Customs pearl in clear coar or base coat.

Ive got a question for some of you pros out there.

Whats the difference between adding some pearl into my base coat than adding it to my clear coat? Which is better?

My base coat is a urethane base and is a little thicker so i can see that the pearl might suspend better in that than my clear coat. But would it add more depth to the paint if i throw a coat or two over the base coat then a coat of pearl in the clear coat and a few coats of regular clear to protect it all? Could you even tell a difference? I can see if your car already had a base coat done then adding it to the clear would be the only option but if i added it to the base then i wouldnt have to add it to the clear.

 

goes in the clear. You will see all of it that way.

 

There are 2 stage pearls, color with the pearl suspended in it. Most newer car metalic finishes are done this way. This is a base coat clear coat system.

There are also 3 stage systems similar to candys where the pearl is suspended in a clear coat. The base coat is applied, then the pearl coat is applied, and finally a clear with out pearl is applied over the pearl coat. You will also have to note the mix and the # of coats when applying the finish so you can repeat it if needed.

Be sure to do test panels if you are using it other than as specified. The darker the color the less pearl would be needed in a 3 stage system.

 

Awesome. Thanks a ton for the great answers. I got the pearl from http://www.paintwithpearl.com/pearlstore.htm. Ive heard of guys adding it to the base and wasnt sure what the difference would be. Looks like im gonna put it in the clear like you guys said.

 

If you are using a metallic/pearl base coat be careful when adding the pearl to the base,it might lighten the color on you. Like Sinister suggested do some spray out panels to check for the color your looking for.....Rich

 

I've been lucky enough to have had a few colors mixed by Stan Betz, who has been custom mixing paint since the mid-fifties, and he always added the pearl into the base. His paints have won the AMBR along with countless others. When a guy has been doing it for over fifty years, I would give him the benefit of the doubt as to where to add the pearl...

 

Most of the pearls today are sprayed in a "mid coat" meaning you apply the base example white, than a pear mid coat goes over that followed up by your clear. If you look at the new pearl white in the GM's thats how they are sprayed.

 

I spray all my Pearls,Flake and Kandy's using Mid Coat clear from TPC Global. I have also used color blender from Matix. Both worked great

 

x2, works great....

 

X3 this is the only way to go if you want the full effect

 

X 4.
Put it in the base for a 'new car color' look, or do it after the base, for a real 'custom paint' look. Flip flop pearls ALWAYS look better on top of the base. Color pearls can do either.

 

Seriously you guys rock my socks. Thanks a ton. I did a few test panels and put some pearl in the base and shot it. It almost looks like micro flake. Shot a few coats of clear coat and then did some pearl in the clear, cleaned my gun thoroughly then more clear on top of that. It looks great. You guys answered all my questions as to why things went on what layer and why.

 

Once your base coat is applied, Over reduce some clear with your pearl in it. Mist it on let the pearl fall on the car, Stand back about 2ft with higher air pressure. then clear it. Play with it on a test panel 1st. That's the old school way and it really looks like a pearl. Hope this helps

 

@detroit chris- That sounds awesome. You get even coverage like that, even on vertical pieces like doors? I guess there is a trick to everything. I heard they used to shoot a tack coat and blow glitter off a sheet of paper onto the tack coat back in the day too. I guess it was big fat flakes or they just didnt have the right guns developed back then. Use what ya got and make it work i suppose.

 

What most of the guys are talking about with the midcoat pearl is clear base coat with the pearl mixed in it. This is the best way to do it...clear is most of the time to thick and pearls well gather together in it in certain areas...I've seen it happen to even pro custom painters before the midcoats came out....best thing to do is use that...you get the same effect as the others and it's pretty hassle free...It's also easier to get it finlay even and not get tiger stripes...modern pearls from the big name companies are not designed to go in clear coats at all...talk to the paint reps from the companies....i know the ppg rep told us to never do it because it won't mix evenly into the clear and well settle to quickly in it causing more to come out in the clear at once...the mid coats are designed for pearls and blending....I've been to two paint schools one sponsored by ppg the other by dupont and they tell you to mix it in that as the pearls are formulated to suspend in that solution they aren't formulated for clear coats....when in doubt call your paint rep it's his job to know how to use the products properly

 

i know the ppg rep told us to never do it because it won't mix evenly into the clear and well settle to quickly in it causing more to come out in the clear at once...the mid coats are designed for pearls and blending....I've been to two paint schools one sponsored by ppg the other by dupont and they tell you to mix it in that as the pearls are formulated to suspend in that solution they aren't formulated for clear coats....when in doubt call your paint rep it's his job to know how to use the products properly[/QUOTE]

I do not doubt that that's what the paint reps told you...and it is probably a very good practice to follow what they say, to do repair work in regular body shops. Matching factory pearl colors.
But in the custom paint world, you really can. BUT!!!!!! as in any 3 stage paint work, you need to know what you're doing, and then do it VERY well. 99% of most body shop painters, as good as they are, cannot spray out a REAL candy paint job. Factory tricoat doesn't count.
The techniques and processes you use doing custom work are not used in collision shops. The spraying techniques are not taught in schools. The materials we use, and even factory type paints "played with", do not follow the OEM rules, and aren't subject to their warranties, guarantees, and directions. We do things with paint, that the manufacturers usually don't dream of.
That's why they don't recommend doing things like that with their materials.
But if you want spectacular paint, you learn to work with it, use correct custom painting techniques, and take chances with it all coming together!

