Who's got experience painting metal flake?

[MikeS]

I've had ok experience painting solid colors but the thought of spraying metal flakes has me completely intimidated. I'm mostly concerned with the process between color coats and clear coats. what grage paper do I prep the final color coat with before laying down the flakes? If I do two colors of metal flake, what work needs to be done between the two? How do you prep the metal flake coats for the clear coats?

Man, with so many beginner questions, I wonder if this is something that I should just pay a professional to do. I'd hate to ruin an otherwise great project guitar with a bad finish. How much should I expect to pay someone to do final prep, grain filler, primer coat, color coats, metal flakes, and clear coats?

Any help would be super appreciated.

[beandip]

Re: Who's got experience painting metal flake?

PM butnut. He did that awsome metal flake flame tele for wattage (I hope it was wattage, or else I'll feel stupid)

[Curly]

Re: Who's got experience painting metal flake?

you might start with a visit to Reranch

[MikeS]

Re: Who's got experience painting metal flake?

Thanks, Curly, but reranch doesn't have anything on metal flake that I could find. Metallics, yes, flakes, nope.

BD, I've seen Butnut's work, nice stuff, but he's probably tired of metal flaked coppertones. We'll see if he stops by.

[kmcguitars]

Re: Who's got experience painting metal flake?

Try www.houseofkolor.com They sell the stuff they may have
some info?? Butnut is the man with the 411 on metal flake

[butnut]

Re: Who's got experience painting metal flake?

Thanks fellas. A couple of ways to deal with flakes. HOK sells colored flakes. I mix that with clear lacquer and shoot over a black base. When the flakes look evenly coated, let it flash and go nuts with clear poly. I would'nt use clear lacquer as you have to use a LOT and let each coat flash...take all day. Flakes have the texture of sand, it can get lumpy. Especially the big mambo school glitter sized ones. Some guys knock down (lightly) excess flakes with 800 to help the clear lay flat.
On Watt's Tele, I wanted a 3 tone color, so I shot the primer and layed a silver base. I shot silver flakes (med and big) and let it dry. A few coats of clear lacquer to smooth the texture out so I could tape off my flames. Tape the flames using 3M 1/8" fineline blue (outlines) and shot kandy orange over the whole body. Now I mask inside the taped flames (to keep the flame orange) and mix kandy red with the orange to give the darker contrast 'outside' the flames. I used an airbrush with black to shoot shadows under the licks. Pull the tape, and you have your orange flames, silver outlines and red background. Let it flash (never sand candy or color coats) and I mix some HOK Aztek Gold pearl with my poly clear and shoot 3-4 coats. Sand and buff.
Paint and stuff.. The green ukulele is HOK med green flakes over black...

[MikeS]

Re: Who's got experience painting metal flake?

Yeesh, I think I'm quickly realizing that I'm not going to be doing this myself. Thanks for all the info, Butnut.