I'm thinking on shooting a flake job on my block. How well does it hold up on a car you drive relatively often? Any hints on getting it to turn out good other than clean the hell out of the block? Do I prime it first like a normal paint job? Any help? Thanks.
I *think*.. repeat *think* ...... you might have a problem with cracking with the amount of clear you will have to have on there to bury the Flake. Think about the heat cycles of the motor. Again educated guess..
I've heard of guys doing that,way back when and the flake would heat up and "pop". Don't know if that's true though...
It takes a lot of clear to bury the flake and it will most likely begin to bake itself off, also as stated sanding and buffing it would be very hard and it is necessary with a flake job or else it will have a very rough finish.
Being that its a full fendered truck that the motor is going in it won't be the focal point so maybe a lighter coating of clear? No cut and buff? I was hoping someone out there had done it on something other than a trailer queen. I'm sure I'm not the first to want a flaked block? Right? Thanks.
I've done it. Here is how you make it work 1. Once the block is clean, like down to bare metal. Put a light coat of PPG DP-90. This is a sealer, primer with rust preventative in it. 2. Use the flake in a spray can, flaked spray paint. There are many. 3. Clear coat with VHT hi-temp spray can clear. It looks like money. The least amount of material the better.
I did the engine in the wifes camaro, used wet on wet sealer blue basecoat silver flake in clear basecoat and clear after 4 years it still looked good when we sold the car. I used all BASF products on it.
It will probable hold up if you use the spray can stuff however, if you use the same process that you would use to do say your roof, I'd have to think you may run into cooling problems with the motor. 8 or 9 coats of clear has to yellow or crack with the heat???? If you do it, let us know!
www.thewinningfinish.com click on the "customize" products. there you will find the flake in a spray can. The VHT clear you can get at Oreillys
Me and my ma did it on her circle track car with Roth flake and VHT high temp clear and black. Bunch of coats of whatever color VHT, then spray on the flake--I just put some in the palm of my hand and blow it on--then a bunch more of the clear. It looked just dandy without totally burying the flake and without buffing it.
A very educated one. All must be done to prevent as much film build as possible. One, two at the most coats of primer/sealer wet on wet with the base. If it were me, I'd flake it in one coat and bury it with only two coats of clear. No wetsand/buff. Not on an engine. With a rough casting, (unless it was smoothed) the effects would be minimal from leaving it out of the gun. You'd waste more time trying to cut and buff than you'd gain by doing so. Not worth it. Also leaving the flake slightly standing up may casue small issues, but not as many as burying it in 6. Lesser of two evils here. If someone wants it bad enough, theres always a way.
This engine looks fantastic. I don't know how it will hold up but man-oh-man it's captivating on the stand.
ALL catalyzed auto paint I have ever used on engines has held up EXCEPTIONALLY well over the short term and the (very) long term. IMO, with good clean prep, keep the coats few, and as thin as practical, it will look great and it will last.
Yes it can be done and lasts well, It amazes me how many say it won't work without trying Block needs to be clean then 2 coats of Epoxy primer, leave this to flash off for 45mins then basecoat, then 1 flake coat and then 3 coats of clear, job done.
i did it with those dupli-color Metal Flaze spray cans, 2 coats of flake and 2 of clear, looked badass and held up very well.
you arent gonna do like westcoastct, are you? he had a salt shaker of flake in one hand and a spray paint can in the other. i am sure he would help you out if you wanted.
I have always been very curious about this. I have been planning on flaking the engine in my A since I started the project. I am like 99.9% sure that red flaked engine is the one engine painted by Jason Haskins for the 1956 Chevy truck that Roseville Rod and Custom built a few years back. I have seen the car at a pile of shows, and the engine looks just as new every time. -drZ
Most all the catalyzed clears, and the base coats that contain the color and flake, are really very flexible, and should expand and contract without issues. I think, as others have stated, that if properly prepared, and absolutely clean and correctly primed, there would be no problems, as long as it wasn't poured on too thick, it should be fine...
Yes, the red kandied and flaked 6 was painted by Jason Haskin in Roseville, Ca. To this date the motor still looks fine. When saying "flake" a motor and "flake then Kandy a motor" it is two seperate issues. Film build is an issue but not necessarily the biggest one, the flash time in your coats to allow the tail solvents to excape is. I have kandied, flaked, colorsanded and buffed all parts of motors trans etc. for several years. I have seen a discoloration about a quarter inch of the exhaust port.
The Jalopy Journal
