Sprayin direction Metalic

[Flapdisk]

Something someone said made me think so I need to ask this of the professionals on here please

When spraying metalic do you do the normal left right, left right back and forth across the panel or do you keep it in one direction left, left, left, or right, right .right ect?
and presumably the "Drop coat" is only done on the final coat and is that a random left and right or one direction or a random all angles or what?

 

[norsa]

See it depends on whether you are right or left handed. I am left handed and will always go left to right (continue beyond the panel and trigger off) drop half a fan, trigger on right to left. The spray is now consistent but if someone sprays right handed, it is said they would get a different shade?? hence the need to blend met/mica's. Yes the drop coat goes on once you have the consistent colour coat and is the random but again consistent style. i.e very dry diagonal cross coat.
Does this help??
Nick

 

[steveo3002]

side panels i would do left-right and so on with a drop coat

bonnets i would do the first coat left-right then the second up-down and drop coat it

 

[Flapdisk]

perhaps I need to re-phrase the question, Does metalic have to be laid in the same direction by only using just right or just left passes to paint rather than the normal left right left action

 

[norsa]

No. Standard procedure as for D.G but lighter coats.

 

[Flapdisk]

Hi Norsa, thanks for that, you say lighter coats but I find unless I spray a coat that looks wet it just dries with a sandy finish, what am I doing wrong? how do I get a light coat with a normal finish?

 

[Flapdisk]

side panels i would do left-right and so on with a drop coat

bonnets i would do the first coat left-right then the second up-down and drop coat it

Thanks Steve

 

[steveo3002]

you want wet coats ..but not overly heavy soaking like you would for gloss

 

[norsa]

Hi Norsa, thanks for that, you say lighter coats but I find unless I spray a coat that looks wet it just dries with a sandy finish, what am I doing wrong? how do I get a light coat with a normal finish?

I guess the pedantic answer is practice mate.
Metalics are difficult to get right when you start but essential you get them right before going on to pearlescents and full pearls.
Doesn't help you in the slightest I know. I think once you have got the viscosity of the paint correct, the gun has the right aircap set up, the gun is tuned properly and you have the right gun technique then its probably down to speed of pass. My first pass is a single coat, (don't even try to get an even colour at this stage and it can sometimes give a strange looking pattern, don't let this put you off) Give it maybe 10 minutes max to flash then go back to it for the next coat. Subsequent (coat 2 and 3) may be a double coat but these thicknesses are really down to speed of pass. You want to see a wet even coat as you pass over the surface but don't look for a shiny finish, its only colour. Really good lighting will help you master it. The flashed off final coat should look like a satin. If anyone has any more help, please feel free to offer help. Ive taught so many people to spray but find it difficult to put into words.
Nick.

 

[Flapdisk]

Thanks Norsa I'm not new to spraying but I am new to the gravity fed gun and spraying metalic, Oh and I forgot to mention this is cellulose

 

[the snooper]

cellulose are you sure ive not seen metallic celly about for years

 

[Flapdisk]

Absolutely, re-spraying my 29 year old Toyota, jawel still sell it

 

[the snooper]

so is it gloss ie not clear over base

 

[Flapdisk]

Well it is gloss but I am spraying it with clear when the final coat has flashed, the clear is Upol 1K RFU

 

[the snooper]

so if the celly is gloss don't put heavy coats on as the metallic content can gather easily and it stays that way, as you are using clear anyway you would have been much better off with base coat

 

[Flapdisk]

Believe me I would love to be able to use the modern stuff mate, but I have no facility for the safety measures needed to spray it. I'm just in my large wooden shed with a A2 half mask

 

[the snooper]

you could use base coat and 1k clear as you are, base coat is no worse then spraying celly

 

[Flapdisk]

Oh! that's interesting snoop, is there a 1k silver metalic base coat then that doesn't have a hardener with the isocyanate in it?

 

[the snooper]

all base coat is polyester 1k unless you use water based its the clear that has isocyanates in the activator

 

[Flapdisk]

You have got me confused now mate, So it is just the 2k clear that needs the air fed mask then