Wrapping a hood - only the center?

[B-RAD Graphics]

Use fineline tape on the hood before you install the graphic. You can find it at fellers and other places. You'll want to install it in a smooth line centered in the area you want to cut the graphic. Install the vinyl over it. You will be able to see the tape through the vinyl. To cut a nice smooth line, restripe on top of the vinyl with the fineline tape using one edge as a guide for your knife blade. The vinyl won't stick to the fineline tape so it is easy to pull out from under the vinyl, protects the paint and if you can stripe straight your cuts will be straighter.

DITTO

 

[Ink Splash Graphics]

I'll look into this "Fine Line Tape" sounds like a great tool to have Is this a 3M product or is FineLine the manufacturer?

Thanks everyone!

** Ok I found the stuff it's 3M 218 Fine Line tape... found it in Feller's catalog but I imagine I can find it many places **

 

[johnnysigns]

Nice TDI!

Fellers has another tape that doesn't allow vinyl to stick to it I'd put under neath the cut and whatever you like for the rule on the top cut. should be straight forward and I've done this on the rear radius on tons of van wraps.

 

[Vital Designs]

Nice TDI!

Fellers has another tape that doesn't allow vinyl to stick to it I'd put under neath the cut and whatever you like for the rule on the top cut. should be straight forward and I've done this on the rear radius on tons of van wraps.

Yeah, it is 3M striping tape, we use it all the time, great stuff. It would work provided you have a steady cutting hand.

 

[striper14]

the quick & easy way is cutting on the car using masking tape or fineline as a guide. I would do it this way if for a car yard or really in a hurry. Just make sure you use a new blade & keep it low. I try to use the extended blade as a visual guide along the masking tape & make one continuous cut. The main problem is cutting a smooth line the whole way. Stripes on bonnets (hoods for you americans) are too close to the eyeline & show up tiny wobbles where you've moved further down the panel or bumped your elbow on the mirror or something.

If it was my car & that bodyline is as straight as it looks, I'd put down 2 lines of masking tape at the edges then lay over some butchers or tracing paper & run a pen down the masking tape to get a stencil. Lay that stencil on the vinyl & use a straight edge to cut. Fit vinyl to car between masking tape. Nice straight lines unless you cant cut using a straight edge, & no cut paint either