Spraying Automotive Pearls & Flakes – Do’s and Don’ts

Hey, it’s Tony with another live stream. Welcome! We’re going to talk about Spraying Automotive Pearls & Flakes – Do’s and Don’ts.

Here’s an update on the survey questions that I sent out last week about pearls and flakes.

First question was if you’ve painted pearls and flakes in the past. Here are the responses: 20% was yes, 49% was no and 25% also said no but want to try soon.

75% of the responses were, “no”. Half of you are interested in painting pearls and flakes. I will show you how to do that when it gets warmer.

Next question was the most popular pearl color. Here’s the ranking based on your responses: 1) Ghost White Pearl 2) Blue 3) Silver Ice Pearl 4) Ferrari Red 5) Silver Flake 6) Midnight Blue Flake 7) Red Flake.

That’s surprising. I didn’t expect that. I also like the white pearl, but that’s usually good on white finishes. You don’t put white pearls on dark finishes like red or black. It changes the color.

Now, the next question was, “will you be interested in a pearl starter pack?” 67% said, “yes”, and 32% said, “no”.

Next question was, “Do you need more education and instructional videos on how to spray pearls and flake and how to get the most amazing finishes?” 93% of you said “yes”.

We also had a couple of suggestions and good comments that I want to reply to.

Question: Do you always have to use a pearl for base coat before you put the main color or can that be part of the paint?

It can be part of the paint but you have to put more additive in it. It’s best to actually mix your pearl in the clear coat and spray it on top of your base. Or, use an intercoat, which is like a clear base coat.

For example, you’re painting your car red. You’re base coat is red. Then, mix up a clear intercoat and put like a tablespoon of pearl in it, depending on your pearl, after which you will spray that on your base coat.

When it dries, you can put your clear coat on top of it. The process with intercoat is more for newbies because you get less chances of running and screwing up your job.

If you mix pearl directly into your clear coat then spray it and it runs, that’s when you’ll have bigger issues.

I’ll show you the difference between a gold pearl and a gold flake. The gold pearl is super fine like baby powder unlike the gold flake.

Now, we have a finer flake. It’s a different size flake. I will go more in-depth on pearls and flakes once we open up our store. I will be supplying you with amazing quality pearls and flakes. I tested these products and it mixes so well with the clears.

Question: What pearl is good over brown?

I would use a similar brownish color such as a rootbeer pearl or a copper pearl. You’ll need to test because there are so many variations of brown base coat and brown pearl.

You’ll need to take chances, mix and match and see what looks good. Sometimes it will come out like crap, and sometimes you’ll be surprised by how awesome it would look.

I did Ferrari yellow on my moped with rosetta red pearl. It looks orange under the sun. It’s pretty cool.

A flake is the glitter that pops out while a pearl changes colors. If you put red pearl on a white paint job, you’ll have like a red tint to your paint job.

A VIP member emailed to ask help with his stud gun. Check out the video as I show you what piece he broke.

Question: Any ideas on compressors and their cost?

If you are painting a full car, I would recommend at least a 60-gallon 5 horsepower size that puts out as much CFM as you can get. Around 14-18 CFM continuously is not bad.

On the other hand, if you’re doing touch up jobs, you can get a 33-gallon. You can paint a whole car with a 33-gallon, but you have to wait until the compressor catches up to give you more volume. You just have to time it right.

I’ve done a full car with a small compressor in the past, but it’s not the best way to do it. Although, it can be done.

Check compressors online. Get a 240-volt, not a 110-volt. It should be heavy duty. You can probably find something that’s under $500. I paid $900 for a brand new one. It’s not bad.

You can get a brand new Campbell Hausfeld for around $600. That’s not too bad. If you feel like you’re going to do other projects, it’s worth it. It’s nice to have a compressor that’s full of air.

I hope you guys are enjoying this. Thank you everyone for joining me tonight. I’ll see you again next Thursday at 9pm Eastern.

For all the newbies, don’t forget to grab my FREE 85-Page Auto Body And Paint Manual and start working on your projects.

I have so much more tips and strategies in the LearnAutoBodyAndPaint VIP Course. I have my step-by-step videos on some of my car projects that will help you do your DIY auto body work.

If you want to get great quality spray guns at affordable costs, head on over to LearnAutoBodyAndPaint Shop Page. When we launch our new store, it will be on a different website. It will be freakin’ awesome! Please do watch out for it.

Appreciate all of your support. Please Like, Share and Subscribe to my videos.

Talk soon! Cheers!

Tony

Other Helpful Links:

If You Want To Learn More About Pearls, Flakes and Candy, Check Out LearnAutoBodyAndPaint VIP!

How To Make Money With Auto Body and Paint Estimating Tips

Get a Professional Paint Job Out Of Your Garage

How To Paint With Pearls & Flakes – What is Pearl Paint? Painting Your Car With Pearl Paint!

DIY Learn Auto Body And Paint Questions and Answers Live!

How To Paint Your Car Like A Pro Even If You’re A Newbie