 Special spray tips are available...  Special spray tips are available for shooting 'flake. The tip on the left is for paint, 'flake is on the right. |  Next, we sprayed a metallic...  Next, we sprayed a metallic silver basecoat over the primer, which provides a nice even colored surface for the 'flake to reflect off of. Once the base is dry, mix your first batch of clear with the 'flake, which is available in three different sizes. Donnie uses about 4 ounces per quart of clear, but you have to be careful not to use so much it clogs the gun. |  When spraying silver 'flake,...  When spraying silver 'flake, any silver base will work, but the lighter the color, the better. If spraying colored 'flake, choose a metallic basecoat as close to the color of your 'flake as possible. Here you can see how the 'flake looks after one coat. The first coat should be pretty thin. |
 Let the coat "flash," which...  Let the coat "flash," which means the paint is tacky to the touch but not stringy, then apply as many more coats as necessary. This is how it looked after four coats. Keep the pressure turned down in your gun, so the 'flake doesn't bounce off the roof. Once you have applied enough 'flake, "bury" it with two or three more coats of clear. |  This is how things looked...  This is how things looked after the last coat of clear. Donnie will let the car sit a few days and bake. Wet-sand it down with 600-grit paper and a block, shoot two more coats of clear, then color-sand and buff it. The finished product will look a mile deep. | |
SPRAYING METALFLAKE
Skill Level: Moderate to Advanced
Time Necessary: 3-4 days (including drying time)
Materials Needed: DA Sander, 40- and 80-grit sanding discs, foam sanding blocks, 400-, 600-, and 1,000-grit wet or dry sandpaper, masking supplies, epoxy primer/sealer, quick-build primer, metallic basecoat, automotive paint metalflake (not the stuff you can buy at craft stores, it will melt), urethane clearcoat.