“Aging” a metallic body color with Starcast Amber

[bhenry83]

I’m trying for a greened lake placid blue. I like the look of real ones, but also Danocaster’s. I started with Dupli-color Bright Aqua Metallic and Pacific Green Metallic. Sprayed a couple panels yesterday. BAM looks close enough to a pre-aged LPB, whereas PGM is just too dark for what I want.

I happened to have some Mohawk Starcast Amber (amber tinted clear) so I taped off the BAM panel and sprayed it a couple times. Both times, I went very light, but then noticed no difference so sprayed a bit heavier, only to see a stark difference when I peeled back the tape.

I think I’m achieving the color I want, but with the risk of splotchiness. I plan to mitigate this by using a Montana Ultra Fat spray cap, misting from about 2 feet away, and keeping this panel on hand to compare it to the body.

All that said, those real greened LPB 1960s Fenders actually look splotchy as hell, so I’m not super concerned.

Would love to get some feedback or advice if anybody has any. Thanks!

 

[Sea Devil]

I know Mohawk's toners well. Their amber is definitely very dark and prone to spotting unless you really lay it on, at which point it looks as though it's spent too much time in a tanning booth. Try their Ultra Classic Toner in Natural Pine instead. It's a lot lighter and can be applied evenly with very little effort. (You can blend in a little amber over a wet coat from about two feet away when tinting a neck, but I wouldn't recommend that here.) It can develop a sandpapery texture after multiple passes, but that's easy to knock back with a few swipes of super-fine (2400, 3200) sandpaper or a gray 3M ScotchBrite pad before clear-coating. Just make sure it's fully dry first; half an hour is more than enough for even heavy coats of the toner. I recommend Mohawk Ultra-Flo Ultra Bond clear for your clear-coat. It dries insanely fast and has excellent self-leveling qualities. Just be sure to dust it on incredibly lightly (maybe every five to ten minutes or so) until you see decent coverage, at which point you can hit it with one or two wet coats to achieve a smooth gloss that needs no sanding.

Just to be perfectly clear (pun intended), you need to clear-coat the toners. They are absolutely not a finish coat on their own; they will rub right off in short order from normal handling.

 

[fleezinator]

A yellowed LPB = Ocean turquoise to me. I was on that chase a few years ago. I went thru some trial and error but ended up with a result I was happy with.

I think the only thing I’d suggest is setting up some kinda temp spray booth to ensure your hard work isn’t negated by dust & debris. Good luck!

 

[bhenry83]

I know Mohawk's toners well. Their amber is definitely very dark and prone to spotting unless you really lay it on, at which point it looks as though it's spent too much time in a tanning booth. Try their Ultra Classic Toner in Natural Pine instead. It's a lot lighter and can be applied evenly with very little effort. (You can blend in a little amber over a wet coat from about two feet away when tinting a neck, but I wouldn't recommend that here.) It can develop a sandpapery texture after multiple passes, but that's easy to knock back with a few swipes of super-fine (2400, 3200) sandpaper or a gray 3M ScotchBrite pad before clear-coating. Just make sure it's fully dry first; half an hour is more than enough for even heavy coats of the toner. I recommend Mohawk Ultra-Flo Ultra Bond clear for your clear-coat. It dries insanely fast and has excellent self-leveling qualities. Just be sure to dust it on incredibly lightly (maybe every five to ten minutes or so) until you see decent coverage, at which point you can hit it with one or two wet coats to achieve a smooth gloss that needs no sanding.

Just to be perfectly clear (pun intended), you need to clear-coat the toners. They are absolutely not a finish coat on their own; they will rub right off in short order from normal handling.

Excellent info! Thank you! I’ll look for Natural Pine. I have a cans of Ultra Flo and Finisher’s choice for clear. I guess I’ll sandwich the toner between the clear coats.

A yellowed LPB = Ocean turquoise to me. I was on that chase a few years ago. I went thru some trial and error but ended up with a result I was happy with.

I think the only thing I’d suggest is setting up some kinda temp spray booth to ensure your hard work isn’t negated by dust & debris. Good luck!

Oh, I’ve definitely read through your thread as part of my research. Your final results were amazing. Love the mica. I really dig OTM, but I’m going for a darker tone. Here are some examples:

A 1967 JM from Reverb…

And a Danocaster…

 

[Sea Devil]

That Jag is almost Sherwood Green! Even though that's real aging and the Danocaster is a relic job, I like the Danocaster better. The oxidization of the metal particles where the clear has worn though is a nice touch, and reminds me of the green that comes through in old LP gold-tops.

 

[bhenry83]

That Jag is almost Sherwood Green! Even though that's real aging and the Danocaster is a relic job, I like the Danocaster better. The oxidization of the metal particles where the clear has worn though is a nice touch, and reminds me of the green that comes through in old LP gold-tops.

I agree that the Danocaster is more beautiful, even though I’d rather own a real ‘60s Jazzmaster, lol. Dan Strain (Danocaster) is a master. He does amazing work on gold tops too. Carson Hess is another one who brings relic’ing to a new level.

 

[Monoprice99]

PGM > LPB is my vote. No offense intended for the LPB, but I'm more of a Bianchi Celeste for blue or I prefer the darkest of blues in a midnight blue. Caribbean aquas & greens, even Pacific Island ocean water blues.