Blue Sparkle Finish?

[bigDschramm]

I saw this Crook Tele on eBay and really like the Blue sparkle finish. How is the sparkle achieved? Is it mixed with the finish when sprayed? Or is it "sprinkled" onto the finish with a clear coat over it? Suggestions for links/tutorials?

 

[voodoostation]

This is a good place to start if you dig sparkles. Mr. Dikkers is world renown for his ability to sparkle darn near anything into submission.

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-home-depot/86203-emeraldcaster-project-aka-son-meloncaster.html

There is also this one. Both these threads will keep you occupied for a good while. Enjoy!

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-home-depot/77345-meloncaster-project-aka-son-buttercaster.html

 

[bigDschramm]

Yikes! That's too much sparkle! LOL I want something less subtle.

 

[voodoostation]

He has varying degrees of sparkle. Well worth the read.

 

[Glen Smith]

You can use "Dupli-color" metal specks paint. Look for it at an auto paint store.

 

[Mike Simpson]

i would say metallic that fine would be sprayed. Use a seperate spray gun as the metallic will somehow still be in the gun after you clean it and show up in the clear on guitars you paint after thie one.

 

[bigDschramm]

If you look at the truss rod adjustment slot there is some silver sparkle with blue over spray. So I'm thinking that maybe a silver sparkle base coat with a build up of blue coats until you reach the desired tint.

 

[NastyMojo]

Beautiful color! I like the sparkle finishes.

 

[Mike Simpson]

Buckocaster is the flake master, read his thread.

(link removed)

(link removed)

Micro Flake (MF) is a fine Hex cut flake at .004 x .086
MF can be sprayed out of a High Volume Low Pressure (HVLP) spray gun, conventional spray gun with a 1.3 nozzle setup or larger, and an Airbrush with a .35mm nozzle or larger
The metal flake can be added to solvent or water based Lacquers, Clear Basecoats, Resins, Varnish and can be used for Arts and Crafts. It is solvent proof and won't fade in sunlight
MF sprays with reduced surface roughness so it's easier to finish with clear
Available bottle packaging: 1/2 oz, 1 oz, 2oz, 4 oz, 6 oz, and 1 lb

You very bad man... looking at this stuff is making me want to flake another guitar... The last one I used big flake. Micro flake would be easier to do.

Here is my copper flake guitar.
(image removed)

 

[Mike Simpson]

My shoreline gold guitar does not always catch the light but when it does you can see the metallic in it.

This was canned shoreline gold from Reranch.
(image removed)

 

[MickM]

Here's my Royal Canadian Blue GE Smith Tele!

 

[Colt W. Knight]

I would order some fine flake from somewhere, mix it with clear, spray over a good base color. Then bury it in clear.

This hasnt been buffed yet

House of Kolor Flake ~40$ for 6 ounces of flake. Thats enough for a car or two. Itll make a lot of guitars. I used two spoon fulls of flake for a pint of lacquer.

 

[Colt W. Knight]

This is transparent red over top silver metalflake base. You can buy a quart of metallic base coat for ~20$ at autoparts stores like advance and oreillys. Its made by duplicolor, and its part of their Candy system. I spray nitro over it with great results. You can even mix spoon fulls of the metal flake into colored lacquers to make your own metallics.

 

[Buckocaster51]

These days I am using something called a Flakebuster. I spray dry flake on wet goop.

I am quite sure that Mr. Crook sprays flake on with the goop...old style.

I have done that. But I don't like cleaning my spray gun. Both methods seem to work fine.

 

[Cat MacKinnon]

i used some of that DupliColor Metal Specks on a computer tower about ten years ago (same color, too!) came out really well and looked similar to the Crook headstock (although still not as "sparkly".) it's just not possible to do flakes much bigger than "dust"-size with spraypaint cans, because they'd clog up the nozzle. i'd guess that even that Crook was probably done with a professional spray gun.

finishes are not something i'm particularly knowledgable about, especially anything other than the standard stuff. but as far as i'm aware, i believe there are two main ways metal flake is applied: the first way would be to mix the metal flake in with the color coat. the second way is to mix the flake with a clear and spray over (or under) the main color coat. sometimes translucent colors are used (candy apple red is a good example, as is Colt's blue Tele body above, of using translucent colors), and that gives the metal flake more "depth".

unlike shooting regular old solid colors (which is pretty straightforward), there seems to be about a dozen different ways to work with metal flake. it just depends on the type of metal flake you're using, and the effect you're after.

 

[avf925]

I would order some fine flake from somewhere, mix it with clear, spray over a good base color. Then bury it in clear.


House of Kolor Flake ~40$ for 6 ounces of flake. Thats enough for a car or two. Itll make a lot of guitars. I used two spoon fulls of flake for a pint of lacquer.

Colt - are you just tossing the gun after spraying this - can you get the flakes out of it??

 

[Colt W. Knight]

Colt - are you just tossing the gun after spraying this - can you get the flakes out of it??

I clean it out, and its ready to go

 

[bigDschramm]

Colt, Where do you order House of Kolor products? I couldn't find an order page on their web site. I want to try their ultra mini flake and fine mini flake.

 

[mlp-mx6]

Here is one source:

(link removed)

 

[Colt W. Knight]

Colt, Where do you order House of Kolor products? I couldn't find an order page on their web site. I want to try their ultra mini flake and fine mini flake.

I buy it from a local automotive paint supplier, DAR Collision in St. Albans, WV. You can call and order from them.