Striping between stop blocks

How do you get your machines betwen parking stoppers that are only 4' apart.. I have seen some jobs that they go betwen them and go up to the curb... I havent been able to make my gun go that far in front of the machine... Just curious..

Personaly I stop before the block and do not strip behind them. But then again I never strip all the way up to the curb anyway.

Options: 1. Don't paint them and if anyone says anything, just tell them that the original lines were painted before the wheel stops were put down and that no one's striper can paint them. If they sound like they really want them done, hand paint them. 2. Use your second gun and hand paint them while striping.

I too don't paint past the stops unless the mgt demands. I do point out painting past the stops is a liability issue. Possible damage can occur to cars and stops when cars hit the stops too hard because of the illusion that the space is longer than it really is. I have found it is possible you can place the gun in front of the machine and immediately next to the front tire. It is then possible to successfully stripe in between the striper's tires. The downside is, you have to learn to stripe "blind" because it is difficult to see where the paint is landing. Using this technique, often you can stripe all the way to the curb without the hassle of making too passes. Then again, if you had no front wheel getting in the way there wouldn't be a problem..... but that is another story.

Thanks for all your input on this... I like the idea of telling em its a liability issue and if all else fails Ill lay out 2 5' 2x4's down and spray between em'... Rich

i never thought of the liability issue, and most customers (after i seal) understand i cant stripe past stops cause i have told them that from the get go, once in awhile some will push it and i stick to my guns (no pun intended) and they will back off after i say i will have to move blocks and it will cost them more(even though i know there are easier ways), from here on out i will play the "liability" thing.....

Man , I'm still gettin all my ducks in a row and tryin to find all the info needed to get my biz started.. I have the company name paid for, since in FLA now you need to be a corp. if you wish to waive carryin workers comp. ins.. and from what Ive read on the IRS site if I am the ONLY employee, sole proprietor(sp) I dont need to apply for a FID # employer # ?? Does anyone here have a good website of all the stuff needed to get legal and not have county ,osha, feds callin me every day telin me what Im not abiding by... If anyone lives in Florida and is self employed without anyone legally workin for them please message me on here or leave me a reply.. Really apprieciate it BTW Robert Im ready to order me a starter set of stencils, Im gonna order the large set, I think most handicaps are 39" here and the FIRE LANE etc is 24" from what Ive been noticing.. Any real advantage on goin for the thicker stencils other then the thin ones possibly ripping? They are lighter to lug around tho lol...

I recommend the thinner material (Durolast) for smaller stencils like 12" number and alphabet sets, and for large stencils that might only be used a few times per year. The thicker material (Maxilast) is much more stable when paint builds up on it and in larger stencils. It lays flat and isn't affected by paint drying and shrinking which tends to distort thinner stencils. Even the thinner material won't rip in normal use, but it may get wrinkled and distorted with heavy use and without carfull storage. Maxilast will stand up to daily use and abuse and cleans up real good.

I guess Ill go with the S 1020D set.. I wont prolly use the 4" ones and the 12" #s I mite use on occasion for #'d spaces for apt. etc. What other stencils do you recommend? I was going to get a 12" Reserved and 12" Visitor along with a 24" Stop possibly.. Id hate to paint those words with a brush if I didnt have the stencil and I had to restripe lets say 10+ of them! I know it would prolly look horrible and end up on the lowest bid pic page.. Rich ECS;LLC

You probably don't need to get any other stencils right away. When you have a few jobs under your belt, you will have a better feel for what you need. You can get most stencils in three or four days, so it's safe to wait until you have the jobs to order. email me instead of extending this discussion thread, I usually reply promptly.

Rich - I would go ahead an apply for an EIN - Employer Identification Number. Costs nothing and is a good way to separate your business reporting from your personal reporting. Also it looks more professional to be able to put an EIN on a W-9 form. Don't worry, the city, state and feds won't call you till they notice you. The Secretary of State's office in your state should have a listing of reporting and licensing requirements for your state. You might want to shell out $10 for the Florida Business for Dummies Guide That booklet should have all the info you need... or...you could google something like "Reporting requirements for Florida business"

I just got my EIN # today and my city and county occ. lic.. Now all I need is some work then I can go for the plunge and get the trailer, stencils and some insurance BTW I told the IRS I have NO Employees, and I dont wanna pay myself that way all the income will goto the biz? I dunno if this is good or not but this striping biz isnt my only source of income so I didnt wanna get taxed 2X once from my f/t job and once again from payin myself on my company.. Rich

Rich - you need to talk to an accountant to be sure of your status, but if you work a fulltime job and have a Sole Proprietorship, you will pay the same income tax rate on the total of both net incomes. Be aware that YOU will be responsible for 100% of the Social Security/Medicare taxes owed on your net profits from striping. So if you net $30,000 and put it back into the business, that profit (minus depreciation and expenses) is taxable.

Painting to the curbing when stop blocks are installed seems to be a waste of paint don't ya think?