Best paint Line for Blending

[sarchevyman]

Hello, I used DBC for blending the color on a 06 civic, the blend seems to have more silver in it then the surrounding area. I applied 3 light coats, since the p-sheet states 2-3 coats, should I have applied more to darken the area? or maybe the mix was off? Other then the slight difference in color I am very happy with it, but in the future, and going hand in hand with the learning process, I am curious. I want to thank all the pros out there that respond here on this site and take the time out of a busy schedule to try to guide us through the painting process. Steve

[68-chevyman]

The problem you discribed is what I call a halo. It is a common problem that happens when you don't leave yourself enough room to feather out the base coat.

[Jackson's B/S]

With PPG you want to start with your mix in which I use the DBC paint line in the PPG system. For color blending I will use a product called dbc500 "color blender" and you take that "RTS" and lay it down straight as a wet bed over entires area. I use DBC paint and mix it RTS and cover your worked area with the first coat. Then on your next coat you extend it greater just a little bit beyond the first coat overlapping the first coat. Then if diesired covering over the primer is reached i use DBC500 color blender again. That stuff mixes 1:1 in which I add it 3 parts RTS color to 1 part RTS dbc500. I then further extend my next coat over lapping previous coats with a arching motion towards the untouched paint. In hard to match colors you can further reduce with dbc500 and extend another coat. They make some newer stuff now called 840 blend easy but I havent tried it ut I will be switching to see if it works better. Hope this helps some as with this method you should be able to take a color thats a couple of different shades off and you will not be able to tell it. Whoever mixes your paint still has ALOT to do with it though!
Travis Jackson

[sarchevyman]

Thanks Chevyman, Right now I am happy with the repair, in the future though, the halo is not a difference in base color, but because of the fact that I did not blend it out far enough? The repair is in a very visible spot, the paint in the middle of the repair is visibly lighter then the paint that is on the outside of the repair. I have read that blending color has a lot to do with "fooling" the eyes, and I am sure that is what you are telling me. I will continue to work on that, learn, ask a lot of rookie questions, and hopefully improve my skills, Thanks

[sarchevyman]

Thanks Travis, great info, I did use the DX840 on the blend edges of the clear, came out really good, I did not use it to blend the base, which now it sounds like I should have. I think I will wait another thirty days and give it another shot, using the blender with the base and also getting another batch of base mixed up. The repair really looks good to me, just with the spray out of the DBC, and how light it is compared to the car color, it leads me to believe that I would get better results doing the blend if the paint mix is closer. I have since sprayed out a few more test panels, and know matter what I do I cannot get the base dark enough where I would have a chance to get a good blend. What the heck, I enjoy this stuff, and all I can do is keep learning. Thanks steve

[68-chevyman]

I commend your attitude keep it up and you will be a great painter.

[sarchevyman]

Thanks man, not to get too mushy here, but that means a lot!! Steve

[Len]

I'm not familiar with PPg blending but with the products I use I almost never use a fast drying reducer in the blending of the base coat. Because you're not laying the blended edge on heavy a fast reducer will tend to make the metallic stand up and have more of a sparkle to it than if you use a slower reducer that allows the blended edge to flow a little and the metallic to lay down before it sets up.

[TimG]

See if your jobber has an alternate deck...chips of different "shades" of the same color.
Quite a few colors have different variations from the standard,depending when/where the car was built.
Not familiar w/PPG,but Martin Senour sometimes has a different formula for the same color code,depending on which plant a Honda was built at.