Auto Paint & Candy Paints?

otpowell

Double Actioner
I have a four wheeler that I would like to paint and want to make some flames, etc. and put a nice gloss on top. Was thinking to use plastic adhesion promoter, use auto-air paints, and top with 2k clear. Does that sound about right? Any steps that I am missing?
 
Auto Air candies are not true candies , They will muddy up if you layer to many coats.
Best look into House of Kolor Kandies. .
Bulldog adhesion promoter works great.
 
Thanks, good info Herb. Will the 2k clear give me a nice gloss like on a car?

providing you lay it down correctly.
A lot of beginners tend to lay it on in just a couple of heavy passes which causes runs , and other nasty things to happen.
Me I hardly mess with clear coats as I have a buddy who runs a shop that will do it for me in trade for a custom job here and there. Saves me time plus he has a high end spray booth , So he does my base and clear .
But things like mail boxes motorcycle tins and small thing I do them myself .
Also do not get me wrong you can do tru fire with Auto-air or wicked for that matter but it is so much easier with House of Kolor Kandies...
Cut I still cut and buff the jobs when finished for the mirror shine that I think you are talking about.
 
I'm starting to learn... I've done a fair share of spray painting and had my fair share of runs.. I am starting to understand how much coverage o get on each coat so you do not get runs. Yes, I love that mirror shine.. I have a good idea on how that is achieved.. Polishing metal and glass is one of my hobbies and knifemaking.. Does the quality of the clear coat play an important role? I'm just curious about the difference between 2k and an expensive HOK top clear coat. I read about HOK inter-coat SG100, any idea how that works and will that work for a top coat? I've done my fair share of research but still have so many questions.
 
ATV Plastics need to get flame treated and prepped if you attempt to apply a base coat regardless if you use an AP. There are paints that will go direct to plastic like the Meddling kid line of paint you can use as a base coat..

You can take it direct to most substrate without a primer or AP... also does not require a flex add...

Then you can airbrush clean over whatever base you put down and use a urethane clear over the top of it.

Otherwise... your base will begin to peel within 6 months due to polypropylene release agents


2k high solid Urethane clears are probably top notch,,, Inner coat clears are not UV protect ant that I know of nor are they intended to be a top coat. I think most inner base clears are intended for Kandy sub...But, I could be wrong... Even most HOK Gloss is a 2k system... Many glosses will not flex over a long period of time either... especially if its beat on... show bike = no problem

Race bike with wear and tear = use a flat clear or matte with a flex...
 
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Auto air candies look great over a bright silver/aluminium paint base. What style of flames are you thinking of. If it is more the traditional custom flame look then I would paint it silver first. Then if you wanted you could use some fine line masking tape along the inside edge of the area painted silver, then paint the auto air. Then when you take off the tape, you have silver pinstriped candy flames. But that doesn't work for every style of course, so just a thought.
 
So what about the spray paint for Plastics? I think it's maybe krylon(or rustoleum brand).. Could I use that has a base coat prior to house of color candies without getting flame treated? Not sure of enamel and urethane paints can be used together or not.. Anyway to get around the flame treating? Anyway I could prep it myself?
 
So what about the spray paint for Plastics? I think it's maybe krylon(or rustoleum brand).. Could I use that has a base coat prior to house of color candies without getting flame treated? Not sure of enamel and urethane paints can be used together or not.. Anyway to get around the flame treating? Anyway I could prep it myself?

I strongly recommend staying away from rattle cans... Rattle cans can and will react with your artwork (I've seen the exact same product used from two separate cans... one wrinkled the finish, the other did not) and ruin your hard work! Some folks do get away with using them, but in the long run it will cost you more time and aggravation than it's worth in my opinion. If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right the first time... Just my 2 cents.
 
Ok so what's the best way to do it? I read that it's not really worth it cuz anything that bonds, won't flex, and anything that flexes, won't bond in the longrun.. If I start with HOK base and use HOK candies, and finish with HOK top coat, I won't need flex agents or adhesion promotor? Is that correct or will I still need the bulldog adhesion promotor? I herd HOK stuff doesn't need flex agent.
 
Ok so what's the best way to do it? I read that it's not really worth it cuz anything that bonds, won't flex, and anything that flexes, won't bond in the longrun.. If I start with HOK base and use HOK candies, and finish with HOK top coat, I won't need flex agents or adhesion promotor? Is that correct or will I still need the bulldog adhesion promotor? I herd HOK stuff doesn't need flex agent.

First... A flex agent is only designed to keep the paint flexible for a short period of time. This is so the refinish shops can reassemble the vehicle without damaging the newly repaired finish. The flex agent gasses off with other chemicals as the paint cures, once it's cured the flex agent no longer exists. However, the paint will still flex to some degree once it is fully cured.

Prepping the parts and whether or not an adhesion promoter is required will depend on what type of plastic they are made from. The parts should be marked on the underside with letters. Those letters will tell you what type of plastic you are dealing with. If you can post them, I'll be able to give you a better answer.
 
Ok, I'll take a look and let you know what type of plastic my 4 wheeler has.. Thanks for your help, I really appreciate it!
 
So what about the spray paint for Plastics? I think it's maybe krylon(or rustoleum brand).. Could I use that has a base coat prior to house of color candies without getting flame treated? Not sure of enamel and urethane paints can be used together or not.. Anyway to get around the flame treating? Anyway I could prep it myself?


The flame treating is to pull the oils and lube from the mold out of the plastic. Plastics like ATV bodies that are molded sometimes contain a type of lubricant within the plastic to help it pop from the mold after it is made. Flame treating the plastic breaks the lube down and then you can wipe it away with a rag dosed with alcohal...The easiest way around this I know of is to use a paint specifically designed for the application... Like Meddling Kid paint... Otherwise, even if the paint hangs now... In 3 months you will be able to peel it right off with your fingers, or if you mask it off using tape... the tape will peel it right off the plastic.

Meddling kid paints are found Meddling Kid - Hydro Dipping, Custom Airbrushing & One Hit Wonder Paint
 
I didn't know flame treating could be done yourself. For some reason, I thought you maybe had to send your plastic in to someone to get it flame treated.. I have a blow torch, and some alcohol.. Thanks for the info..
 
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