How to Flake Paint

Metalflake can be a great addition to a vintage car.

Whether you're a custom car aficionado or own a vintage model that you'd like to beef up, painting your ride's body with metalflake paint gives it extra sparkle. The application of metalflake, known as "flake painting," is not a complex process, but you need to be sure you know what you're doing. If you've never "flaked" a car before, you try doing it first on an old hood or door that you won't mind messing up.

Things You'll Need

• Electric dual-action sander
• 40-grit sandpaper
• 80-grit sandpaper
• 600-grit sandpaper
• Ventilation mask
• Masking tape
• Plastic sheeting
• Spray gun
• Epoxy sealer primer
• Polyester high-fill primer
• Metallic paint
• Metalflake
• Metalflake spray tip
• Clear paint

Instructions

1. Sand the surface you wish to flake paint down to bare metal, removing all vestiges of previous paint jobs. Start with coarser sandpaper, then switch to a finer grit for detail work.

2. Mask off every part of the car that you don't want to paint with metalflake, covering it with plastic sheeting and sealing the edges with masking tape. Cover the trim immediately surrounding the area to be painted.

3. Spray a coat of epoxy sealer primer and wait for it to dry. Apply a second coat--this time of polyester high-fill primer. Use primers the same color as the metalflake to get a consistent color tone. Sand the primed surface smooth.

4. Spray a base coating of metallic paint, again choosing a color as close as possible to your metalflake. Mix the metalflake with clear paint to a ratio of four ounces metalflake per one quart of clear.

5. Spray the metalflake paint at low pressure, applying as many layers as needed to achieve the desired effect. Wait for the paint to become tacky between coats.

6. Spray two coats of straight clear, burying the metalflake to protect it. Leave the car in the sun and wait a few days for the paint to set. Sand the car again with an ultra-fine grit and apply two clear coats. Sand and buff the finished paint job.

References

• Rod & Custom: How to Spray Metalflake Paint the Right Way