Metallic paint

[Donny]

Could one of you guys help with this query please. Does metallic paint not have a gloss like solid paint (non metallic). I've just painted a body metallic green and it doesn't have the same gloss finish as some of the other bodies I've painted - nonmetallic finish.   

Thanks Don  

[stitchdup]

some do, some dont. if it says its a 2 or 3 stage or basecoat paint system then it needs clear, though i just used metallic blue without clear on a gto interior because i didn't want a shine.

[johnyrotten]

Loose answer would be it depends on what "system" you are using. MOST spray cans are gloss, and again that's a "nutshell" answer. There's a few factors that come into play with paint, especially metallic or pearls. Humidity, temperature and how you spray can cause "blushing" and make it look dull or "muddy". The createx I use tends to look flat, it's intended to have a clear top coat for the final finish, gloss,flat or satin. It would be helpful to say what paint you are using and how you sprayed it. Metallics, in my experience, need to be built up over a few coats, light to wet,to allow them to do their "thing". I've heard from professionals in the 1:1 world to never sand metallics, so I stick to that as a rule. Don't fret just yet over the issue, you can spray a compatible clear and polish it out after.  You may want to try another,well shaken, Slightly heavier coat to bring out the shine. Good luck with your build.

[Bugatti Fan]

Metallics tend to be 'soft' compared to other paints used for model making, whether brushed or air brushed, and will often need to be sealed afterwards with a clear top coat. It is NOT recommended to mix different manufacturers products.

Automotive acrylic aerosol metallics go onto primer and generally gloss finish quite well straight out o the aerosol. They can of course be further top coated with clear if desired.

[Donny]

I'm using Tamiya rattle can, my airbrush is out of commission right now. So, TS20 metallic Green is what I'm spraying over their primer. it's gone on okay, two light coats and one heavy, but not wet, It has some gloss. So my question is, should I give it a coat of clear gloss, or just polish up what I have. I guess if I'm not happy with the polish finish, then a gloss clear coat?

 

Don

[Donny]

1 hour ago, johnyrotten said:

Loose answer would be it depends on what "system" you are using. MOST spray cans are gloss, and again that's a "nutshell" answer. There's a few factors that come into play with paint, especially metallic or pearls. Humidity, temperature and how you spray can cause "blushing" and make it look dull or "muddy". The createx I use tends to look flat, it's intended to have a clear top coat for the final finish, gloss,flat or satin. It would be helpful to say what paint you are using and how you sprayed it. Metallics, in my experience, need to be built up over a few coats, light to wet,to allow them to do their "thing". I've heard from professionals in the 1:1 world to never sand metallics, so I stick to that as a rule. Don't fret just yet over the issue, you can spray a compatible clear and polish it out after.  You may want to try another,well shaken, Slightly heavier coat to bring out the shine. Good luck with your build.

Thanks John, I'll post a couple of pics tomorrow to give you a better idea   of what I'm talking about

[Dave G.]

1 hour ago, Donny said:

I'm using Tamiya rattle can, my airbrush is out of commission right now. So, TS20 metallic Green is what I'm spraying over their primer. it's gone on okay, two light coats and one heavy, but not wet, It has some gloss. So my question is, should I give it a coat of clear gloss, or just polish up what I have. I guess if I'm not happy with the polish finish, then a gloss clear coat?

 

Don

If you want to polish the color coat, I suggest you don't try to wet scuff the surface, also known as cutting the surface. Rather just use a fine scratch and swirl polish. If you cut through the surface of the coat very much, it exposes the metallic flecks and you end up with a blotchy finish that even further clear coating won't cover. The only way out of that is to then put on an additional dust coat or two of color, then clear coat. Much depends on your existing color coat, if you already have metallic flecks at the surface then forget polishing at all and move to clear gloss. Then you can polish the clear gloss.

[bobss396]

Scuff it up with something like a 3200 grit, wet. Knock the fuzzies and fly turds off. Then hit it with TS-13 clear.

[peteski]

Tamiya Spray (TS) metallic (aka. "Mica") paints (and all the older Testors metallic model paints) are single stage. They dry to a glossy surface not requiring a glossy clear coat.  Sanding/polishing them can ruin the color by removing the top paint layer (which usually contains the transparent coloring) and exposing the silver-colored metallic particles. These single stage paints can also take an additional clear top coat which then could be sanded/polished  (at the cost of adding thickness to the overall finish).

But some more recent metallic paints (actually 1:1 scale automotive finishing products repackaged for modelers) are 2-stage, where the metallic/color layer produces a satin surface, requiring the 2nd stage top glossy clear coat.  Since the metallic/color layer is deep under the clear, those can be sanded and polished (after the clear coat).

Edited 3 hours ago by peteski
clarification

[Mike 1017]

bobss is right. I too scuff it with 3200 grit. Sometimes I will scuff the 2nd Coat of gloss before Coat #3.

[kensar]

Well Donny, there's your typical 'Yes, do that' answer and the 'No, don't do that' answer.

Why not find out for yourself and do a test - paint a test body or another part and sand the part and clear coat or just clearcoat it and see how it looks to you.

[Donny]

Thanks Ken, guess I'm always looking for short cuts. 🙄

[Donny]

Here is what it looks like. Some things to fix, but basically this is what the paint looks like.

Don

[johnyrotten]

That doesn't look bad at all Don. Personally I'd clear it and polish it out. I bet that would polish as it sits. 

Edited 9 hours ago by johnyrotten

[Belugawrx]

^^ what he said^^

[Dave G.]

22 hours ago, kensar said:

Well Donny, there's your typical 'Yes, do that' answer and the 'No, don't do that' answer.

Why not find out for yourself and do a test - paint a test body or another part and sand the part and clear coat or just clearcoat it and see how it looks to you.

Ya, my post yesterday on not sanding was in reference to not doing a "cut" sanding and polish. Knocking off little bits of dust etc. is not that. What ever is done, the metallic bits should not get exposed in a broad overall way. 

Look at Peter's post as well. He gives a good description.

Edited 5 hours ago by Dave G.

[kensar]

There's nothing wrong looking for short cuts - I'm doing that all the time.  Most of the time the answers one gets is based on the personal experience of those answering and are certainly not intended to lead one astray.  It's just the experiences are different and not consistent.  Good luck with your build.  The gloss level in the pic doesn't look too bad, but then again, a photo may not represent the real thing.