SuzukiSavage.com - Shark mouth paint job, Airbrush or tape-and-spray

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Shark mouth paint job, Airbrush or tape-and-spray
04/11/13 at 05:55:59

Hi !!

I Have always wanted these kind of WWII inspired paint jobs, flat camo green painted, and with the shark mouth on the side of the gas tank. I think it suits the bobber style pretty well also.

The question is, how the heck do I do it ??

Should I get it airbrushed, or it might be possible to do it by taping, spraying, untaping, spraying, etc etc ???

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Doody814

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Re: Shark mouth paint job, Airbrush or tape-and-sp
Reply #1 - 04/11/13 at 06:58:48

I love the idea! I'm kinda bummed I didn't come up with it.

I think you could do either, and it look good either way. I guess it depends on what look you're going for.
The original WWII fighters planes that had this look were P40's serving in China, before America entered the War. They wreaked so much havac that the locals referred to them as "Flying Tigers". The pilots and ground crews latched onto this idea, and painted a small winged tiger & a sharks mouth (which fit the air intake cowl perfectly). They did this with crude tools that they had on site.
If you're keeping to this theme, a masked off paint job would look good, as well as have an attitude that says "you bet I did it myself!" For similar reasons, it would also look good this way if you're going for the "rat rod" look.

On the other hand if you're going for a more clean look, an airbrushed job could show more detail, shaddowing, etc...especially if you added airbrushed panel lines, rivets, oil leaks, etc.

Dang man, you've got my wheels turning! I'm thinking "next project" already, lol.

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Borracho Full Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 132 Albuquerque, NM Gender:	Re: Shark mouth paint job, Airbrush or tape-and-sp Reply #2 - 04/11/13 at 06:58:53 I am not sure how this is done, but I had just decided the other day to paint my tank with a shark mouth. Mine will look like this...
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Re: Shark mouth paint job, Airbrush or tape-and-sp
Reply #3 - 04/11/13 at 09:59:57

Love the historical facts !! You are darn right about preserving the cachet so i will go down the homemade route!

I like bikes that express personnality and have a vintage "worn out" look, like these rat bobbers out there!

I guess tape-and-spray will be sweet, thanks for your advices doody !

And btw Borracho that gas tank is darn sweeeeet for a clean rat (yes i believe they do exist Tongue

)

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Re: Shark mouth paint job, Airbrush or tape-and-sp
Reply #4 - 04/11/13 at 18:06:01

Now this is just a guess.....but I would not be surprised if the original mouth and teeth painted with a brush. There was a war going on.....and I am not sure how much tape and spray paint equipment they had.

I have a freind that is very active with planes, is the pilot for the EAA Ford Tri-motor, and I bet he would know.....I will ask him.

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Cavi Mike Serious Thumper Offline Thumper n00b Posts: 1005 Rochester, NY Gender:	Re: Shark mouth paint job, Airbrush or tape-and-sp Reply #5 - 04/11/13 at 18:10:26 Borracho wrote on 04/11/13 at 06:58:53: I am not sure how this is done, but I had just decided the other day to paint my tank with a shark mouth. Mine will look like this... If you don't know how it's done then your tank will look nothing like that. That's all air-brushed.
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Borracho Full Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 132 Albuquerque, NM Gender:	Re: Shark mouth paint job, Airbrush or tape-and-sp Reply #6 - 04/11/13 at 20:03:36 Cavi, you are correct, the plan is hire a pro. I'm colorblind and can barely draw a stick man! My wife won't even let me paint the house without supervision...
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Cavi Mike

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Re: Shark mouth paint job, Airbrush or tape-and-sp
Reply #7 - 04/12/13 at 00:26:37

I actually know how that's done and I couldn't do it. You can be sarcastic all you want but that's all free-hand stuff with stencils and some tape for the sharp lines. If you didn't know that, you couldn't even begin to do it and especially if you just compared using a paint-roller on the side of a house to an airbrush - you've just insulted every person to hold a gun to a canvas.

