How To Get a Simple White Pearl

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Rick G.

Guest
I'm painting a motorcycle for a friend (a lady) who wants a beautiful white pearl. What is the best way to achieve this? I have done a number of paint jobs but never used a pearl. I would prefer to use HOK and/or PPG. Can I get a pre-mixed white pearl to use over a white primer/sealer then just spray the clear topcoat or is it best to use a white base and mix pearl flakes with the base or clear? Would HOK PBC44 Snow White Pearl over BC26 White base do the trick or perhaps PC8 White Sparkle Pearl over BC26?
PPG has a White Diamond Pearl 90622(B) but that may be a tri-stage which I assume is more difficult and more expensive than a standard basecoat clearcoat application.
 
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Osh

New member
A true pearl job IS a 3 stage job. It's not anymore difficult than a bc/cc job, just another step. White base, pearl coat, clearcoat. Most every car manufacturer has a white pearl on there cars. Go to your local paint jobber and look thru their chips.
Yes it is more $$$ but not enuff to stop you from doing it the right way.
I guess I'm lucky in that we have a mixing bank at work and I just custom mix my own pearl colors.
 
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Rick G.

Guest
When using a dry pearl concentrate, is it usually mixed with the clear and applied over a base or is it mixed with the base. I'm using HOK BC26 white base.
 
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Austin

New member
Spray a solid white first then spray either a intercoat or a topcoat clear with the pearl mixed with it. If you add pearl to just the base coat white it won't have the deep/rich look your after. With a dry pearl you won't need to add very much with the intercoat clear.
Austin
 
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68mako

New member
Here's a trick with powder pearl. Shoot the base, then mix the powdered pearl with straight reducer. DUST this on, I'm not a big fan of pearls and I use this technique to vary the intensity. Slight pearl on flatter side of the panels and getting heavier on the edges, bends, raised hi-lights. You have much more control rather than just doping a clear and shooting the entire object. This can also be done with clear base extender. Just my $.02
 
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rex

New member
Never shoot a candy or pearl over sealer,put down a base color first.The reason being sealers have no UV screeners in them so the color will bleach out,black sealer is real bad.
 
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Rick G.

Guest
Rex, I'm just curious what ingredients Custom Flame Painting uses to get the white pearls used on many of the samples shown. I am not impressed at all with the results of mixing the dry pearl with the intercoat clear and then applying finish clear. The affect is barely noticeable at all unless the sun hits it just right. I know it's not supposed to look like a flake but I didn't think it would be this subtle.
 
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Rick G.

Guest
One more question. I got a small run in the last coat of intercoat/pearl and wet sanded it out with 600. Should I shoot another coat of the intercoat/pearl before the final clear goes on and if so should I wet sand the entire surface with 600 or 1000 grit before the final clear?
 
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TAZ

Guest
Rick,
You want to make sure that your pearl coat is consistant so it doesn't look blotchy. This may happen if you wetsanded a run in the interclear that contained pearl. If you have a black basecoat, I would suggest blending ot the black basecoat first, then reblending the interclear with the pearl coat. This is somewhat tricky to do though...both blends must be a very nice subtle blend so you do not end up with a 'ring' or circle of pearl or the basecoat. If it is on the edge of a panel, this will be fairly easy.

Make sure it all looks good before the final clear, as this will only enhance the look of the basecoat/pearlcoat

Good luck to you!
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Rick G.

Guest
Scott,
I am using a white base with "white sparkle" dry pearl. I sprayed two coats of intercoat clear with pearl over the white base. I stopped after the last coat of intercoat/pearl because of the small run and it has been sitting two days now. I didn't have to wet sand much at all to take out the small run. Definitely didn't go thru to the white base. Can I shoot a small blend and then go onto final clear without scuffing the entire surface or should I spray another coat of intercoat/pearl before the final clear? Whatever I spray next, wouldn't I need to scuff up the surface before for good adhesion or should I get some adhesion promoter instead since sanding pearl is a no no?
 
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Rick G.

Guest
Well after speaking with Scott I purchased PPG D751 White Pearl Toner. It definitely is more the look I'm going for. I will be spraying the pearl over a white basecoat. Scott, I believe you told me to mix 50/50 pearl toner to intercoat clear and use a fast reducer but I forgot to ask the ratio of reducer. Would it be 1 reducer to 1 pearl/intercoat clear mixture?
 
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