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msg 09-19-2017 08:20 PM

Pearl vs Metallic questions
 
1 Attachment(s)
I am new to painting and need some help. I am now at the point of making a color choice on my 66 and Ive decided on a white top with a cream/off white base. I have spent a few hours looking through the paint books (foreign and domestic) at the local PPG store and I have found that for a cream color they dont make a metallic just a pearl. I was wanting more of a metallic rather than an iridescent pearly cast hoping to make better contrast between the cream and white. The PPG folks I gotta say havent been a whole lotta help with this and I think they may have been giving me some wrong information.

I have painted 3 different cream tinted colors on a door skin I had to remove after I botched a base repair. The top white band is GM Designer White. The first color on the left is 1986 Chevy White Diamond 3903 and the one I like the most, except the paint they mixed is a pearl vs metallic. The 1986 swatch looks more metallic to me but the lady who mixed says that a pearl is what the formula calls for in the database. I thought that metallic wouldnt glare as much when the light hit it like the pearls seem to do. The middle color is a solid 5857 Cream White GM from 2002, but it ends up not having enough contrast to the white plus I was hoping for metallic to give the paint some depth. Then the last color on the right is White Diamond from the GM small fan card book they had, but it isnt as warm as I was hoping for.

The PPG instructs on the tri colors were to shoot the base at 1:1 and the pearl straight no reducer. So thats what I did for the one on the far right of the door about 3 coats worth. On the far left side (1986 Chevy White Diamond 3903) I used reducer at 1:1 to see if that would help to just add a little fleck to it without a pearl overcast. It didnt seem as dense, but thats 3 coats.

I added 2 coats of a clear coat in the end to get as close as I could to what it might look like.

So my questions are:
  1. Would metallic cause less of a glare than pearl?
  2. If so, is there a way to have that 1986 Chevy White Diamond 3903 color I like be metallic?
  3. If not is there away to tweak the pearl to not have such an overcast effect?

msg 09-19-2017 08:22 PM

Re: Pearl vs Metallic questions
 
3 Attachment(s)
Some extra pics

Foot Stomper 09-19-2017 09:12 PM

Re: Pearl vs Metallic questions
 
Congratulations on picking your color exactly as everyone should!
Trying to do it by picking a color from the book without spraying the colors on a panel with profile like you are doing is a huge mistake.

You might try a solid white and enhancing it with a measured amount of pearl in your clear. This way you can add what you like. The problem with this method is getting a consistent finish and will be nearly impossible to match later but may give you the results you are looking for.

MARTINSR 09-19-2017 10:35 PM

Re: Pearl vs Metallic questions
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Foot Stomper (Post 8043622)
Congratulations on picking your color exactly as everyone should!
Trying to do it by picking a color from the book without spraying the colors on a panel with profile like you are doing is a huge mistake.

You might try a solid white and enhancing it with a measured amount of pearl in your clear. This way you can add what you like. The problem with this method is getting a consistent finish and will be nearly impossible to match later but may give you the results you are looking for.

Isn't that awesome to see! Spray it out, that's how you do it!

OP, what Footstomper said. :D


Brian

msg 09-20-2017 08:56 AM

Re: Pearl vs Metallic questions
 
2 Attachment(s)
Quote:

Originally Posted by Foot Stomper (Post 8043622)

You might try a solid white and enhancing it with a measured amount of pearl in your clear. This way you can add what you like. The problem with this method is getting a consistent finish and will be nearly impossible to match later but may give you the results you are looking for.

Thanks for the reply Footstomper, being so new to painting I was hoping to avoid complicating the mix and have a formula that a paint store can accurately reproduce. The color test funds may dry up soon or maybe my wifes patience. So am I right about what I'm understanding about pearls vs metallics? Pearls having the overcast effect where metallics add depth?

On your suggestion to tweak the white, I think that using the White Diamond as the base maybe too light if I am going to add a small amount of tint to the clear coat . Ive added photos that show the base dabbed on and the tinted clear and the tint does as the term implies I guess and darken the white to get the contrast Im after. If I use a little tint in the clear Im thinking it will end up too light against the white.

Anyone ever seen a metallic cream color that might work for this 2 tone Im after?

msg 09-20-2017 05:02 PM

Re: Pearl vs Metallic questions
 
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Well I spent a good portion of the day at PPG talking with one a much more experienced guy. I showed him the panel and explained that I was trying to find an off white that was not a dull tan but something warmer cream hopefully that had some depth to it. I thought the metallics might add the depth. His explanation was to get a metallic to work it has to be a darker color. Once the color gets towards white the metallic flecks arent noticeable, so the pearl is the way to get lighter colors to not be solid and add the interest. Then it got into personal tastes where he didnt like the bright white top and suggested a different tinted white with a much darker greyish color as the bottom half. So as my backup I had also liked the turquoise metallic from 66 and the off white as the combo. Unless there is a metallic cream thats not too yellow or too tan/khaki I can be happy with the turquoise and off white combo.

