Among the more advanced automotive painting techniques out there, incorporating metal flake into a car’s paint can seem intimidating at first glance. As stunning as the results can be, there’s little room for error when spraying metal flake. However, with enough time, experience, and trial and error, every automotive painter can master the technique of adding metal flake to any paint job.
The guide below breaks down the process of adding metal flake into a simple step-by-step process. As with any painting technique, it’s best to try adding flake on a couple of test panels before committing to a full paint job. Automotive painters who add this technique to their repertoire can expand their creativity and even their customer base to further their painting careers.
Are the flakes in metal flake paint really metal?
Back in the day, when metal flake first entered the automotive paint scene, the flakes sprayed onto hot rods and custom choppers were actually made from metals like aluminum, copper, and brass. The glint of the sun off these flakes made the car or motorcycle pop, competing with gleaming chrome accents for attention. While metal flake isn’t necessarily as popular today as it was in its heyday, the technology has evolved to give painters even more creative freedom.
Today’s metal flakes are actually made from polyethylene. The solvent-resistant formulation reduces the risk of solvent pop when used with clear coat. Modern automotive painters also have access to multiple types of metal flake, from your average sparkly variety to those that can achieve a holographic, chameleon-like, or prismatic look.
How metal flake differs from your average paint job
Generally speaking, automotive painters aim for full coverage when spraying monotone base coats. When it comes to metal flake paint jobs, it’s less about achieving full coverage and more about uniformity as the eye perceives it. The metal flake concentration can vary greatly, but the evenness is what sets a successful metal flake paint job apart.
The process of integrating metal flake requires additional considerations and steps compared to a typical paint job. Painters should consider the choice of base coat, the flake size as it relates to the size of both the painted surface and the spray gun nozzle, and the key preparation steps necessary for a professional result.
Like any automotive painting process, the preparation necessary for successfully laying down metal flake requires a clean and contaminant-free environment. It’s important to note that these conditions are slightly more critical with metal flake because you can’t strain the paint once the metal flake is added. Doing so would effectively strain out the flakes.
In addition, the color base coat you choose can significantly influence the final look of your metal flake paint job. For instance, a black or dark base coat will make even the lightest metal flakes appear darker by contrast. If you want to brighten the final result, use a white, silver, or lighter-colored base coat.
Lastly, it’s vital to recognize the relationship between the sizes of the spray gun nozzle and the metal flakes. Most metal flakes range in size from 0.004 inches to 0.015 inches, and should be used with spray gun nozzles of 1.3mm to 1.7mm or larger. For metal flakes measuring 0.025 inches, a spray gun nozzle of 2.0mm or 2.5mm is recommended.
Metal flake painting techniques
Every automotive painter has their own tried-and-true technique for adding metal flake to a paint job. These methods range from using aerosolized paint with metal flakes to adding metal flake to your first clear coat layer. However, it’s typically not recommended to use metal flake in airbrush applications because the flakes can clog the nozzle.
The most common technique involves adding metal flake using an intercoat clear, i.e., a clear base coat that lacks pigment. This intercoat clear-metal flake combination gets applied after the base coat and before any clear coat.
More advanced techniques involve spraying a few coats of clear coat over the base coat, and—while the last coat of clear is still wet—laying down the flake so it sinks into the clear for a deeper look. Painters can also experiment with combining flakes of different colors. For example, multiple flake colors result in a rainbow effect, while complementary colors achieve a two-tone effect.
Regardless of the technique you use, experimentation is key. Invest in several test panels before committing to your first metal flake paint job. Remember, your eye is your best judge of coverage, so strive to achieve a uniform look.
How to add metal flake to your paint job: A step-by-step guide
The step-by-step process below describes how to add metal flake to your paint job for a custom finish. This metal flake painting technique picks up where most automotive painters would begin prepping their clear coat to seal in the base coat they’ve already sprayed. Remember, the base coat color was specifically chosen to complement the addition of metal flake to achieve a desired effect.
Measuring metal flake
The amount of metal flake added to the intercoat clear matters, especially if your base coat is a darker color and you’re going for full coverage. In addition, bigger flakes don’t necessarily navigate corners and edges well, so it’s better to incorporate large amounts of smaller flakes to achieve a similar effect.
When measuring metal flake, use the mixing stick to gauge how much coverage you’ll get with your current mixture. Thoroughly stir the paint, then lift the stick out at a slight angle where you can view it. The amount of coverage evident immediately after you remove it from the paint is a good indication of the corresponding coverage on the vehicle.
Spraying metal flake
When spraying metal flake, lay down two to three coats, but no more than four. Keep a tight 50% overlap with your strokes to achieve even coverage.
It’s also important to achieve even distribution in the paint cup before you begin spraying. Metal flakes can easily sink to the bottom of your paint mixture if left idle, resulting in a lack of flakes in the first few seconds of spraying. Vigorously swirl the paint around a few times before laying down any metal flake.
Clear-coating the metal flake
Clear coating over metal flake is similar to that of sealing in the base coat. However, depending on the metal flake you use, it’s good practice to spray the metal flaked surface with air to remove any loose flakes. If you plan on sanding the top coat for a glossy, deep finish, three coats of clear should suffice.
Common metal flake painting mistakes
As you practice spraying metal flake, you may run into two problems: tiger striping and clumping. Tiger stripes indicate a lack of sufficient flake coverage, while clumping results from too much flake in one area. Both can be solved by adhering to the 50% coverage rule, where each pass of the spray gun overlaps the previous pass by half.
Try your hand at adding metal flake to your next paint job
Level up your automotive painting skills by incorporating metal flake into your next paint job. Achieve the best results possible with the right tools and products from Colors Edge. Contact us or call us at 336-378-7872 to order your supplies today!
