrored. lay it back on the truck to get the one you like best.

Next it's back to the shop, lay it out on your table and mark along your folded image along the crease every 6 inches. then measure the dimension at each six inch mark from the crease to the cut edge.

Go into your design software. Create a box Half the widest dimension of the stripe, and the length you need. Then using the "Free Manipulate, or whatever your software has, distortion tool, or simply using nodes, adjust one edge to match the dimensions you measured every six inches. When you have it where you want it. Duplicate and mirror it. then weld the pieces together. If you want a pinstripe around it, Use an Inline tool to create one.

It's not easy but it works in a pinch if you can't do the digital thing .

I suppose you could try to tape it on the truck and get those measurements on the tape too, maybe with a sewing tape measure. I wouldn't want to drag a metal tape across the hood too much. Too much liability involved there.

Kevin

[cpwall 0]

sewing tape measures work great to center it up and check everything. I use masking tape to put one every so far (depending on how complicated the design is) centered on the hood. That way you know its the same on both sides

[john! 1]

Wouldn't both stripes be the same from just doing 1 side of the hood? I'm confused on why i need to measure the center of the hood.

Thanks guys 

[splash0321 23]

does anyone have anymore input on this topic?

I have messed with a few different techniques, they all work but im just not satisfied with them. I am thinking about buying a large roll of static cling vinyl (preferably with a grid on it) and applying it to the vehicle and drawing on it with dry-erase markers or a grease pencil. Then removing the vinyl and taking a picture of it and importing it. The grid on the vinyl would help give you better accuracy while designing. The static cling vinyl can be reused, the markings can be erased.

Anyone have any ideas or comments on this technique?

[Dakotagrafx 7,297]

wow great ideas!

[Alien 11]

If you have a blueprint supply store close, go get a roll of large plotter paper. I paid 18.00 plus tax for 24" x 100' roll. That would do a lot of hoods. Those hoods have a center ridge and side ridges. Tape a piece of the paper to the hood and use a pencil sharpened with a longer lead exposed and lay it sideways and and run it down the ridges. I like to use carpenters pencils sharpened from the narrow side.You will have the exact layout of the hood to use in your shop to lay them out. Curves and taper will be compensated for automatically when you lay it out flat on a table because you drew it at the curves, angles and taper needed.Keep the paper clean and roll up and store in a tube and you have it for the the next truck. my .02

[Booper 2]

Speaking of sewing tape measures, if you have an Ikea close by they have paper tape measures about 4 feet long hanging EVERYWHERE, just grab a few packs of em and you'll be set for life. LOL!

[Mr Peabody 0]

Anyone have any ideas or comments on this technique?

I have a color scanner that will accept 52" wide media, if you can get it on paper I can scan it 1 to 1. I use it to scan large format document (drawings) to convert in to jpg, tiff, pdf or dwg files. Kinkos will do this to, but they are quite expensive.

P