Best way to shoot candy colors and clear

[TRAXX]

I was wondering whats the best way to do candy colors and clear coat.I have only done single colors with clear coat over the part.The clear works really good, but somtimes the clear does not want to stick, its like the first coat is rejecting it.I have tried to heat the part,then shoot the clear but it's to hard to tell how much you have on the part.My ground is good and I shoot the clear at 25KV.Turning the KV up just make it worse.On cany colors do you shoot the base and bake it all the way,or do you half bake it the shoot the candy on the part hot or cold. THANKS

[callmej75]

Originally Posted by TRAXX

I was wondering whats the best way to do candy colors and clear coat.I have only done single colors with clear coat over the part.The clear works really good, but somtimes the clear does not want to stick, its like the first coat is rejecting it.I have tried to heat the part,then shoot the clear but it's to hard to tell how much you have on the part.My ground is good and I shoot the clear at 25KV.Turning the KV up just make it worse.On cany colors do you shoot the base and bake it all the way,or do you half bake it the shoot the candy on the part hot or cold. THANKS

In my experience, I would start off with a fair amount of lighting so you can actually see it flowing on the part.

Shooting candies and clears, what I always do is bake the base coat at half the time required for the full cure cycle, say if it calls for 400* for 10 minutes, I compensate my oven to bake the part at 400* for 5 minutes. Once the part reaches about 385*, I start the 5 minute timer. Then I pull it out of the oven, depending on the thickness of the part, I will shoot it with the IR thermometer and let temps cool to about 185* and then shoot the candy or clear. You will see it instantly melting onto the part. Then when it is fully covered, stick it back in the oven for a full cure cycle of the last powder applied, whether it be the candy or the clear. If it says 400* for 10 minutes for full cure, then thats what I put it on so that you cure the bottom coat as well as the top coat. Just for good measure I always cure my candies about one minute more at 400* because I have experienced a cracking look on the finish after a while and that was underbaked.

What you experience is the Faraday Effect. Its like sticking 2 magnets together but they push apart from each other. Usually clears and candies will do it if you shoot the part cool. Plus your KV settings on your gun could be too high too. When getting into recessed areas or tight spots, I turn the KV's to the lowest setting and let it blow into the area. That is where you will have the most Faraday Effect at.

Hope this helps..

[mikekozura]

That's it the 150* rule, I never shoot the first or top coat less then 150*. But I full cure my first coat and shoot the top coat at no lesss then 150*. Belive me dude it will make your life a hole lot easier.

[callmej75]

Originally Posted by mikekozura

That's it the 150* rule, I never shoot the first or top coat less then 150*. But I full cure my first coat and shoot the top coat at no lesss then 150*. Belive me dude it will make your life a hole lot easier.

You fully cure the base coat? When I do that, my topcoat comes out dry looking if my base coat is fully cured.

[Banditperformance]

I fully cure basecoat as well. I have half cured base before, and got mixing of the 2 coats. SOme pieces I shoot hot, others cold. Pieces with alot of contours and hard to reach areas, shoot hot. alot easier to see.

Callmej, sounds like you are not applying enough powder. If you are trying for a real light candy coat, then you will have to shoot hot, and half cured, so the thin coat will flow into the base and be a smooth finish. I have had mixed success with this. It's also real easy to get shade variations throughout the part with a light coat. I put a diecent coat on all my candy works now. Customers are allways happy, and its real easy for me to match up in the future.

BTW, out of personal experience, Lolly Blue seems to be the hardest to get even shade for me, and really shows shade change with thickness. Lolly Purp and red are way easier IMO

[callmej75]

Originally Posted by Banditperformance

I fully cure basecoat as well. I have half cured base before, and got mixing of the 2 coats. SOme pieces I shoot hot, others cold. Pieces with alot of contours and hard to reach areas, shoot hot. alot easier to see.

Callmej, sounds like you are not applying enough powder. If you are trying for a real light candy coat, then you will have to shoot hot, and half cured, so the thin coat will flow into the base and be a smooth finish. I have had mixed success with this. It's also real easy to get shade variations throughout the part with a light coat. I put a diecent coat on all my candy works now. Customers are allways happy, and its real easy for me to match up in the future.

BTW, out of personal experience, Lolly Blue seems to be the hardest to get even shade for me, and really shows shade change with thickness. Lolly Purp and red are way easier IMO

Hmm....well I usually apply the candy coats on a 2-3mil thickness so I know I get enough of it on there. It happened on a bicycle rim i just shot 3 days ago. I applied the white base, let it cook for 1/2 the time, shot the fluorescent hot, and noticed Faraday on the spokes where they wouldn't stay hot for long. So I stuck it back in the oven and heated it back up for about 4 minutes and pulled it out and shot the entire rim again and it came out dry looking. Hardly no gloss at all. I read alot of troubleshooting and it pointed in the direction of overbake of base coat. I strictly adhere to cook times and temps too.

[Banditperformance]

How do you measure coating thickness Always wondered that

[callmej75]

Originally Posted by Banditperformance

How do you measure coating thickness Always wondered that

With a MIL thickness gauge, it is in either digital form or by a scrape gauge that Caswell sells.

[Banditperformance]

Does it check before cure? or after?? Scrape gauge is after, right, and is kinda destructive

[sswee]

A srape gauge is after coating (before cure) and destructive.
SS