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Spray Painting Advice - pearlescent techniques
FuryRebuild - 14/6/16 at 04:57 PM

So, I'm appealing for advice and ideas for the next part of my rebuild.

I now have the nice powder-blue coated chassis, and have a bunch of other components I want to fabricate. Rather than send them off for powder-coating, I'm just going to paint them this time - I'm going for white.

Now, I don't know a lot here, but do have:



I was originally thinking of just cleaning the parts and painting them white with an etch-primer, and then white with a primer, and didn't mind using a rattle can. These are mainly suspension components so not on the outside of the car.

Then I got to thinking about pearlescent coats, including thermosensitive coats, that turn transparent at a certain temperature, revealing the coat underneath. Whilst funky, and could be useful for showing up hotspots under the bonnet, I don't think I'll go there - but a final coat of pearlescent would be cool before a clear-coat.

So, I understand several coats need to be applied, and I have some questions, and I'm open to ideas as well.

Q1 - some googling has led me to a few suppliers, and I can get a 1l kit with base, pearl, clear-coat and solvent all in one for £99, which seems good to me - does that seem sensible. I appreciate I'll have a lot of waste spraying suspension components - they're not flat panels

Q2 - The instructions say 10 mins between coats - do you have to empty your gun and clean it every time between coats, as in during the enforced tea-brake

Q3 - Have you applied these paints - any pitfalls?

Q4 - Prep. I was going to soda-blast and clean with panel wipe before etching. Any other suggestions? All of these parts will be freshly made in T45.

Thanks
M

[Edited on 14/6/16 by FuryRebuild]

hizzi - 14/6/16 at 05:26 PM

pearl is not for the faint hearted, you need to paint it all in the same direction or it looks odd, as its base and clear it should all go on at one go, so any mistakes and your screwed. you need a nice warm place to paint , home garage is difficult but can be done with electric heating, not calor gas heater!
at least three coats of white pearl then three or more of clear with just flash off time in between.
standard colours at home are ok as you can flat off any runs and recoat, but anything base/clear you need to know what your doing.
also £99 sounds cheap for pearl, i would think thats standard thinners etc you need fast thinners for non booth painting. i did a mini recently in pearl it cost £350 in materials and vowed never again

[Edited on 14/6/16 by hizzi]

FuryRebuild - 14/6/16 at 06:09 PM

My other option is to use my local body-shop. If I want to go further than rattle-cans then that may be the way ahead. Then it's down to prep by me. I'm reluctant to use a powder coaters for this (lead time and travel time) and the fact that last time, between the blaster, coater and courier, someone lost a small but significant bracket and no-one knows who or is taking the blame.

At least with the body shop it'll be quick - next day hopefully.

Matt21 - 14/6/16 at 06:57 PM

Can you not find a powder coaters that do the blasting and coating? I thought most already did tbh.

I got my wish bones all done for £10 each, they were done in two days.

Surely there's an alloy refurb place nearby?

madteg - 14/6/16 at 08:46 PM

Check out The gun man on youtube