 

Just finished one. Butternut yellow w/blue pearl. Looks fantastic. Winning show left and right. 2 teaspoons of House of colors dry pearl per Qt in the clear. You live close enough to come up and see it at the local shows.

 

I don't care what the reps said, the important thing is that the midcoat works awesome. It's usually less expensive than the clear as well. I've used clear and it works but my choice is the midcoat, I believe HOK calls it Intercoat Clear.

 

@ugotpk- I make my way up there every once in a while for my work but i still just look like a tattooed punk kid when im bummin around a car show. Ill look ya up next time i know of a show and im headed up that way.

 

Never mix pearl in a topcoat clear.. It's a pain in the ass.. No dry spraying from 2feet away unless u want ur paint job to delam.... Mix pearl in a clear base, inter coat clear, or color blender.. All the same shit.. More control.. And if u need to blend for a touch up... Way easier.

 

Great thread! What all these posts tell you is there is a muriad of ways to spray Pearl, and they're all good from each painter's perspective but most agree on avoiding adding your pearl to the base. Every pro painter has his favorite brands and methods for each catagory of paint and pearls are no exception. Experiment and you'll find what works for you. What part of the country you're spraying in plays a big part in it also; high humidity environments play hell with 'blushing' for example. Desert country closer to the equator means the sun is far more destructive on paint jobs, especially with true 'candys' and pearls simply because the most effective, dramatic pearl jobs use clear as the 'vehicle' to lay on the pearl. The clear topcoats you use to 'protect' your job, although necessary, act as a magnifying glass that fades the base color severely at the worst or peels/milks the clear at the least. Granted, it has been quite a while since I've painted but when I was still 'active' I used "Murano" Pearl in Dupont Imron Polyurethane Clear (over-reducing it, upping the pressure a bit, and backing off a bit,) then laying additional Imron topcoat clear without the pearl. (Imron is incedibly resiliant, good stuff to use on chassis and suspension parts as well.) I always advised customers to "Drive it or garage it, nothing in between." Paint with air flowing over it lasts a lot longer than parked in your driveway. Have fun!

 

I have used PPGs DBC500 blending clear (OKed by both reps) as a midcoat clear for both pearls, small flake, and candy concentrates (SEM) .
I have had no Big Problems using Nason, Dupont, PPG, and Omni, bases under, or with all the forementioned companies Clears.
I believe it is very similar to the House of colors Intercoat clear, but it was always easier for me to get, and its cheap.

BUT, in custom stuff, where you know you are going to end up with more than 3 coats of Base and midcoat, its a real good idea to catalyze those bases, And the midcoat, for durability and future repairs

ALSO, Test panels are great, but if you are getting real creative a test fender (similar to your project) is even Better.

 

I've done a lot of custom paint over the years as a painter. I'm going to skip the lecture about how adding to much pearl or metallics to the paint lightens it. I will also skip how adding to much pearl or metallics to clear will also give a cloudy or foggy look. I find that pearl added in the base coat has always been better looking than in the clear coat, in my opinion. You don't need a ton of either one in the paint. A little goes a long way...

 

3 stage pearl is the only way to go....

 

here's a pic of a white newer GM pearl that was just sprayed

pic doesn't show the pearl very well except under the headlight...

 

Ok what that pic also shows is one bad ass Buick. I want that car!!!

 

I loved shooting pearl back when I was painting. It's challenging, but fun. Mid-coat seems the way to go, always worked great for me, and like one poster said if you add pearl into your top clear it can make it cloudy if you're not careful. Results will also vary across different manufacturers. I mostly shot Sikkens, with a 3-stage setup (sometimes referred to as a 'tri-coat')

 

Well i shot my first pearl job. It all looks great except for the cab. Thats a bit challenging. Next time im going to shoot the roof first then stop and wipe down the rest of the cab once again. i couldnt figure out what was going on but it looks like when i work my way down sweat is rolling off me like a fat girl at jazzersize and onto other parts of my cab without me noticing. I guess you have to do a few crap jobs till you get the hang of it. For the most part it looks really good. Its a lime green with gold and blue ghost peal in it.

 

wear gloves and a spray suit.

 

x2

and pearl is an effect.. sometimes u need a pearl basecoat 2 stage.. or sometimes u need a tristage pearl with a certain groundcoat.. or sometimes u go and shoot a solid or just a metallic or a 20 color mini truck graphic job.. it goes with what the job calls for.