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jcstokes Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com is very useful Posts: 2119 Mauku New Zealand Gender:	Re: Shark mouth paint job, Airbrush or tape-and-sp Reply #8 - 04/12/13 at 02:14:22 Shark mouth thing
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raydawg

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Re: Shark mouth paint job, Airbrush or tape-and-sp
Reply #9 - 04/12/13 at 03:29:01

Cavi Mike wrote on 04/12/13 at 00:26:37:

I actually know how that's done and I couldn't do it. You can be sarcastic all you want but that's all free-hand stuff with stencils and some tape for the sharp lines. If you didn't know that, you couldn't even begin to do it and especially if you just compared using a paint-roller on the side of a house to an airbrush - you've just insulted every person to hold a gun to a canvas.

What????????????

Dude, the guy shared what he desires to do with his bike, and you go off assuming he is being sarcastic, goodness. Are you proficient in English?

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ToesNose Serious Thumper Offline Pardon me, do you have Hot Sauce? Posts: 1993 Mooresville, NC Gender:	Re: Shark mouth paint job, Airbrush or tape-and-sp Reply #10 - 04/12/13 at 04:21:35 Not cool Mike....uncalled for
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Arnold Serious Thumper Offline The dude abides... Posts: 896 Westchester, NY Gender:	Re: Shark mouth paint job, Airbrush or tape-and-sp Reply #11 - 04/12/13 at 05:46:49 Anyways, how about decals and spray clear over?
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Re: Shark mouth paint job, Airbrush or tape-and-sp
Reply #12 - 04/12/13 at 06:13:22

Well this is funny......I emailed my aircraft friend about the Sharks Mouth. The family is so "ate up" with airplanes.....the wife emailed me back the answer!

"They were P-40B’s that were originally scheduled to go to Britain, but Britain refused the order. So, Chenault got 100 of them. They were originally painted in the British Camouflage color from the factory, with a sky blue belly, and the British 3-color camouflage scheme on top. They were hand painted in the shark scheme after one of the squadron guys saw another British P40 with a shark scheme. (The Brit’s stole the idea from Messerschmitt BF110 (based in Crete). They figured, correctly, that the air scoop of the P-40 would lend itself perfectly to the mouth. "

It is pretty amazing that this sharks mouth got so famous from only 100 planes that went to China!

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Re: Shark mouth paint job, Airbrush or tape-and-sp
Reply #13 - 04/12/13 at 09:00:31

Dave wrote on 04/12/13 at 06:13:22:

Well this is funny......I emailed my aircraft friend about the Sharks Mouth. The family is so "ate up" with airplanes.....the wife emailed me back the answer!

"They were P-40B’s that were originally scheduled to go to Britain, but Britain refused the order. So, Chenault got 100 of them. They were originally painted in the British Camouflage color from the factory, with a sky blue belly, and the British 3-color camouflage scheme on top. They were hand painted in the shark scheme after one of the squadron guys saw another British P40 with a shark scheme. (The Brit’s stole the idea from Messerschmitt BF110 (based in Crete). They figured, correctly, that the air scoop of the P-40 would lend itself perfectly to the mouth. "

It is pretty amazing that this sharks mouth got so famous from only 100 planes that went to China!

Awesome story bro !! I'll definately do it with a brush and a little or no tape, i'll head to the art supply shop and get a good paint and clear it afterwards, to keep the spirit of the WWII !!!

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old_rider

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Re: Shark mouth paint job, Airbrush or tape-and-sp
Reply #14 - 04/12/13 at 09:10:52

I say go for it! I recently did a paint job on my new toy 300 ninja and it came out ok for a krylon spray can job with a few graphics from military-graphics.com
it went from this

To this

I didn't clearcoat it nearly enough so it chips easily, but now I know what I can do, and I know enough now to do even better next time.
Tins and cowls are easy to take off, and if you have the time, keep experimenting till you get what you want.

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