msg 09-20-2017 05:34 PM

Re: Pearl vs Metallic questions
 
Ok, so after posting the turquoise I found this pic and the wife liked it better. Im liking it too and its kinda where I was going originally but more 24k. Now to go back and look through some golds that look that good at PPG. And a nice white also that works. Til next time...

msg 09-20-2017 05:39 PM

Re: Pearl vs Metallic questions
 
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and the pic

MP&C 09-21-2017 10:32 AM

Re: Pearl vs Metallic questions
 
Nice ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

msg 09-21-2017 11:32 AM

Re: Pearl vs Metallic questions
 
Pretty sure from what Ive seen in the saddle color paint threads that that pic is saddle color. Feeling good about this being more OEM, while Im not doing everything as original my hearts more about the OEM look than overly custom.

msg 09-29-2017 11:30 AM

Re: Pearl vs Metallic questions
 
This will be my first paint job and I wanted to get it done right. Im picking that saddle metallic color and from what Im reading that makes it all the more dicey for a newbie. There are things I have read and videos I have watched and I'm getting a little turned around on the best practices of painting metallics. Currently I have my truck disassembled and all of the panels have been sprayed with 3 coats of SPI epoxy primer and have been stored as I go over the years. The cab has 3 coats of SPI grey 2K regular primer. The SPI tech/owner has been great about answering SPI questions as I go but the base coat will be purchased from a local PPG store,at least thats where my color samples have been coming from. So if anyone can help answer these questions I'd appreciate it.


Metallic painting questions:

After watching this video...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFBpKSCbhbI
  1. I noticed they sprayed a sealer coat before the base. I asked SPI if this is necessary and the answer was "its your choice, if you do grey epoxy is the one ".So I wondered if any of you others use the sealer coat and why?
  2. Also in the video he does an air flow reduction (20 lbs) to spray a chunkier flow to get the solvents to burn off faster in between coats and the metallic to lie down better, is this what any of you also do?
  3. Since I dont yet have the truck assembled, is it a mistake to paint the panels and parts and then assemble? I was going to orient each panel as it mounts on the truck while I am spraying, like they do in the video. Hopefully this is not a no no.
  4. Any other tips to getting this done right?

Foot Stomper 09-29-2017 12:02 PM

Re: Pearl vs Metallic questions
 
This is a video on "drop coat" or "Orientation coat".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVsReitd-kY

msg 09-30-2017 10:11 AM

Re: Pearl vs Metallic questions
 
Thanks Footstomper, can you help answer the other questions in that post? Particularly the sealer coat and painting assembled vs in parts?

MARTINSR 09-30-2017 11:54 AM

Re: Pearl vs Metallic questions
 
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I like this guys job with the "drop coat" or "control coat." I also like how he doesn't stick right to the door edges as the end of his pass, I actually like going even further from the edges running over them and NOT stopping at them.

I like this guy's video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqPh0MQQ6Iw

NOT painting each panel going back and forth on each panel, NOT doing that can make a huge difference in the finished product.

"Basics of Basics" Spray technique.
By Brian Martin

A perfect paint job would have a consistent thickness on every square inch of the car, agreed?

To have four coats on the left fender, two on the right, five on the left door and one on the right wouldn’t be right. For consistent color, appearance, and durability you need the thickness (film build) to be consistent.

The closer to a perfect “decal” over the car, the better. However, just by the nature of human beings and their faults this isn’t always the case. If you were to check the “MIL” thickness (there are super accurate digital tools for this) of the average repainted car you would find many different amounts of film build.

More film build is usually found at the meeting point of two panels, like the seam at the door and fender. Think about it, you can’t paint down the whole side of the car in one pass, so you paint the fender with a number of passes of the gun starting at the front top, ending at the rear top, then moving down to the next pass right below that. You do this over and over until the fender is shot. Then you move on to the door, right? What happens right at the seam between the two? You have painted a coat on the fender, AND on the door; you can’t start and stop perfectly at the seam, so right there at that seam you are applying twice the amount of paint. Yep, if you apply three coats on the car, you are applying SIX coats at those seams.

It is very in these days of high solids clears to see a sag running vertically right on the edge of these panels. It will almost look like the panel has a body line going down the folded edge. It is caused by too much film build. Many times this sag isn’t repaired because it almost looks natural there on the edge. But it can be eliminated with a change in spray technique.

Ever seen a candy paint job that is darker at the seams? This was caused be the very thing I just described.

A classic example of this can be found on many early VW bugs. The hood is triangle shaped, with the front right at the handle being much narrower than the rear. Well, if you paint one side of the hood and then move to the other side it is VERY easy to end up with twice the coats right down at front of the hood. Go look at that point the next time you see an old air cooled bug and you will likely see a sag in the paint right at the bottom of the body line next to the handle.

Understand, this isn’t the end of the world. Most of the time this small discrepancy is acceptable. My point is, the closer to perfect, the better.

