I'm considering an orange "pearl" for my 67 Firebird convertible (I think it might complement the parchment interior), and would rather pursue a 2 stage BC/CC pearl as opposed to the traditional three stage (where I believe a midcoat clear with pearl added is done between the BC and CC). In my research I see that the Kustom Shop and House of Kolor both offer pearl bases, BUT it looks like the HOK base (looking at their tangelo color) actually requires a white base underneath (or minimally a white sealer), whereas I can't tell if the Kustom Shop basecoat requires that. The implication of the HOK base it that it is somewhat translucent (like a candy) and thus application will be more critical. My first question is "Does anyone know for sure if the Kustom Shop pearl base is also somewhat translucent and thus requires the a certain base?"
My second question involves application. Can these "basecoat pearls" be painted with the parts off the car? My intent would still be to paint the entire car at once, but have the front fenders, hood and trunk lid sitting/hanging on a-frames and shoot them directionally in the same manner as I am shooting the rest of the assembled car.
All of the HOK PBC's will look different depending on the sealer or base used underneath. Not as much as a real transparent like candy per say, but the sealer or base will affect the brightness of the PBC. You can of course spray your parts off the car, as long as you use the same gun settings, air pressure, and out of the same mixed batch. I normally take all my quarts, and mix them together in a empty gallon pail as soon as I get my paint in case there is any variation from the factory. The PBC's will spray about like a metallic base, or easier in a lot of ways. I would use a white sealer under it though. Your color will be much brighter, and it will stop problems with your primer if there were to be any. I dont use a sealer with every job, but it's good insurance.
This is one a did a while back with a GM solid orange, and a small amount of Kustom Shop dry pearl in the first two coats of clear. The client wanted Tangelo Pearl, but didnt want to spend the cash on paint, so I came up with something close, that would be in his range. Do some shopping, because there are a lot of options.
Another factor that may cause inconsistency in pearl color is the number of paint coats have to equal the rest of the car or different shades are possible. My advise is to watch the video of Ed Hubbs paint the blue mustang. Take note of how the fenders are painted at the same time as the car. Also, do all your primer/sealer painting with bumpers/fenders/car set up in this same exact configuration. This way, you're being repetitive which equals consistency and you get the feel of how each panels configuration flows. If something doesn't jive with you, primer is the time to reposition these for smooth transitions and optimal lighting conditions for when it's time to lay down the money coats. You do not want to worry about moving or touching anything but your gun and the hose behind your back. If you have to struggle with rearranging panels/bumpers/crap when you're painting you run a high risk of dropping/touching/brushing/scraping that object, not to mention you've lost all your focus dealing with paint application. Just do as the saying, "measure twice, cut once" or in this case "practice three times, paint once". I expect some pics from the outcome posted too! :thumbup:
I shot two 12X18" or so test sheet metal panels yesterday - one of the Kustom Shops Orange crush and the of HOK's Tangelo. For the "procedure" I just cleaned them with SPI waterborne wax/grease remover, DA sanded with 100 grit, recleaned with wax/grease remover, shot one coat of SPI white epoxy (slighty reduced - didn't have any white base), followed by three coats of color on each panel, and 2 coats of SPI universal clear. I got all kinds of trash in my epoxy but didn't care as these are just test panels for color.
Results:
I was disappointed in the HOK Tangelo pearl. The pearl isn't even visible under most viewing angles and really only shows up at certain angles. I know this is a characteristic of pearl, but if the average person was standing right by it they might not notice it w/o closer inspection. The Kustom Shop's Orange crush on the ohter hand is MUCH more noticeable. However, it probably leans more toward being a metallic than a pearl. It does (and this is KEY) go better with my parchment seat covers/interior on my Firebird though. For those not familiar with it, parchment is not white. It is more like a very light cream color with a translucent gold sheen on top of it. The Orange Crush is more of a burnt orange and the stronger gold pearl/metallic blends better with the seat covers. Unfortunately, under some angles it muddies up a bit (I think because there is so much pearl in it).
I'm not sure if a true white base would have made the HOK tangelo pop more or not...frankly it just seemed to have a lot less pearl in it than I expected (and was less translucent than I expected).
Beyond that I'm wondering if my poor gun technique "buried" the pearl somehow (i.e. maybe too wet a coat?).
Any tips are greatly appreciated.
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