New Batch // July 2015... See below for details.
We're running another batch of "Deluxe" stencil sets in white polypropylene. If you're interested, find us on FaceBook (click here), find the post about the stencils and follow the instructions from there. If you miss out on this batch, we might not make another one for six more years, so get them while you can. The process might seem odd, but we'll be making an exact-number and want to ensure we have an accurate list.
Each set should be good for about 5 uses and the paint last for about 5-7 years.
The deadline to get on the list is July 18th.
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From 2009
I don't do much shilling here on RedneckModern, but for those that are interested in the curb stencils, check these out. These are laser-cut polypropylene and available in the "Deluxe" set which includes the Eichler frame and the requisite numbers. (Edit: In the prototyping phase, we made two sets, "Simple" and "Deluxe" and the latter worked out better.)
The Deluxe set is a 2-part kit of stencils, (1) the background and script and (2) the numbers. This set-up makes curb painting quite easy as there's little measuring -- the placement of the number blocks is part of the stencil itself.
We found the stencils easy to work with -- not because we're not crafty, but having the pre-cut and spaced number blocks made it much easier to work with. My neighbor and friend, Greg, helped out with the photography of the how-to (we painted his curb, too)... The stencils could be used for a few houses, but don't plan on covering the neighborhood with a single set... and the cost isn't extreme. (For full disclosure, I designed these and one of my students who's laser cutting them and offering them up to the Eichler community -- it's not a huge money making venture for him, but more of a chance to do some design-good in the world... so it's certainly for a good cause.)
First, it's essential to get your materials ready. We used Rustoleum's "HardHat" spray paint in gloss white, black and light machine gray. These paints dry quickly and are very durable. We also had tape, paper, some hobby brushes (for the inevitable touch-up) and sanding materials handy.
The next step is to get the curb as clean as possible -- not just free of dirt, but the surface as smooth as possible We started with a wire-brush, but discovered that power-tools were easier. A wire wheel on a drill should work well, but I had access to an angle grinder and sanding disc, so I used that.
After the curb was smooth and clean, it was time to mask off the background. Again, the stencil made this really simple as it's the same height and width as we needed. The stencil comes with 5 number blocks, so if you have fewer, just block them off
Once painted and dry (important), we moved to the gray squares. We discovered that a light misting of spray adhesive (Spray-77) helped to keep the stencil against the background -- again, another reason for dry paint. Once positioned and properly masked off, we did the spraying.
There was one area that bled a little bit, but spraying some white paint into a plastic cup, we were able to touch up easily with a hobby brush.
After the blocks, we did the same with the Eichler-script. Again, a light misting of Spray-77 helped to keep the stencil up against the concrete.
Once sprayed and dried, we moved on to the numbers, doing much of the same thing we did with the other elements. Again dry paint is key when you mist the back of the numbers with adhesive. You could certainly use the stencils without adhesive (you could even use a touch of double-stick tape), but any way you can get the stencil to lay flat against the curb is a good idea.
Viola... Eichler-styled curb numbers.