Paint With Pearl Candy Concentrate in SPI Intercoat Clear?

T

TAguy16

I got some of the candy concentrate powders (not the pearl effects powder) from Paint With Pearl in Colorado and mixed it according to their instructions which are to first dissolve it into the reducer for the intercoat clear (I used SPI medium reducer) and then add the intercoat clear (I obviously went with SPI) to the powder/reducer mixture (I did it 1-1). It seemed to produce good candy colors but I did have trouble with the powders clumping up in the reducer, and then I had a hard time getting them to dissolve fully (I ended up having to reach into the mixture and try to work out the clumps with my gloved fingers). I did some sprayout cards and it didn't look horrible, but it didn't look great either because there was a little splotchiness in the color (which could have bee my spray set-up or lack of skill, too).

Since my work up to now has been with classic car restoration - with basic paint jobs - I'm fairly new to doing candy paint jobs, but now I'm getting into some bike resto jobs where I really need to get a good handle on doing candy color over a silver base paint jobs. I've tried the liquid concentrate in another brand and it seems to be a better way to do this, but I have the candy colors I mixed with the PWP powder that I don't want to waste, but I don't want to end up with a splotchy looking job either if the undissolved powder is going to cause me problems.

Has anyone tried the PWP candy concentrate powders (not their pearl powders) in the SPI intercoat clear and had success with them? Is there something I did wrong? Any tips on doing candy paint jobs would also be appreciated because being able to acquire this skill - which I understand is difficult - is where my work is leading me so I need to learn this skill.

Thanks.
 
Anything in powder form can be a problem to completely dissolve. I would mix in a can and put on a paint shaker for 5min or so. I dont know if the splotchiness that your seeing is from undissolved powder or just from how you sprayed the candy. Improperly sprayed candy will look uneven and blotchy. Do a search for candy. I have posted in many threads over the years with alot of tips and tricks.
 
Jim is the man with Candies.:cool: He's probably sprayed more than the rest of us regular posters combined. :D I'll just mention a couple of basic things. Walk the entire length. You cannot panel paint. You need to spray straight lines as you are walking.Always keep the gun perpendicular to the surface. Strive to maintain that and be consistent with your passes. Keep your coats light even if that means adding less than what you think is needed. Compensate by spraying more coats. And always overlap 75%.
 
Can you shoot candy with a 1.4 (HVLP) gun tip, or do you need a smaller tip to break up the paint more? I've read of using anywhere from two to ten coat of candy, but my experience is the more coats you use the the darker and denser the candy becomes and the more it starts to look like a solid color.
 
here is the deal....you need to mix the dye concentration into the binder at a rate where you will achieve the color you want in 6-10 coats. some colors are easier than others. easier ones like yellows and orange you can get away with 6. tougher ones like green then you need 10. you will want the color fairly dense otherwise you will end up with fading issues. basically dont shoot any of them so the end color you have is pale. it will never look like a solid color in the sun. it would have to be a dark color and you put on a tremendous amount of candy to get it that way.
 
Does SPI medium reducer have any naphtha in it? After doing more research on the candy powders I found something that talks about them not dissolving well in naphtha.
 
i dont believe so. naphtha is more oil base. its very similar to mineral spirits which i dont think even mixes with solvent but dont quote me. you might see naphtha in something like wax and grease remover but i highly doubt a solvent reducer. are you seeing undissolved particles? particles in the paint or undissolved specs in the paint strainer means its not dissolved. if the finish is just blotchy then that is how your spraying it. spi reducers are on the strong side so it should dissolve no problem but i have never used it in powder form. no paint company makes their candies in powder. its always liquid.
 
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