I was taught this simple spray technique about a hundred years ago (seems like that) at one of my first jobs. We were shooting lacquer completes. Sometimes these paint jobs had fifteen or twenty coats of color applied. My mentor at the shop pointed out to me to “Move the dry spot around”. If you didn’t you would end up with a much drier area at each of these seams. Remember, this was lacquer, if you have not shot it, it dried FAST. The overspray off the end of the spray pattern could produce a LOT of dryness. So if you did this coat after coat it would build up pretty bad.

After shooting a zillion coats of lacquer that way, I continued the practice. I have used this technique all these years with primers, sealers, colors, and clears, urethanes, epoxies, enamels, all with great success. It just makes sense to me to try to get that perfect “decal” over the panels. I pay particular attention to doing this when I do edges, there is one pet peeve of mine, one thing that boils my blood is seeing fender edges under the wheel well with dry spots or worse yet, no paint! EVERY SINGLE SQUARE INCH of panel should have good coverage. I don’t care if it is going to be hidden with a bumper, under a vinyl top, unseen after the fender or what ever is bolted on, I don’t care, EVERY SINGLE SQUARE INCH gets covered, if it was intended to be so.

Here is an example of the technique. You don’t have to do exactly as I have in the drawings, these are just suggestions. Adjust this concept to your particular needs. The basic point is to not start and stop at the same point every coat.

PLEASE NOTE: The direction of the lines in the drawing DO NOT mean you are to spray the paint in that angle, that was only done to more clearly show the starting and stopping points. To spray in this fashion isn’t out of the question though; I will find myself doing that as well, to get a more even coat. But that is only in particular places with particular needs.

Foot Stomper 09-30-2017 11:58 AM

Re: Pearl vs Metallic questions
 
I won't comment on SPI because I don't pretend to know their products specifically.

Sealer? I recommend reading the TDS for the paint you are using as it will give you the correct procedure. I would not rely on any primer manufacturer for paint application and prep instructions.

You should paint the pieces hung like they would be if they were on the vehicle. Another way to do this is to paint the edges and hard to reach areas, then install them on the truck and paint the entire vehicle. Pros and cons to both methods.

MARTINSR 09-30-2017 01:34 PM

Re: Pearl vs Metallic questions
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Foot Stomper (Post 8051003)
I won't comment on SPI because I don't pretend to know their products specifically.

Sealer? I recommend reading the TDS for the paint you are using as it will give you the correct procedure. I would not rely on any primer manufacturer for paint application and prep instructions.

You should paint the pieces hung like they would be if they were on the vehicle. Another way to do this is to paint the edges and hard to reach areas, then install them on the truck and paint the entire vehicle. Pros and cons to both methods.

VERY important point there!

Here are some of the pro's and cons and things to follow with either method.

"Basics of Basics" Painting in pieces or together
By Brian Martin

One decision that must be made during your cars restoration will be if it should be painted in pieces, with the doors, fenders, trunk lid and hood off the car, or with all the body panels on at once. There are many reasons to do it one way or the other and it should be well thought out prior to laying the paint on.
What is the “best” or the “right” way is very different to most anyone asked. It really depends on your expectations, skills and passions. Do you want the car accurately restored? Do you want the easiest way? Do you want the highest quality result? The “best” is not always the way to accurately restore it. Many times the factory did things that are far from “show quality”. They were simply building a car for the masses, not building a classic. Most ever car built has the doors installed on it when it’s being painted. Yesterday, today and tomorrow, new cars being built have the doors and trunk lids hung on them. In some cases such as sixties GM and Ford cars, not only were the doors and trunk lids installed on them, so were the latches and strikers! Yep, they painted right over the latches, strikers and the bolts that held them on many cars made in those days. This is the practice with many manufacturers up to today with strikers, they do usually leave the latches out though. That is certainly not very “show quality”. Some cars in those days had their front fenders, hood and cowl top (if it used one) painted on a rack out in front of the cars body. I started in the autobody and paint industry in the 1970s and I have to tell you, it was common to see a GM car where the fenders didn’t match the doors because of this practice of painting the body/doors and fenders and hood separate. These were single stage lacquers and a little difference in distance or pressure could change a metallic color pretty fast. There were sometimes bare spots under the lip of a trunk or the bottom of the door inner jamb (especially in the corner up at the hinge area) where the paint and primer was very thin and there would be a minor rust forming when the car was still only a year or two old. So, this is “correct” for restoring many cars, but it certainly isn’t the “best” way to do it.

Most cars today are painted in an interesting way. They are painted with robots, some are painted in a “shower” like booth. It is actually kinda freeky to see them painted. They sort of just “change color” like a computer special effect. They are painted with the doors, trunks, hoods all on as they always have been. But now often they will shoot a base that is similar to the final color. Then they shut the hood (and sometimes the trunk) and paint the outside of the car and door jambs with the final color and clear it. Under the hood, and the trunk in many cases gets no clear or final color! And to throw another odd trivia bit out there, this is interesting. Toyota, probably the most effective manufacturing company in the world paints their cars this way. But after painting the car they remove the doors, for the cars component assemblies to be installed and then the doors are reinstalled as one of the very last steps! Now, if Toyota and all their amazing manufacturing processes do this to ensure that all the parts are the same color, I think it is safe to say painting the car together is a good idea.

