Tech: DIY cheap flake.

Lets start by saying I don't like to part with my money if I don't have to.

I put the family in a 65 Galaxie wagon as a daily about 12 months ago and my wife keeps telling me she does not like the steering wheel colour and it matches nothing.

I had to agree with her, so what am I to do? Flake it! But not just any flake, Cheap flake....

Starting with one odd blue steering wheel, The paint, The purpose built jig and the prep materials.

 

A quick scuff up with the dirty old green scotch bright you use for washing pots and pans and a wipe down with wax and grease remover. Then, when upon the "jig" we spray our base coat. This is decorating glitter from the craft shop and it was about $12 for the big can. It evaporates instantly leaving dry glitter (flake) behind. This is the whole can.

 

Then with the clear shake shake enamel I just kept building the layers up until I had a smooth glossy finnish and no more paint in the can and called it done. Total cost about $20 and a half a day. Hope this helps some others out in HAMB land who don't like to spend too much.

 

Good job. It looks nice on top of it, I may try this on one of my projects

 

Hey,

That looks hot, and at $20.00, I couldn't buy the grease & wax remover for that

The RHD dash shot of a '65 Ford thru me 'till I saw your address !

 

don't wash it....i coated some wheels this way & cleared w/ spray bomb....washed off a week later

 

and dont rub your hands on it----

 

AND you now have the neatest looking Nebraska pliers......

 

This was more of a project to satisfy my curiosity and my tight ass ways. The enamel actualy looked pretty thick and did'nt leach any 'flake' through so I'm holding out hope that it will be good. Enamel was the choice because it's fairly hardy when dry.

My wife just went to the shops in it so when she comes back we will see if she walks through the door with a frown and "flake hands".

 

Best of luck with it. Give us an update after you spend a little time with it.

 

Looks cool,hope it holds up for you. HRP

 

I've painted a few things like that. But I follow up with urethane clear painted in the booth at work by a real painter.

 

It's been a few months now and all seems good still. We had a few stray bits of flake to begin with but no big deal. If you wanted to you could rub it back with some fine wet and dry then clear again to make it super smooth, but the boss or myself are not that concerned.

 

Someone moved everything in that car to the wrong side

 

"shake shake enamel..." I love it !!!

 

Oh yeah I'm an Aussie, This explains the right hand drive car and also means you guys should be able to do it for half the price I can!