Hey, here’s quick bit on George The Wild Brush who handled the Pin Striping on the 2005 Sturgis Shovel project. He’s pin striped several other bikes for me in his 47 years behind the brush. Born in Hanford, California, a miserable military town, in 1944, he kicked tumbleweed while his mom worked on a base.
She moved to the safety of Southern California away from the miserable summer central Califa heat, to Long Beach then Lakewood (next door) where he went to school, but didn’t graduate.
He was warned that the fad would die so his vocation would fail. “The fad’s still rockin’,” George said. “My first car was a ’54 ford and I custom painted the driver’s side. I couldn’t afford enough paint to finish the passenger side, so I had the only cool side.”
He studied Von Dutch work, Larry Watson and George Barris. “I’ve striped refrigerators, toilet seats (new ones), and 50 and 110 Tom Gentry trans Atlantic ocean racing boats. He’s taught me a thing or two about striping. “It’s best to have the parts off the bike for the best quality art.”
It’s difficult to paint bare aluminum—“Paint won’t bond to it.” without a primer.” I worked at Gasoline alley for 15 years painting aluminum dragster bodies.
It’s also difficult to pin strip chrome—“It won’t hold up due to the lack of porosity.”
He only uses One-Shot enamel paints—“Can’t use any paint.”
With motorcycles it’s a good idea to clear over striping—“People don’t pour gasoline all over cars, but they do bikes.”
Cars don’t generally need to be cleared over striping work.
His number is (310) 488-5488 for classic pin striping and good stories.
George came to the shop just after I picked up the clear powdered aluminum sheet metal from Foremost Powder. He usually tells me what I’m going to have striped. I have a vote and initial color selection, then I best get out of the masters way.
He striped the Goodsen Air Cleaner, which was treated to my holy treatment, then brushed with Scotchbrite to remove the polished appearance.
Then he striped the panel polished, highly-modified, XR750, Cyril Huze donated tank and Lucky Devil, custom made fenders. I polished the panels and brushed the rest for a two-tone effect. Not sure it worked, but George gave it a final touch.
George suggested the 5-ball addition to the center of the tank. Not the gas cap. Ultimately I filled the center-mounting hole with a small 5-Ball to commemorate our company and all the women who put up with my shit over the years. In case you don’t know the story, I’ve been married five times, that’s five misses Ball.
