The DBC 500 Color Blender mentioned above is essentially an un-tinted base coat that serves as a lock down (or intercoat clear) for a vehicle’s color coat, especially those color coats loaded up with metalflakes or pearls. One great advantage to using DBC 500 in a paint job that will see additional graphic work is that the DBC 500 will provide a protective layer between the original color coat and additional top coats, essentially negating the possibility of lifting or crinkling. In the case of airbrush graphics, various manufacturers’ products may be used to get the desired end result. In most instances, these products would be considered non-compatible, but a layer of intercoat clear will allow these products to be separated from each other as they are applied in the process. For example, the airbrush artwork you will see in this article is a combination of both solvent based paints from House of Kolor and water based paints from Createx Wicked over a solvent based color coat from PPG.
There is one very important aspect to remember when using an intercoat clear. If additional coats are applied within the manufacturer’s window of workability, it would be considered a chemical bond. However, if the window of workability for a chemical bond is over-extended, the intercoat clear must be scuffed with a 3M Scotch-Brite pad or 3M Super Fine sanding sponge. This now creates a mechanical bond for the next layer of paint.
Before the airbrush gets put to work, the area where the graphics are going to be applied must be thoroughly cleaned and masked. Chris starts by taping off an area of the door panel that will receive the graphics, in that case, a large circle. The remainder of the door panel and surrounding body panels are masked to prevent overspray from landing where we don’t want it.
Since the DBC 500 on this sedan was allowed to rest for about two weeks before the airbrush work began, it has extended its flash time for a chemical bond. A mechanical bond is now required for the graphic layers. As briefly described above, this mechanical bond is achieved by lightly scuffing the DBC 500 with a 3M Scotch-Brite pad and/or a 3M Super Fine sanding sponge. After this light scuffing, the area is thoroughly cleaned with a quality degreaser. One thing to consider with degreasers, you can use too much, leaving a film behind that could potentially create adhesion issues with the next layer of paint. We apply degreaser with two lint free shop towels, one for the initial application and one to wipe dry.
Chris begins the artwork by applying a black base which is then followed by a light coat of Intercoat clear. The following layers of intercoat and color coat are applied with several different Iwata airbrushes, loaded and used for a very specific purpose. Keep in mind as we go through the process that for every color layer applied, there is also a layer of Intercoat clear. Most all paint manufacturers offer an intercoat clear. For the actual artwork, Chris is using an intercoat clear from House of Kolors.
Although an airbrush doesn’t create the large cloud of paint mist like a full size spray gun, it is always good practice to utilize a proper respirator, especially with the solvent based materials.
Once the black base and its associated intercoat have flashed, Chris hand draws a white outline for the star and lightly dusts it with a white base coat. This helps define the area where the star will be. Since the Pinup Girl will be so highly detailed, the decision was made to complete her to various stages then “fill in” the white base for the star as these stages were completed. This helped minimize unwanted overspray between the graphic layers.
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