one problem with any larger flake is that they tend to plug up your gun and won't spray. i have an agitator cup for a suction gun that works. i don't know what you will do with a gravity gun. doing large flake i would use the Flake Buster, i see them on eBay often. i use to have one but couldn't find it a wile back. shoot a good wet coat of clear with a slow activator and reducer, then grab the Flake Buster and shoot the flake on. then take an air hose at about 10-15 lbs. and lightly blow the flake off that didn't stick. if it isn't heavy enough you can do it agian. when it dries rub your hand over it this will bend the flakes over that are standing up and reduce the thickness of the clear you need to put on.
Jay D.

badsix wrote:one problem with any larger flake is that they tend to plug up your gun and won't spray. i have an agitator cup for a suction gun that works. i don't know what you will do with a gravity gun. doing large flake i would use the Flake Buster, i see them on eBay often. i use to have one but couldn't find it a wile back. shoot a good wet coat of clear with a slow activator and reducer, then grab the Flake Buster and shoot the flake on. then take an air hose at about 10-15 lbs. and lightly blow the flake off that didn't stick. if it isn't heavy enough you can do it agian. when it dries rub your hand over it this will bend the flakes over that are standing up and reduce the thickness of the clear you need to put on.
Jay D.

Great advice--thanks!! One question.........I'm reading conflicting advice for the base--some say to spray a black, then I read to go with a silver and then some will say to shoot a base similar to the flake. Is there a right or wrong color of base. I guess each one would give a slightly different end product--no right or wrong choice (??).

Thanks!!

Flake jobs are fun if done correctly,
on the copper tanks I used clear to spray the flake,
on the green I used DBC500,

there is no one way to spray flake, it can be situational to the job.

I use a 1.6 or 1.8 for the size flakes I spray.

There are 2 lines of thought to what color to put under the flake. The same color, so you can't see much difference if you don't have full coverage. Black, makes the flake pop more, in between flakes, and you can actually see if you have sufficient coverage while painting the flake. Not as easy to see, with flake the same color as the base.

Sample spray outs and notes about what was done including gun settings are important when coming up with your "effect." A few times what was in my head did not translate into what ended up on the surface. What's underneath is pretty critical to that final look.

this is the best pics i have of the tank on my bike.
basecoat blue(cant recall exact color), laid stencil, basecoat black, peel off stencil,then clear/flake. LOTS of flake. .008.
3 coats of flake/clear then 3 coats of straight clear. wet sand, then 2 more coats of clear.
no matter how i took pics, it doesnt show how the flake is suspended in the clear instead of laying on the surface.its pretty trippin if ya know what yer lookin at.
the flake doesnt show in shade but once light hits it it pops and the tank looks like a blue base was used.

PainterDave wrote:Flake jobs are fun if done correctly,
on the copper tanks I used clear to spray the flake,
on the green I used DBC500,

there is no one way to spray flake, it can be situational to the job.

I use a 1.6 or 1.8 for the size flakes I spray.

So.....to start out experimenting, do you feel that I could shoot .008 flake mixed with clear through my 1.8 primer gun? I'm a little concerned about the flake settling in the clear while in the gun but maybe shaking it between passes will alleviate that issue (??). I've always been interested in flake jobs and maybe if I can get good results (eventually), I could do helmets and skateboards between bike jobs.

i have never shot flake from a gravity gun, but i have done several with a suction gun. flake size makes a huge difference. at first i would add some agitators, small ball bearings, rivets, nuts anything to agitate it and yes shake it all the time . then i got the powered agitator cup it worked much better. i did find that if i mixed the clear as thick as posible this let the flake stay suspended in the clear. at this point we are not worried about how smooth the clear it goes on. to much of a reduction and the flake just falls out to the bottom of the cup, then plugs the suction tube . i'm thinking it will do the same with a gravity gun, it will plug the fluid tip. its fun but its a learning process.
Jay D.

I shoot all sizes of flake out of gravity guns. Most of them using a 1.7 ANI except the really big stuff that I shoot out of either a 2.0 or a Iwata Primer gun with a 3.0.

I just shake the cup, kind of swoosh it around right before shooting and don't use any agitators.

I have a flake buster, but only used it once as it puts more flake in the shop than it does on the panel.

I also like to mix my flake sizes together, .004, .008 & .015 as a base for candies.

I'm a weekend rookie hack but my biggest suggestion is to shoot test panels first.

(The photos below are just because I like looking at my stuff!!)

OldFatBald wrote:I shoot all sizes of flake out of gravity guns. Most of them using a 1.7 ANI except the really big stuff that I shoot out of either a 2.0 or a Iwata Primer gun with a 3.0.

I just shake the cup, kind of swoosh it around right before shooting and don't use any agitators.

I have a flake buster, but only used it once as it puts more flake in the shop than it does on the panel.

I also like to mix my flake sizes together, .004, .008 & .015 as a base for candies.

I'm a weekend rookie hack but my biggest suggestion is to shoot test panels first.

(The photos below are just because I like looking at my stuff!!)

(T) Round 2 (6).jpg

AC Box (10).jpg

Sir, you are much more than a weekend hack--that is beautiful work. I never thought of mixing different sizes of flake. I now have the confidence to give it a shot thuough my primer gun on a few test panels--what do I haveto loose, LOL.