I recently started doing my own paint work. That being said matching the Mirage Orange on my Roadglide is the first Ive sprayed a three stage paint. Today I drug my parts out of the garage and placed them against the parts from the motorco, and they dont match up. The parts Ive sprayed are a red peach rather than an orange. I had noticed while spraying the base that the color seemed a high red, but thought since the pearl had tint in it, it would tie it together there. While I was spraying some test sheets to match the amount of pearl it seemed that the color was dead on, but after the clear and having had time to cure it seems its all wrong. So my question is, being that I bought the paint from a PPG dealer and it was suppose to match is the problem with there mixing, or with me spraying? Anyone have any like experiences they care to share?

 

can't wait to hear from someone cause i just bought the ppg paint to match the white pearl with the gold pinstripes and just waiting for the shitty weather to break cause i have to paint in my non heated garage

 

Oookkkkkkaaay...

How did you match the Paint? By code or a Scanner? My guess is by the paint code. I don't know about H-D but most all car companies no longer clean equipment prior to changing colors, when they change over they just spray some paint to waste to clean out the lines and heads. Over the years paint codes and matching has got much worse. Same code from PPG and Dupont and the odds are 2 to 1 they won't match. To make matching more complicated spraying on a flexible part (i.e. car bumper) and this effects match. Last but not least air pressure will also effect a color and how the metallic flake lays. Just as you know on a tipple, heavy or light on the second stage and whoops, it's a different color. After 4 tries I've had my Dupont paint (supplier) guy give up and then you goooo "What the Heck Now"?

It all leads to gray hair. I've always hoped that it will match better after being cleared but most times it doesn't. On your color, it sounds like it's off and not so much your technique (at this point).

 

First thing, tri-stage colors are a PIA for even the most experienced painters. One comment you made was the base color didn't seem to match 1.) what color undercoat did you use? PPG uses a chromatic undercoat system to obtain best coverage for the topcoat being used if you used a light gray where a dark gray should have been used it will affect the base color. 2.) You said you did test panels, was this a let down panel or was it individual cards with different number of coats of mid coat? A let down panel lets you look at a different number of coats on the same card allowing you to pick the right match. 3.) The distributor you bought if from could have over poured on a toner. 4.) As someone stated earlier in this post reducer choice (slower is better) and gun pressure and tip size are key to color match. 5.) Clears- some of the high solids clears actually have a yellow cast to them changing the color as well, this is most common on whites, silvers and golds. If you want to give me some more details on what equipment you are using and speed reducer I may be able to help you out a little more.

 

Sounds right from the other posts. I suggest you use a primer or sealer that will not show through the base coat (grey or like orange color). The base must cover well and use at least 4 coats for good coverage. The variable is the pearl or top color, Experiment with it. The key is a good solid base and the right number of consistent color top coats...

 

Here are a couple of ways to lighten or darken the base when spraying.

Base coat lighter vs darker.

• Angle & depth of metallic flakes (deep = darker, near the top = lighter)
• Air pressure of spray equipment (higher = lighter, lower = darker)
• Temperature (higher = lighter, lower = darker)
• High Humidity can cause a milky look
• Distance from spray gun to the surface (close = darker, farther = lighter)
• Thickness of paint (thick = darker, thinner = lighter)

 

First, thanks for the replies.
Details:
My first round with painting some parts involved using a low voc polyurethane, single stage, sprayed over light gray acrylic laquer. The paint was color matched from a part. The result was a shade off. So that brings me to the second round. This time Im painting a TP, and the other parts that were off the first time. I go to a PPG dealer. He shows me the HD paint codes with color sample, and bam, theres my color, Im thinking great. They also take the time to let me know had I stopped here to start with I wouldnt have the 'do over'. Second round was sprayed over the top of the polyurethane, as I also decided to use it for the TP, as even though it was a shade off, it should provide good coverage for the 'right' paint as well as give me a chance to use it. So I sprayed the base coat, and like I said it seemed a tad off, but Im thinking maybe the tint in the pearl ties things together to make it match. While spraying the pearl I spray over 4 test plates, changing the coverage over the plates. The 1st plate, one coat, the second 2 coats and so on. I decide 2 coats seem to match nicely and Im thinking I may just be able to pull this off. Next was the clear, and for all visable standpoints it appears clear, and not with tint. After a night of drying I get up the next morning to a full sun, and decide to drag the parts outside to see the match, only to find out they dont. I have noticed that the parts that I sprayed match between the ones I sprayed over the poly versus the ones I sprayed over the acrylic laquer primer. So Im puzzled. I have noticed that the parts that I had payed to have painted, (inner fairing, rear fender) match nicely so I quess its doable, and before the no brainer of just turning my parts back over to someone else comes up, keep in mind I said the color matched, I didnt say the quality did.

A list of material:
Light gray acrylic laquer primer, with medium reducer
Valspar Omega 2K low voc polyurethane with HPC2 fast activator
Base coat - Nexa autocolor - brand code 3JMAB - reduced 1-1 with PPG DT885
Pearl - Nexa autocolor - brand code 3JMAB - reduced 1-1 with PPG DT885
Clear - Valspar 2K Acrylic Polyurethane Clearcoat AC200MS reduced 1-4 with Valspar HPC1 activator
Spray pressure 25-30 psi with 1.0 tip HVLP detail gun
Temp average in the low 70's

I ended up with around $125 in supplies for the second round. What should I expect when confronting the supplier about the shade difference? Im surely not wanting to shell out more money for something I thought I was buying, expecially after explaining to them that there competitors failed attempt led me to do buisness with them.

 

I think you answered your own question the base doesn't match. Simple fix, but probably not what you want to hear. Take your front fender off. Wet sand a area inside the fender about 3x5 until you see color in the water as you sand. Take the fender and the base back to the supplier and ask them to match this base only area. Compare a stir stick to your sanded area until they match. Be sure to keep wetting the sanded area, you can't match shiny base on the stick to a flat sanded area. Simply use a grey scotch brite around your sanded area and re-clear that area to seal the base in, and no one will see it or be the wiser. Do spray out cards again and you should be okay.
Going to the supplier and having them try to match a tri-coat color without getting the base matched first is a waste of your time and money. They can wave their magic wand around all they want, nothing guarantees a butt match, and that's what you want here, better then dead on match.
This is the reason body shops have full tinting systems, and trained painters, not some want to be painter at a counter. Hell half the so called paint reps out there can't match paint. And paint companies wonder why we blend repairs.

 

Hind sight 20/20, foresight is was blind. I think I may have a fix for the problem. I had the original motoco color matched up as a base, and after scuffing my parts, Im dusting the final color with the color matched top coat, then I'll reseal it with clear. The idea is to tone down the peach, back into orange. I tried a couple pieces and it seems to look like a match, however, Im waiting on the sun to return for the final verdict.