help with clearcoat and decals

[sportsfreik3099]

Hey, i just need this to be approved by someone, sorry if its already been posted. I have my car painted mica blue which is a metallic color, so its been drying for a week now. I am still not sure what to do next. Do i use the rubbing compound on the paint, and then put on the decals, and the put on clearcoat and use rubbing compound and wax on top of that? Please use great detail, im a beginner, thank you very much.

[freakray]

It's been posted 1000 times, why not save the wait and use the search feature?

Don't polish metallic paints directly, clear coat them if you want to polish them, then polish the clear coat instead.
If you want to clear coat, rather place the decals, allow them to completely dry, then clear coat, then polish.

[Vric]

ouff.. I thought this question wouldn't be asked this week.

Mica blue isn't a real Metallic color. No real need of Clear coat.

[Fkouch]

Originally Posted by Vric

ouff.. I thought this question wouldn't be asked this week.

Mica blue isn't a real Metallic color. No real need of Clear coat.

Yeah its more of a candy(transparent) blue with mica flakes in. However because it is slightly transparent it is safer to clearcoat it. That way you can avoid the patchiness caused if the mica blue is sanded or polished differently in certain areas.

Cheers

Farrokh

[freakray]

Originally Posted by Vric

ouff.. I thought this question wouldn't be asked this week.

Mica blue isn't a real Metallic color. No real need of Clear coat.

By my experience, you're better off clearing it.

It may not be a true metallic, by you, but it still has flakes in it which polishing can remove and change the effect of the paint.

Whenever I have used it and sanded a small blemish out between coats of paint, I have always found tonal differences in the paint.

[bvia]

Originally Posted by freakray

By my experience, you're better off clearing it.

It may not be a true metallic, by you, but it still has flakes in it which polishing can remove and change the effect of the paint.

Whenever I have used it and sanded a small blemish out between coats of paint, I have always found tonal differences in the paint.

In my experience with having to respray my Scooby WRC, the chances of you being able to wetsand a blemish out of Tamiya mica paint is slim to none...just like Farrokh and Ray state above.

I'm sure this has to do with the way the mica particles mix/float within the color pigment layer.

hth,
Bill

[RallyRaider]

It may be a mica rather than a metallic but it still needs clearcoating if you intend to cut it back, same with pearls. If not sanding and polishing, a coat of wax may be enough, making a clearcoat unecessary.

[tonioseven]

I found it necessary to use a clearcoat.