Have you ever looked close at the cars you see at shows? Do you see the ones that are painted apart (or at least look like they were) compared to the ones painted together? Do you know the difference? Most of us check out these cars and never even look close enough to see if they are that well detailed. Only you know for sure if you want nothing but the best and are willing to spend the extra time to paint it apart, then do it. If you have seen at shows that cars look good to you even if they have those small tape lines in the jambs, then painting it together may be the way to go.

The benefits to painting it in pieces are there, first off, a super detail job. You can spend all the time you want prepping all those nooks and crannies for a super nice paint job. No tape lines, it just looks awesome, however is it practical for you and your car? Bolting newly painted parts on is pretty taxing. If you do go this route, be sure everything fits first. Read my “Basic of Basics” on trial fitting parts. It is very important that all these parts fit if you are going to paint them off the car. If you have any doubt, any doubt at all, paint it together. I have seen many, many cars where the guy thought the parts fit, he was certain that the parts fit. After the car was painted he had very poor fitting panels when installed. I don’t care if they are NOS, I don’t care if they fit well before the body work on the adjacent panel was done, what ever, you must trial fit them. If you are going to toss the dice and you lose, you lose big. If you want to save the time of trial fitting, just bolt it together and paint it that way.

First, do you have room to shoot it in pieces? Now, this can be a great way to shoot something when you don’t have the room as well, depending on if you are shooting it all at once or in pieces over days or weeks. If you feel that you can paint it in pieces (IF you can will be covered later) this can work out great. You paint your fenders, then put them away somewhere and paint the doors and so on until the car is done. If you plan on painting it all at once while in pieces, than you better have a big booth to spread it all out.

Painting cars in pieces can be a little easier in that you have a number of small projects that are easier to handle. Painting a complete can be overwhelming to a newbe, the many smaller steps make it more manageable. But you must be sure that you are not learning on your car. If you start painting parts as “practice” you will most certainly not be painting the same by the time you get to the last pieces, and they will likely look different. If you have some help putting it together it is not that difficult to do with it painted. It just takes care, lots of it.

If you do paint it in pieces, you must have the parts (especially with a metallic, but with solids colors as well, more on this later) hanging in the same “attitude” as it is on the car. In other words, you don’t lay the doors down on their back to paint them. You want them hanging vertically just as they are on the car.

When you spray them, you need to maintain the exact same distance, pressure, surface/shop temp, solvent temp, amount of coats, reduction, etc. This is very important, the consistency is key when painting a car apart. When spraying a panel off the car you want to “pretend” that the next panel is there and take each pass well off the panel you are painting onto this imaginary panel. This will keep you from stopping right at the end of the panel and creating more or less (depending on exactly your trigger technique) film build at the end than in the middle. This can create a different color in those areas. Metallic colors being different because of air pressure is a given, most understand that. But solid colors can change with a little varying of distance and pressure as well. It is simply because of film build. Today’s lead free paints don’t cover nearly as well as years ago. Where you think a few coats have covered, it may not have. Sure, if you have applied those four coats uniformly over a single color substrate like a completely gray primed door, it is a uniform color. But apply one more coat and you have a different color. Therefore if you don’t run the gun off the panel onto the adjacent imaginary panel, and apply exactly the same amount of coats you could put a little more or less material at the edge creating a different color there. If you do it a little different on the REAL adjacent part, the two won’t match. This is very common on something like the back of the door to the quarter panel. You are painting the quarter totally different because you have the jamb to paint as well. So right at the edge of the quarter you are going to have more material applied being you coat the jamb as well as the quarter with a little overlap at the edge. On the door, you don’t paint it that way because the jamb side is painted from the back. So if you were to stop the gun short right at the edge, you are going to have a little different film build. You could very well have a color that is slightly different from the quarter.

One VERY important thing is that ALL the parts have the exact same primer color. Even colors that cover well are going to have a hard time over a gray primered body and a black urethane bumper! You WILL have different colors when finished. Be sure everything, including substrate color along with pressure, solvent, distance, etc.

Another very important issue is that you must be sure that you have all the paint you will need. Buy at least 30-50% more than you think, that is my personal target. I want to have a quart or more unreduced paint left over. I’m sorry, when it comes to paint problems, and redos the price of a quart of paint is not a big deal. If you need it, it is priceless. So, buy your paint and get a couple of gallon cans and intermix them. Stir them well, being sure to get everything off the bottom of the can. If you can have the paint store shake them, that’s good too. I like to scrape the bottom of the can with the stir stick and then run the very bottom of the stick on the inner edge of the can and look close to be sure there is not toner on the bottom of the can that isn’t stirred up. Pour the paint back and forth until they are thoroughly intermixed. Let me explain, you have two one-gallon cans, with lets say a gallon and a half of paint, one gallon can full, the other half full. Pour about a quart or so out of the full one into the half full one, then stir it up. Now, pour a quart or so back, then stir that up, do this a few times back and fourth until you are certain to have the cans intermixed. You do this because there may be a slight difference between the two mixes. After all they were mixed by a human being. Now, after using one can you can go to the next knowing they are exactly the same color. If you should run out and go back for another quart, you could find yourself with a much different color! This is a very hard learned lesson, avoid it, simply buy enough and intermix it right from the start. This practice should always be followed, be it painting the car in pieces or not. But it is particularly important if you are.

