Silver Metallic

[DWOODS]

I'm winding down thankfully! on blocking the K-36 that I shot over DP40 and was planning to base with PPG DBU & clear with 2021. I decided early on that this project was not going to be show car - but I do want it to be right. I have little experience with BC/CC painting but do find that the new HVLP gun (H.F. purple) shoots similar to the old suction guns I used spraying centari.

I'd like to shoot it with silver metallic but have concerns after all I've read on how difficult it is to get this color to cooperate successfully..... and is the 2021 a good clear choice.

Please reply with any tips/techniques you guys have on helping me finish this project off before the cold weather sets in......

Thanks in advance

D-----

[Phil V]

Some silvers can be a real bugger even for a pro painter, and some silvers are easy to spray with no problems. The DBU base is a good choice and make sure to use its associated DRR reactive reducer with it. If you're doing a non show car then the PPG high end clear is overkill. the Omni/shopline urethane clear in my humble opinion is just as good as the high end clears for normal everday use, sprays about the same and costs less than half of what PPGs high end clears cost. I've used Omni/Shopline clear on my own vehicles that sat outside in subzero cold in the winter and 100+ deg hot summer days for quite a few years (7 years for sure on one) and the clear looked as good after those 7 years as it did the day after I painted it.

In all honestly that HF gun will probably work OK for spraying the basecoat but it will be woefully inadequate for the urethane clearcoat. Those Taiwani guns are a copy of the expensive old German Sata NR-92 which was a crappy clearcoat gun from the get go. No one can expect a taiwani copy of the old Sata NR-92 to spray better than the original Sata (which as previously stated was a crappy clearcoat gun). Bottom line is you will get excessive orange peel and runs if you use that HF gravity feed HVLP purple gun. Buy, beg, borrow, cheat or steal a better spray gun designed to shoot urehtane topcoat paints (clear and single stage). Len sells an inexpensive Astro Evo LVLP gun that would be a MUCH better choice than that HF spray gun.

[Dennis N. Schmidt]

Is it just me that feels that it's somewhat weird to shoot $600 worth of paint with a $14 spray gun? That's the sale price for the purple gravity feed spray gun at my local HF this week.

[recoatlift]

when i shoot any high metallics, i criss-cross my color coats to lessen stripes or 'cornrows.' i spray med wet coats, moving the gun somewhat fast...not real fast. i tack off each coat with a basecoat tack rag. on the last coat, [say 4th coat] i lower my air to 30 lbs & increase my gun distance to maybe 12".....careful not to create stripes. i let the color dry around a 1/2 hr @ 70 degrees. re-tack the base & start spraying the clear.
don't psyche yourself out...base metallics aren't bad.

[DWOODS]

Thanks for all your replies & insight..... I purchased the H.F. gun years back before this project surfaced, basically to try replacing/retiring my Sharp 775... my last full repaint was 10 years ago/centari.
With the cost of materials, the amount of time & collateral dollars I've invested - I have no problem stepping up to a better gun. Even though I stated "this is not a show car" - I do want to have the best chance of a quality finnish. Personally, I'm a "keeper" - I still have my 67 chevy step-side that i bought in 74 and do plan to keep this one as well - passing both along to my son when the time is right.

If the general consensus is to get another gun for this to be succsussful and to save me time on sanding & buffing the clear, so be it - this is exsactly why I'm seeking your guys expertise.

With that, please forward your recomendations on a decent gun to get this part of the project behind me.


Thank you

D-----

[88GT]

Id go with a better gun if its been 10 years. The Devilbiss Plus is a good gun for $300. It will do base and clear just fine. Its my gun of choice

[Chris L]

For me,when i shoot silver,i use a slow reducer and get coverage with 2 coats or so....once i achieve coverage,i back up about to 10 inches from the panel and widen my pattern all the way and make sure that I over lap properly and kinda,but not really mist a coat on to make sure the mettalic is evened out.On the flip side,when its Hot,doing an overall silver,i hate it because even with slow reducer,some base coats dry so fast the silver can leave rough areas where it dries before its laid down,causing a difference in cast,or color,whatever the word it,could make it darker in those areas.

[Len]

With that, please forward your recomendations on a decent gun to get this part of the project behind me.


Thank you

D-----

I'm with 88GT the DeVilbiss Plus is an excellent choice for the money. This gun is being sold for a "Special" price during the month of October or while supply lasts. Check them out on the link below.

LINK

[DWOODS]

Thanks again for all of your guys insight... I just spoke to Len and have the recomended D-Plus gun on it's way.


Looking forward ; I'd greatly apppreciate any tips/recomendations on the proper gun set-up/adjustments to help shave some of the learning curve I'm now facing.

As mentioned, I'll be going with DBU #147 silver metallic base & the 2021 clear.


D-----

[Len]

When setting up the gun hook the air hose to it and adjust your line pressure to 60 or 70 PSI then hook the air hose to the gun and squeeze the trigger all the way back and set the gun's inlet regulator to the recommended 30 to 40 PSI.

Disconnect the air and pull the trigger all the way back and turn the needle adjustment so that the trigger comes all the way back against the handle then turn the adjustment in until it lifts the trigger off the handle just slightly.

When you start to spray open the pattern to full width then just turn it in slightly so that you just take the edges off the top and bottom of the pattern.

These are the normal spraying settings for this gun but when using some different materials or spraying in different situation you may want to change the inlet air pressure, the needle/fluid control adjustment and the pattern to meet your needs.