T- Metallic Green

[Redneck]

Well it was suppose to be more of a chrome look not sure exactly what happened. Instructions or video did not call for Wet Sanding the Base Coat. I did Wet sand the primer coat and thought it looked pretty good. Then I hit it with the base coat a very light coat to begin with, and it started looking a little rough texture wise. Second and third coat were a medium wet coat like the video described. Then I hit it with the Duplicolor Metalcast. A light coat at first as per the instructional video then three more wet coats at 10 minute intervals. Think I should let it sit the obligatory seven days then wet sand and hit it with another couple of wet coats? Also when you put your first "light" coat on should it be a very even coat or will it look kind of blotchy... ie the primer was showing through a little unevenly? Anywho here are the pics.



Betterclose up in shade for better color


You can kind of see the blotchiness even on the last coat of paint.

Here is larger pic in the sun you can see it sparkle.


Now remember this is all rattle can from duplicolor...this is the color scheme I am going to this winter.



Inputs and suggestions are welcomed and desired.

Paul

[chuck hahn]

10 minutes between coats doesnt sound right..i have always been told that 20 to 30 is about right to allow the successive coats to gas out correctly yet still be tacky enough for the next coat to bond properly. The " orange peel " texture is a symptom of applying the next coat too soon, and possibly too heavy , from what i understand. In any case, i had a tank do that and a buddy wheeled it out and took that effect out..so all is not lost there.

[Macguyver]

Blotchiness

Chuck's got it, the blotchy look to the metallic is due to not letting the paint dry long enough betwen coats. Basecoat is pretty easy to work with once you realize that it can sit a long time between coats without affecting the final product.

I generally do a light misting tack coat first, which will not be smooth, rather, a "dusty" looking coat. The only reason for the tack coat is to give the successive coats of paint something to hang on to.

Next come the first full coat of paint. Medium heavy, complete coverage. Let this dry for at least 15 minutes. True basecoat will look dull when it is dried. That is when you know you are ready for another coat, when the previous one looks completely dull, with no shiny, wet areas. This may apply to your paint, may not, depends what resins they have in it.

Next coat is another medium heavy, complete coat. This is the one which really sets the final color of the part, now that it has a good base of color under it, so it is not going to be transparent. Let dry at least 15-20 minutes, maybe more, depending on your paint. I would usually let this coat sit for a good half hour to fully dry in preperation for the next coat, which is:

The metallic control coat, a light, dusting coat of paint, much like the first tack coat. This coat's main purpose is to even out the look of the metallics in the paint. It should not be a wet coat, generally applied in a quick fashion with the spray can held back further from the part that the previous spraying distance of around 8-10 inches so that the paint hits the previous coat almost dry.

I have been known to do two or three control coats, depending on how the metallics in the paint lay down when spraying. Some people wet-sand the part after the control coat to flatten out the surface before clear coating the part. If you do this, get the part nice and wet to make sure your sanding has not gone through the control coat(s) and affected your metallics, if all is good, then clean off the part with water, allow to dry, and continue on.

Next coat is the clearcoat. Be sure the part looks the way you want before spraying clear! No amount of buffing will make the color coats look different once the clear is applied. Usually two to three coats of clear are applied. There could be a lot more applied if you plan on wet-sanding the final clear coat for that smooooth finish.

Hope this helps,

*edit* - Useless Trivia - The blotchiness in the metallic is usually referred to as "Tiger Striping", and "Orange Peel" is the slightly wavy texture on the final finish. Check your cage and look at the panels, they will all be Orange Peeled, and there are a few automotive clear-coats meant for repair shop use which are specifically designed to mimic the level of Orange Peel on the factory paint job.