Another alternative is to do both, paint it together but like the factory with the doors and trunk and maybe even the hood hung. Again, there are lots of choices. Many cars were painted with the hoods hung, hinges and all got painted, you could do the same. I have never actually done this, but seen many painters do so. They open and close the panels (leaving the latches out so they swing freely) with every coat. Painting inside and outside at the same time. You need a lot of room to pull this off, but it can be done.

You can also do things like bolting parts on like fender extensions with washers behind them to space them out so paint gets behind them. This is a favorite trick of mine. That way you jamb behind the extension first, then with it spaced out a quarter inch or so, it gets painted just like it was bolted on. Works like a charm even with a metallic color. The washers are removed after the painting is complete and the extension is bolted on properly.

Now, painting it together, what are the benefits? Well first off, you know the parts fit. You know that it all works and after unmasking you are going to have a nice fun time bolting on all the chrome and trim. Half the work is already done, you are home free. You will have some tape lines, it may not be the ultimate show car, but it still can be darn nice.

One thing to do when painting the jambs first and the body complete is to be sure that all the body work and priming is done before you do the jambs. There is nothing that will send the quality of your work going down the drain faster than painting the jambs and then having to apply primer on the panels and mess build up more of a line, get overspray on the jambs, etc. Do all the blocking, all the priming, all the panel and trim fitting before you paint the jambs.

When painting the jambs, mask off the surrounding outer panel. Don’t let the overspray fall out onto the panel thinking you are going to be sanding it anyway, what is the harm? There are a number of reasons why you don’t want to do this. First, you want the body do have a uniform substrate color. Second, it will take a lot of sanding to feather this out and you can damage the blocking you did to get the body straight. Third, if you don’t feather it out completely you have a very thin film there at the edge of the overspray where solvents when you paint the outside can get under and lift it. To avoid a lot of problems, just don’t let the overspray out onto the outside. Mask it right up almost to the corner of the outer panel, leave about a sixteenth inch of primer around the corner into the jamb.

After painting and assembling the panels back on the car, when you are sanding the car for paint, pay close attention to those edges of the paint in the jambs at the primer on the outside. For detailed tips on this read the “Basics of Basics” on taping jambs. Basically, you want to carefully sand those edges away. Mask the jambs off by back taping to allow the paint to fall over the edge onto the painted jamb about an eighth inch or so. That means that only about a sixteenth inch or so of the paint in the jamb is exposed when masked. That little edge can be sanded and buffed out leaving an almost invisible seam.

To the guy who wants to make his car as flawless as humanly possible and paints his car apart to the guy who paints it together and gets out on the road with a smile on his face driving it, you have my respect. It is your car after all, make the decision with as much information you can get on the subject. Don’t take it lightly, it is an important decision to make on the restoration of your car.

And last but most certainly least, One VERY important thing is that ALL the parts have the exact same primer color. Even colors that cover well are going to have a hard time over multiple color primered parts. You WILL have different colors when finished. Be sure everything, including substrate color along with pressure, solvent, distance, etc.

So either have the every single part primed in the same color, ready to paint. Or, seal the every single part in the same sealer before printing. But you must have all parts the same color prior to painting. Even when applying many coats, it would blow you away how much the substrate color (the color you are painting on top of) can change the final color. You don’t want to “ask the paint to do to much”. If you have all the panels the same color prior to painting, you have a MUCH better change that all the panels will be the same color when you are through.

msg 09-30-2017 01:54 PM

Re: Pearl vs Metallic questions
 
3 Attachment(s)
Brian and Footstomper, thanks so much for the help! I watched the video - (very helpful to see) and will read and re read what you posted Brian. I was trying to figure out how to assemble it all first and be able to paint the moving panels like the hood, doors and tailgate since they have multiple sides to paint. I guess for the most part the panels that have wide surfaces are the crucial ones to shoot while installed vs hanging. What I mean by that for example is painting the wrapped portion of the door skin that is seen from the interior. I could paint the door while hanging loose by its final orientation first but only on those wrapping points and waiting to shoot the front part when assembled. There is much for me to learn. Thanks for helping!

Here are a few pics of the 1966 c10 paint codes that I gave to PPG. I painted then last two bands to the right.The darkest band is the saddle poly metallic 555, the top portion is the off white solid 526,and the one on the edge of the panel is the Fawn poly. I had the glove box which has the original fawn color on it although with age I dont know how accurate it is to the original color. I could have them just do a paint match I guess. This just sparkles more,of course the gloss clear coat I have on it isnt helping. I suppose its needing to have a matte finish. Anyway here are some pics with different lighting.

