Spraying Metal Flake Green

[BMC Tackle]

I have 2 new projects that I am going to start. One I want to paint in Metal Flake Green, and the other in Metal Flake Yellow. What is the best approach to paint with metal flake paint? The project has to be primed because one is black and the other is a dark purple, I am planning to put the metal flake green over the purple and the yellow over the black.

Input? I this a bad idea? Should I consider another color or go with non metallic?

All input greatly appreciated!

[VW Dave]

Louis - I'd be curious what the projects are before giving my opinion whether or not metalflake is the way to go. It also helps if you lay out all the details(like paint brands & such).

In either case, I'd recommend the correct primer and some sort of base color like silver under the metalflake paint.

[jbwelda]

a light color over a dark color isnt going to work so well (eg: yellow over purple). you should probaby mask the area to be the light color when you spray the dark color, and either undercoat the whole thing beforehand with silver or whatever youre going to use for undercoat (most metalflakes are translucent candies arent they?) or after youre done with the darker color shoot your undercoat and then your metalflake in the area you previously masked, masking the dark color this time around. then probably bury the whole thing in clear and polish that flat before a final coat of clear.

maybe im wrong but thats what i would do.

[Steve D.]

I did a little experimenting last year with metallic green paint and I reccomend you do the same . It's amazing what the "primer coat" can do to the final tone or depth to the color .

Last year I painted a 427 Cobra gloss black then overcoated it with metallic green . The results were amazing , so much so , this car won Presidents Choice at the Masscar model show in "05"

The black gloss adds a real richness to the color , try it on a scrap body and see what you think . I've tried it under different colors with differing results. Green and Reds seem to show the most drastic results .

Gold as a base coat is another color that is popular and definately affects the tone or richness of the final color . While black deepens the tone , gold seems to lighten it .

Right now on the bench I have the new REVELL "ACES WILD" motorcycle kit . I painted the frame gold , overcoated with metallic green , and the tank and fenders gloss black with the metallic green overcoat . I have to tell ya I'm tickled with the results . They look like two different colors .

Now take the same green metallic and spray it over gray or white primer and you have two more colors or tones of the same color .

All the paints I used were Tamiya Lacquer Spray cans .

Any questions ? give me a yell !

Take care and see you around the clubhouse,

Steve D.

[Mad Modeler]

Get some white plastic spoons and experitment. You'll never know for sure till you try it.

[VW Dave]

Last year I painted a 427 Cobra gloss black then overcoated it with metallic green . The black gloss adds a real richness to the color , try it on a scrap body and see what you think . I've tried it under different colors with differing results. Green and Reds seem to show the most drastic results .

Steve - I think I saw you and your Cobra at the Bennington show last winter; the metallic green over black really looks great, and I started playing with Tamiya paints shortly after seeing it. Here's the TS-20 metallic green over three different bases(left to right): TS-14 black, TS-30 silver leaf, and TS-76 mica silver....three different colors altogether

And, yes, plastic spoons are a great way to test paint colors.

http://public.fotki.com/vwdave/how-tos/tamiya_spray_paint/

[BMC Tackle]

Steve, VW,

Man am I glad that I asked this question. I really like that black with the green metallic over it. That is the exact color I wanted to achieve. I think that a few coats of gloss black over purple will cover it well. I also like the gold under green, very nice. I wonder what a metallic yellow would look like? I am going to experiment with the spoons see what I come up with. I much rather screw up the spoon than the bodies. These are two Lil Coffin Hot Rods that I don't want to ruin. I've hard a hard time locating them. I just don't want them in purple, plum, wine, or whatever Monogram calls that color. I would also love to gold plate some of the chrome parts on the emerald green version I am looking to do. I just don't know if that is feasable. I was told to use a yellow permanent marker and go over the chrome with that, but I haven't seen what that looks like yet, I will have to try it out.

When I was building models in the early 70s and now, I tend to want to build in different colors than what comes out of the box. Unless they are Lemans Formula cars. Those I paint to maintain the cars racing identity and race team. The hot rod, dragster, funny car, and stock cars I like to experiment with.

I have seen some models with alternate engines. I have been looking around to see if I could find some 1/24 scale motors that I could purchase. That would be a cool twist to some of these cars I have lined up.

[jbwelda]

>find some 1/24 scale motors that I could purchase

have you seen the ross gibson engines? ive not seen one in person that i know of but the photos ive seen are very impressive. look for ads in the magazines.

[BMC Tackle]

Now I have not seen those engines. I am going to do a search and check them out. Thanks for the heads up!

[BMC Tackle]

Wow what a difference between the Tamiya paints vs Testors. There is a world of difference between the two. I am glad that I posted this question. The quality of the Tamiya is evident from the get go. Thanks for all the input guys, I really appreciated. I will post pics of this project as soon as I am done with it.