large flake questions

[turbotim23]

Hi I've sprayed flake a long time ago mostly on wheels and one Dodge van. Doing those kind of left me with questions on spraying the really large flakes on large jobs. I have some of the old really heavy flakes left over from back then, called glowble in various colors. I'm planning on spraying a old 94 caprice cop car I have to try my hand at it again. First why does everyone want you to spray flake over black? Doing the van I ended up with way too much paint layers on it. If you sprayed a base color close to the flake color,wouldn't you have a much easier time covering it and end up with less mills of paint on it? Also when I look at flake over black close up It almost looks like there are lite and dark sections on the pannel, like I'm seeing the black come through more in some areas than others. Wouldn't spraying a like color underneath make the flake look cleaner, more true to the flake color? When you spray the flake is it a bad idea to try to get the flake to land in as many angles as you can. Maybe use a little higher air pressure and fan it diferenent directions more as you spray it. That might mean you have to use more coats of clear to cover as it might be dryer and rougher but the metalic might sparkle more. Thanks for your help Tim

 

[TAZ]

Welcome to the Custom Paint Forum!
I think the idea behind a black basecoat is that it's going to be covered completely with flakes in the first place. You can spray black on and it covers quickly and thin.
Your idea is correct on let's say spraying silver flakes over a silver metallic base, but if you see the 'metallic', then you don't have enough flake.

Also, I have found that spraying at a 'lower' pressure works better than a higher pressure. You can spray it on thick suspended in a base clear. This seems to angle the flakes in different directions.

 

[turbotim23]

Thanks for the reply When you do it how many coats of metal flake do you put on and how many after the flake is on? I've read of using intercoat clear for spraying flakes, I'm sold on using it to speed up drying time and to keep cost and paint thickness down. Is that something you use and any tips on using it? I'd like to spray enough intercoat clear on it to be able to wetsand it out then 2-3 coats of some kind of topcoat clear. I won't be spraying in the best of conditions so spraying with more coats of intercoat clear might help to keep the amount of dust in job down also. could there be any problems if you sanded through topcoat clear into the intercoat clear? Thanks Tim

 

[TAZ]

When I spray metalflake, I really don't spray coats. I just keep spraying until it's all flake. Then I coat with regular clear. I normally put about 4 good coats of topcoat clear. THEN I sand it flat. Flake jobs are very thick.
You really shouldn't go through the topcoat clear if you put some good coats on.

 

[yousif almadani]

Welcome to the Custom Paint Forum!
I think the idea behind a black basecoat is that it's going to be covered completely with flakes in the first place. You can spray black on and it covers quickly and thin.
Your idea is correct on let's say spraying silver flakes over a silver metallic base, but if you see the 'metallic', then you don't have enough flake.

Also, I have found that spraying at a 'lower' pressure works better than a higher pressure. You can spray it on thick suspended in a base clear. This seems to angle the flakes in different directions.

dear taz administrator,

thank you very much for your recommendation about the flake
now I become to know why we paint black
you are right we should spray the flake till it cove the black...
as we used to apply the flake over the balck...but we noticed that its not
been covere completly...as we still can see the black base??? thank you
but you did not metioned the best spray gun and nozzle size..?? and is it siphon gun

 

[edwardzx7]

I don't think their is a answer as to the "best" spray gun and nozzle size to use.I would say use a name brand. Sure you get "these" or "those" results but you have to look at your painting skill, which gun feels right for you. Nozzle size you would also have to play with the more you paint. Some paints spray better with a 1.3, "earl" and "tommy" may love a 1.4 and use nothing else.