First the lighting in the garage.

msg 09-30-2017 02:04 PM

Re: Pearl vs Metallic questions
 
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then outside

msg 09-30-2017 02:07 PM

Re: Pearl vs Metallic questions
 
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more

msg 09-30-2017 02:10 PM

Re: Pearl vs Metallic questions
 
3 Attachment(s)
shade

Foot Stomper 10-01-2017 01:08 AM

Re: Pearl vs Metallic questions
 
Brian, your ability to instruct is admirable! Well done!

MARTINSR 10-01-2017 11:36 AM

Re: Pearl vs Metallic questions
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Foot Stomper (Post 8051402)
Brian, your ability to instruct is admirable! Well done!

Thanks!

Brian

MARTINSR 10-01-2017 11:37 AM

Re: Pearl vs Metallic questions
 
And by the way, this truck is friggin sensual! I feel dirty looking at it with my wife in the room!

Brian

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/a...1&d=1505943587

msg 10-02-2017 12:24 AM

Re: Pearl vs Metallic questions
 
2 Attachment(s)
Quote:

Originally Posted by Foot Stomper (Post 8051402)
Brian, your ability to instruct is admirable! Well done!

Agreed, so glad you two chimed in!

Quote:

Originally Posted by MARTINSR (Post 8051557)
And by the way, this truck is friggin sensual! I feel dirty looking at it with my wife in the room!

You aint kiddin, glad my wife was as drawn to it as I was...felt less guilty!

Brian these write ups are amazing. I so much appreciate the time you took to write them up and share them. This is my first paint job and I dont expect perfection but I am making every attempt to do my best. I have a single car garage that I have rigged up a pvc frame with plastic, fans and exhaust. Its pretty tight so I had originally thought to paint disassembled and reassemble due to this. A problem I had considered was if i wanted to shoot the whole truck assembled,how could I paint the back of cab and bed if its on the frame and the bed is right up against it? I guess folks shoot each separately in order to get all around it. Ive read each of your posts here and will re read again. Ill attach some pics of the garage set up to help show what Im dealing with. I do plan on using the same grey SPI 2k primer to help me get closer to consistent color like you mentioned.

MARTINSR 10-02-2017 10:05 AM

Re: Pearl vs Metallic questions
 
You are going to really have a hard time with that small of space, the overspray will hang around a LOT causing dieback and dryness. So in your case a part at a time is pretty much a given. On the back of the cab,yeah a bed is always off in that case. In collision work where I work even just a bed side, the bed is removed to properly paint around the front edge.

Brian

MARTINSR 10-02-2017 10:15 AM

Re: Pearl vs Metallic questions
 
You need to practice with some junk parks like you have with that door. You can go and get another door from a body shop for free. We throw out parts like this every day, LOTS of them. Every once in a while someone comes by because they want some metal or a test panel like you need and we are more than happy to give them to them so you could check with a local body shop to get a door off a Corolla or something.

This can REALLY make a big difference, paint the whole door. Then the next day mask the door down the middle and paint half of it. See if you can do it with the exact same gun distance and speed and pressure and all that, it's really not that hard. Do be sure you have the same color, a little different pressure can make a big difference in how metallic lays down. It's not that hard, but I can't believe the guys who can't pull it off!

I remember a head painter once who just couldn't grasp it, the car would be different colors and he would make comments like "the spray out card looked good though.":waah:

One day he sprayed the fender on a truck and the color was off by a mile. He showed me how the spray out card matched beautiful. I looked at him right in the eye and said "That is the evidence, that is the finger print, the DNA, that is the evidence that you sprayed the spray out card different than the fender!" He STILL didn't get it.

This is a test spray I am referring too, he would spray his spray out card to match the color WAY wetter than the car, I would see him, I would watch him BOMB the paint on the spray out card MUCH wetter than you could possibly spray the car. I would go and look through the window of the booth as he sprayed the car and of course he was spraying it normally not bombing it on like the spray out card, NO WONDER they were different colors! This isn't rocket science....but alas he couldn't get it.

Then I see guys like you who have put the time and thought into it and spray a car in pieces over months and it looks like it was painted at once.

Consistency that's all it takes!

Brian :metal:

B. W. 10-02-2017 10:47 AM

Re: Pearl vs Metallic questions
 
Not as experienced as others so when I spray I write everything down: what part, outside temp, inside temp, humidity & pressure. I'm also really picky on my mixing ratios. That way if I have a problem I might be able to trace it down. (the problem is usually me!)

msg 10-03-2017 10:06 AM

Re: Pearl vs Metallic questions
 
1 Attachment(s)
Quote:

Originally Posted by MARTINSR (Post 8052223)
You need to practice with some junk parks like you have with that door. You can go and get another door from a body shop for free. We throw out parts like this every day, LOTS of them. Every once in a while someone comes by because they want some metal or a test panel like you need and we are more than happy to give them to them so you could check with a local body shop to get a door off a Corolla or something.

This can REALLY make a big difference, paint the whole door. Then the next day mask the door down the middle and paint half of it. See if you can do it with the exact same gun distance and speed and pressure and all that, it's really not that hard. Do be sure you have the same color, a little different pressure can make a big difference in how metallic lays down. It's not that hard, but I can't believe the guys who can't pull it off!

