I have a GOOD purple paint job on my new old bike. I was thinking it would look good with white pin stripeing at the lugs. However that would be a small area to paint and or prep.
Being that the paint is shinny, I am woundering if I can get a white paint to stick without preping the area. Like I said before, it is a very small area. It would be impossible to prep ie, sand,scuff.

I am also wondering if I would have to clear coat over the stripe after painting it.

My question is this - anybody pin stripe and not clear coat? Did you find it held up?

I would like to ride this bike so it will have to withstand washing etc.

ANother thought - Could car pin stripeing be used? it tneds to melt down after application.

They call what you are proposing "lug lining", and if you use the professional's choice: One-Shot Signpainter's Enamel, you won't need to scuff or prep the area, except to clean it. It should stick and be wash-proof without clearcoating. Helps to use the proper brush and practice on a junk bike first.

You can use One Shot or even Testors model paint or a paint pen from the art store. Gold ones work well. A ruling pen (old time drafting instument) or a Flow Pencil from Paashe (kinda a Rapidograph for paint) is more consistant that a brush for paint, depending on your skills of course. Paint will probably need to be thinned a bit as it comes from can or jar.

I have used the white paint pens from the art stores. Work really nice and easy. They come in different tip sizes, get the smaller ones.

One-Shot is the choice of the pros!
Clean the areas with PPG DX330 Wax & Grease Remover first.
And another brand of paint pen that I was recently introduced to is the Kemper Gold Pen.
As stated above, it's like a Rapidograph for paint. $12 at my local art supply store.
The other paint pens mentioned (the kind that have paint in the handle) work OK, but the gold does tend to tarnish after awhile, if there is no clearcoat.
And with the Kemper pen, any ****ers around the lugs will be accented by a wavy spot in the stripe.
The cleaner the lugwork, the better looking the stripes will be.

Pictures when you're done ...

Since I have not seen One Shot, I do not know if it is a "pen" application or what? What is it? Oh, and since I am in the boonies, where do I look for it?

Question about the "Kemper gold Pen". - do they make white in a pen also? I do not believe you mentioned how the Gold pen works. Does it do OK of a job?

Oops, sorry!

One-Shot is the brand name of some hi quality, highly pigmented lettering and sign enamel.
Like really really good Testors model paint. Mineral spirits clean-up, thinning.
Found on-line if you're out in the boonies.

Same for the Kemper Gold pen. Which you add your own paint to. Works kind of like a Rapidograph pen.
Which is an ink filled technical drawing pen.

I haven't tried my Kemper pen yet, but the possible results that I have seen (at N.A.H.B.S. '07) were quite impressive!
But the lines are only going to be as good as the brazing. If the brass has hicups, so will the line.

I'll post pics, once I give it a whirl.