Correct Spraying of Candy?

64avanti

Promoted Users
First time poster, but I have been following this forum and using the SPI products for about 2-1/2 years now, and I find it to be a fantastic product.

I am not a collision or body shop guy; I am actually a furniture maker, and have sprayed just about every existing (and a few now extinct) species of finish on furniture.

Which brings me to my question.

One of the steps that I do in finishing a piece of furniture is called toning. After stain, 2 coats of sealer and sanding to 320, I mix dye stain with reducer and a small amount of clear, then spray it using an Accuspray HVLP gun with a very small needle and fluid nozzle, wide open air, on compressor pressure backed down to about 15 PSI at the gun with the trigger pulled. I lay out the toner evenly over the surface, usually making 4 to 8 cross hatched passes. I let this dry for about an hour, then start my topcoat. What this does is deepen the color without obscuring the grain; it also allows me to adjust my color, making it browner, redder, whatever.

So the question is-would this technique work with candy? I get an amazingly even color coat, with no blotching, heavy build on edges, runs, or other defects. Not being an auto paint guy, I am trying to learn as much as I can. I am currently restoring a 1951 Ford F1 that will be done in SPI SS Black, and I have a 1964 Studebaker Avanti that I will be doning next. I want to do the Avanti in candy, so I am starting to research now.

Any thoughts?

Thanks.

John
 
That's exactly what you do for candy. Same procedure.
Color coat, tinted clear coats (candy), them final clear coat.
the more candy coats the darker the color and less transparency, like your wood,
you have to keep it even.
Just remember, for a car, it makes future repairs really hard.
 
My tinted clearcoat is more dye and reducer than clear-about 25% clear, 60 to 70% reducer, balance dye. Does this formula work with candy? I was under the impression that candy was sprayed with more clear than my 25%?
 
Though I haven't sprayed much candy yet, I also have done a bunch of wood work spraying stain/ toning. Use spi clears professionally at work on doors, frames & trim & mostly Lenmar lacquer stains, which are very characteristic to candys. Same deal with basics such as more lighter coats are easier to make look even than fewer heavier coats , entirely different looking colors are possible with the same stain, etc. Materials used are the main difference.
Other big main difference than with woodworking is how to spray a car shaped item evenly. As hard as bodywork is for black to look good, its actually not a bad color to spray less than perfectly consistent. My suggestion for you here since the black truck will be first is pay extra close attention to your actual spray coverage on it in relation to all the different movements you have to do with all the different horizontal, vertical & curved surfaces spraying a vehicle challenges you to handle. You can be doing this in the primer stages. You could possible reduce your first black spray coat a little thin just to help you see how consistent your spraying is .
Bottom line for you here is besides learning material differences, you brain knows what to do, you just need a little practice for your body to get up to speed for movements in spraying a vehicle.

Just my thoughts::::
 
well i do spray alot of candy and also do alot of wood finishes. most of the dyes in wood finish are the same exact dyes for automotive. with what your doing with all the reducer you really dont have much clear there as a binder BUT there is probably enough @ 25%. generally for automotive you want more clear as a binder because you really need the strength. typically 50% clear 50% reducer with whatever dye you want added in. also a little catalyst help with durability as well. i will say this also, a candy job on wood is far easier than it is on a car. if you sprayed a car and it came out all blotchy but you also did a piece of wood at the same time with the same material, the wood would look great. you dont see that kind of stuff on wood unless its extremely bad. its just that wood has so many varying colors to begin with.
 
Thanks for the replies. Knowing that my method just requires a little tweaking is reassuring.

I hope that I am proficient in getting an even sprayout by the time the truck is done.
 
Up front i'll say i'm just a hobbiest...with decent results.
Blue 1991 car i'm only blocking clear that it came with & shooting clear with about 16:1 clear/base ratio.
I put 2 coats of that then 3 runny (oops) clear coats over it.
I'm guessing with enough color/clear coats it certainly would look like candy. Kinda does now.
Tip (i learned)- don't use metallic base to mix with clear or finish will look like glitter not metallic.
Yes i have a glitter bombed caddy now.
Very dark blue, using universal clear not reduced.

Edit- reason for adding color was to bring back fading color.
 
Mirror i based 1st cause i had to sand down pits in original all the way to primer or plastic.
Slightly slightly darker then body but looks good. Can't tell in these photos, diff lighting.
IMG_9139.JPG
IMG_9242.PNG
 
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