Would this panel do? I had practiced how to weld on it years back.

Quote:

Originally Posted by B. W. (Post 8052241)
Not as experienced as others so when I spray I write everything down: what part, outside temp, inside temp, humidity & pressure. I'm also really picky on my mixing ratios. That way if I have a problem I might be able to trace it down. (the problem is usually me!)

Ill keep notes as well, thanks!

MARTINSR 10-03-2017 12:00 PM

Re: Pearl vs Metallic questions
 
Any panel would do, but that will take a bit of work to even get it good enough for a test panel. At your local body shop they will have bent fenders and such with nice paint on them that all it needs is a scuff and you can paint it. If you want to sand all that door down feathering it out and put a coat of primer on, that's good too.

Brian

msg 10-03-2017 12:13 PM

Re: Pearl vs Metallic questions
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by MARTINSR (Post 8052223)

paint the whole door. Then the next day mask the door down the middle and paint half of it. See if you can do it with the exact same gun distance and speed and pressure and all that, it's really not that hard.

I see what you mean, Ill check around.
Question though on the 2nd day masking half the panel and recreating the same factors. Wont the fact that its a 2nd coat look different to begin with even if I have everything going right? Just making sure I understand the exercise. I assume its more about practice than it is about matching exactness in the panel.

MARTINSR 10-03-2017 12:15 PM

Re: Pearl vs Metallic questions
 
It should NOT look different. If it has full coverage, if it's applied the same and has full coverage they will be the same.

Brian

msg 10-03-2017 05:40 PM

Re: Pearl vs Metallic questions
 
1 Attachment(s)
You see this every day but Im amazed at the scraps they have in the dumpster. I also saw a 63 c10 left front fender sitting next to it that was spoken for. Now its time to scuff it up and get some paint going.

msg 10-09-2017 11:14 AM

Re: Pearl vs Metallic questions
 
Hey Brian, before I get completely committed the color choice I read this in one of your write ups on taping the jambs

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...ad.php?t=80128

Quote:

Some “value lines” can be very transparent, so you save no money because you may have to put on twice as much. A high pearl or metallic color may “model” easily, that may be a reason to scrap the color or brand.
I have purchased some of the saddle paint color from PPG and the guy told me it doesnt come in the premium line..just the shop line or something like that. Ill post the pic of the can if it helps to get more detail.

Question 1:
How can I accurately test the number of coats needed and transparency on the door I found? I assume spray coat after coat and see what looks right, but what Im getting at is how is it best to judge the color and number of coats to make it look its best. Once I have that figured out I can tell a few things, how much paint Im likely to need and just how transparent the paint they sold me is. To a point you made in the write up, it can effect the old budget.

Question 2:
How can a newbie best tell this metallic paint is going to "model" easily?

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/a...1&d=1507139312

MARTINSR 10-09-2017 05:59 PM

Re: Pearl vs Metallic questions
 
We use test panels like this so you can see if it has full coverage.

https://www.acttestpanels.com/upload...ipe_300pix.jpg

http://www.axaltacs.com/content/axal...10_640x828.jpg

I find it very hard, unbelievable that the color isn't available in the top of the line paint. The colors chosen in those value lines are from the top of the line, there are simply much less of them. Where as the top of the line system may have 12k colors the value line has 1500 and where as the top of the line will have "alternates" for each color the value line has none, it's that sort of thing.

If you didn't know, and "alternate" is a created by the manufacturer when they paint thousands of cars and they all aren't shot with the same can of paint right? Even when the paint goes to the factory in 55 gallon drums, there are MANY of those 55 gallon drums and they can vary a little in color, thus creating "alternates." Many colors will have 5-7 alternates. And you can't believe the difference between them! OMG they are DIFFERENT colors. Some you would never see if the cars were parked side by side, others would be very obvious!


But I find it very hard to believe that color wouldn't be available in the high end lne

line. Personally, I would think about a different color then.

Brian

msg 10-09-2017 07:14 PM

Re: Pearl vs Metallic questions
 
I'll double check on the high end availability, the guy mixing it last time muttered that it wasn't as he was looking at his computer screen doing a search. I'll also see if they carry any of those test panels,I tried doing a search for them and found this site but Id need to order 750 of them.

https://www.acttestpanels.com/produc...3&categoryid=2

On the question about the paint modeling,can you describe what to look for?Orange peel? Bumpiness?

msg 11-12-2017 11:54 AM

Re: Pearl vs Metallic questions
 
4 Attachment(s)
I worked on painting the test door yesterday and kept notes on how it went. First I roughed up the painted surface by sanding with a 60 grit to start with and then a 220 to smooth it out. In the future I wouldnt skip between paper ranges that extreme but that’s all I had left for my orbital..gotta buy some more ranges. In sanding there were some scratched spots I went to aggressive on and primer showed through along with some metal. I used the compressed air tool to blow off the worst of it, then applied degreaser and cleaned it up and let it dry for an hour.

For consistency I thought to keep my paint gun noted as to where the fluid and air flow dials/knobs were set. My paint gun is a Devilbiss Finishline that came with 4 tips, 1.3, 1.5 1.8, and a 2.2. There weren’t any markings on the knob faces to know how many rotations I would have made, so I tightened them both down completely and scribed a line at the base of each dial/knob at 6 oclock. For the fluid knob I turned it out 3 full rotations as a start. Ive read where some painters usually keep it fully backed out to have max flow and adjust the air mainly. I thought I would start there and do a paint test to make sure its that cigar shaped pattern on the cardboard panel. For the air flow I rotated 1.5 turns for a start. I used the 1.3 tip as the tech sheet for the paint noted either a 1.3 to a 1.6 to be used.

Then I mixed the paint. I wasn’t sure just how many coats it would take so I started with the 1:1 mix as indicated by 2 oz of Base to 2 oz of reducer. This metallic paint is the PPG shopline Saddle color I previously had them mix even though I will need to find a different match since it turns out that this color is not offered in the high end line. I figured for this test of whether or not I can paint a metallic separately and have the paint match up it would be fine. I mixed up the paint and poured it through the filter into the gun canister and sprayed a test onto the cardboard with around 25 psi displaying on the gauge. Between the thinned paint and the fact that its color onto brown cardboard doesn’t pop it was kinda hard to tell if I was getting that cigar or not. Considering I only had 4 oz of paint to test with I started spraying. I went at a consistent speed 8 inches or so from the surface and dropped down each row/sweep about 4 inches to get what I think is the right overlap. The first coat was barely noticeable. I waited 8 min to spray again as the tech sheet said 5 to 10min between coats. I ran out of paint after 2 row sweeping passes on the 3rd coat. So I mixed up another 4oz.

At 3 coats it looked like this.

msg 11-12-2017 12:00 PM

Re: Pearl vs Metallic questions
 
2 Attachment(s)
After that 3rd coat at 1.5 turns on the air dial I rotated it out 1 more full turn to get a total a of 2.5 turns on it to try and get the paint to spray out better. I had to apply 3 more coats at that setting, with another need to mix more paint at the 5th coat. After 6 total coats the primer exposed spots looked like they got better coverage. Then for the drop coat I lowered the pressure on the gun to around 18 or so. I backed away twice the distance compared to previous copats and sprayed not in the 4inch drop per row method but wider and fewer rows. I was trying to replicate what I saw the guys do in the drop coat videos that were mentioned in the previous posts.

Here are some final pics. So in all it took 6 base coats plus 1 top coat and I still have about 2 oz left over from 12 oz total. If it took that much for one side of one door Im guessing then when I do buy the final color whatever it is that Ill need around 2 gallons or better.

Brian, from here should I just tape off one side and spray a few coats and a drop coat to complete this test?

72HuggerK20 11-13-2017 01:04 AM

Re: Pearl vs Metallic questions
 
First of all, your sanding technique sounds like it needs work. You will want to sand any surface you are going to prime at least up to 150, prime it, and then sand the primer with 220, 320, 400, and 600. Any sand-through spots should be touched up with some etch primer (spray can is fine) before painting. Also, to use less paint, get the proper shade sealer and spray a coat of that first. It will give you an even tone to lay your color on, and it'll take less to get even coverage.

As for the gun settings, I'd have to play with the gun to make sure it doesn't act weird, but usually I run the fan wide open, the fluid wide open to where the trigger won't move any farther back and then back in a quarter turn. Also I run the the air adjusting knob wide open. There is no need to use the air adjustment knob when you are using a regulator. It's just redundant at that point. The only things I adjust are my air pressure (with a regulator at the inlet), my distance from the panel, my speed, my overlap, and sometimes the fluid with my trigger finger when doing a blend. My guess is that you'd want to run that gun around 25-29 psi, and drop it a little like you are to do your drop coat. Usually 50% overlap and 4-7 inches from the panel, but the drop coat should be 80-90% overlap and about 10-12 inches from the panel.

To avoid "tiger striping" you may want to switch up the directions you apply each coat. So if your first coat is applied by moving side to side, the next one go up and down.

72HuggerK20 11-13-2017 01:07 AM

Re: Pearl vs Metallic questions
 
Yes, you can just tape off one side and paint the other side right over what you just got done with. To get a true picture of the color, though, you will need to clear the panel. Clearcoat really changes the look of the paint significantly.

msg 11-13-2017 10:03 AM

Re: Pearl vs Metallic questions
 
Thanks for the pointers, I definitely rushed the sanding just to get the color test going on this scrap door panel. On the truck Ill be stepping up the sanding. Good to know also about how you run the gun with air and fluid dials wide open when using the regulator at the gun inlet. The exercise Brians got me doing is to get a consistent individual panel application since the space I have to paint in wont allow for my truck to be fully assembled when painting. And then this metallic paint making it more tricky to keep consistent with that panel for panel approach. I wonder if I need to scuff up the side that Im about to paint over as the test, since its been over 24 hrs since I last painted. But this is just a test, maybe it ok to just shoot the paint?


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