Candy Apple Red Paint Job

Just wanted to share a paint job I just got done with, for a very good friend of mine on his Wildman Punisher Stretch.
Been painting for years as a hobby, all kinds of custom jobs and finishes- custom pearls, flakes, effects, colors etc.
Just finished the most challenging job there is.
Candy Apple Red.
Hopefully this will inspire those of you who want to try painting with a spray gun. I'd also love to help anyone with their own jobs or attempts, or paint something fun for you on your rocket. Just ask me. I also like to use the colored fiberglass as a base for pearls or metallics to go over.
I snapped some pics along the way and will briefly share the steps and materials used.

Let's start with the airframe and nose cone. The vacuum bagged Carbon and Kevlar layups were done Jim Jarvis style.

For primer I use Dupilicolor Paint Shop Primer. Available at AutoZone etc. It works well with fiberglass and paper tube, doesn't require any additives or thinning. Just spray it over a smooth clean surface sanded with 400 grit. Used a Harbor Frieght 1.4mm gun.


Wet Sand the primer with 600 until smooth. Apply more if needed.
Next apply your base coat. This is Eastwood Candeez silver metallic ground coat. Mixed 4:1 with activator. Flake is about. 004" used a HF 1.4mm gun.



Next is a mix of 2 different sizes and types of metal flake. I used .015" and .025" chrome silver flake mixed with House ok Kolor C2C-SG100 intercoat clear mixed 2:1 with HoK RU-311 medium reducer. Used a HF 2.5mm gun.



Sprayed 4 coats of clear over the flake. Used Dupont/Axalta Select Clear 498-00 clear mixed 4:1 with 483-78 medium activator. Wet sanded smooth with 1000 grit.

Next spray Dupont/Axalta 498-00 clear mixed 4:1 with 483-78 medium activator over the whole thing. 4 coats then wet sanded with 800, 1000 and 1500 grit.



You can buy the Select Clear on eBay and the HoK on Amazon for the best prices or visit your local auto body supply store.

Next is the Candy Base coat. This is SEM Candy Concentrate mixed 8:1 with HoK C2C-SG 100 then mixed 2:1 with HoK RU-311 medium reducer. Spray 4 even coats and let it stand for at least 30 minutes after the last coat. Between every coat of paint or anything I set a timer for 9 minutes between each coat.

First few coats of candy over the silver.

After the Candy has flashed spray 4 coats of Dupont/Axalta 498-00 clear mixed 4:1 with 483-78 activator. So far still using the HF 1.4mm gun. Let it dry for a few days.


Next, wet sand with 1000, 1500, 2000 and spray 3-4 more coats of clear over it. This is flow coating the clear. Let that dry for 2 days.

After that wet sand with 2500 to 3000 grit. Break out a buffer/orbital thing and use blue foam pads with a light to medium rubbing compound. I use Meguiars.
Then switch to the black foam pad and use your favorite polish/cleaner. I use Wizards polish sealer. Throw a coat of wax over it and you're done. I use Meguairs deep Crystal.

Few more shots.




Enjoy, discuss.

Yours turned out amazing. I need to up my game. I think it's the added multi-sized metal flake.

That looks great! I originally shot 2 test panels on 4 inch pvc pipe. One with just the fine silver base and another with the fine silver and bigger flake mix. The fine silver looked classy as yours does and the bigger flake jumped out of the color a bit more. Here are the 2 test panels.

Man that is a lot of work to do on someone else’s rocket.

Looks absolutely fantastic! I need to find a friend who will paint my rockets for me....

Very nice work. And lots of it!

Yes, I will try the larger flake on the next build. I am planning on an emerald green build here at some point over the summer... the base layer build up you've got seems perfect.

Emerald green sounds amazing. Maybe a mix of silver and green flake under a coat of emerald candy.
https://shop.thecoatingstore.com/EyeKandy-Emerald-Green-Candy-Concentrate-EKK-G09-HP.htm

Beautiful. I seriously dislike you guys with exceptional talents.

Rob702Martinez said:

Emerald green sounds amazing. Maybe a mix of silver and green flake under a coat of emerald candy.
https://shop.thecoatingstore.com/EyeKandy-Emerald-Green-Candy-Concentrate-EKK-G09-HP.htm

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This looks perfect. Thanks!

I see you are working in the backyard - what do you do about bugs? They always seem to be stuck to my freshly painted rockets.

scsager said:

I see you are working in the backyard - what do you do about bugs? They always seem to be stuck to my freshly painted rockets.

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Great question. I usually paint in the morning to avoid the afternoon and evening bugs. Gnats for some reason love to swarm the clear coat. The occasional bug that does land I pick off with a fine set of tweezers as soon as I see it, I watch it like a hawk though. I know that I will sand so I'm not overly worried about them. I spray bug repellent on the saw horse to help keep them away and on me. I actually had a bird try to land on this rocket but he pooped on it instead. That was a challenge. I decided to let the coat I was working on dry along with the poop, wiped it off with alcohol sanded it lightly and got back to work. I had maybe 3 bugs that made their way into it but all came out with sanding along the way.

Thanks for the kind words guys.

Candy apple red is a favorite.

Your rocket looks awesome.

I prefer a gold base. HOK 'Spanish Gold', precisely. There are many recipes, though. To me, silver does not give enough warmth for a candy apple red.

I like the PPG DBC 500 as a candy carrier, reduced, and I like to mix my own candies. The candy concentrates are added to the carrier to achieve whatever particular color of red, or any other color, that you prefer. The DBC 500 is a clear carrier that can be seriously reduced, and used for many cool effects with colors. It is a clear base coat.

A large fluid tipped gun, like the 2.5 you used, is a good idea with flakes, especially larger flake.

What you mention about setting a timer between clear coats, I have found that to be critical with 2 part urethane clears, in preventing 'solvent pop'. Paying attention to temperatures of the air, and the pieces, and selecting the correct reducer based on this, is absolutely necessary to prevent solvent pop.

I have not done much experimentation, yet, but for at least some radio transparency and a finish like candy apple red, starting with a white base, then building up a transparent gold using something like the 'Shimrin' shown in the attached photo, then loosely spraying on some flake, and a little candy in the Spanish gold, before mixing the red candy into the reduced DBC 500 carrier for getting the candy apple red color, that is a plan that I want to try. I think that the amount of metal in the flake, if it is sprayed with too much coverage, radio transparency may suffer.

Here is a photo of what I use for candy apple red. I use PPG Deltron DC4000 for a clear.

Not heard of the gold flake base before. Makes sense. Any advice for adding metal flake with color shifts? I've got the shift part down, but blue/purple/gold shift would look great with a little flake. Would think you'd do the metal flake first, then the color shift, then clears....

The key to flake or metallic being RF transparent is knowing if the flake is metal or vinyl.

I think there may be a 'wrong way', but there might be many 'right ways'.

If I wanted a color shift and a coarse flake, I would put the flake on first. I had not thought of a color shift over coarse flake, it might work, though.

For cut and polish, I like to start with at least 1000 grit, and go with 3m so the confusion in international grit designations do not cause you real headaches. I get it flat in the primer and base, and can spray pretty glassy out of the gun, so I can start with 2000 grit mostly. After it is all cut back with 1000-2000, I hit it with 3000 Trizact, then for some shapes, 5000 Trizact. With a decent orbital, or DA, a round airframe is no problem, but hand sanding will work. The 3000 Trizact is like magic with paint. Then it buffs with compounds, wet or dry depending on your experience and tools on hand.

Banzai88 said:

The key to flake or metallic being RF transparent is knowing if the flake is metal or vinyl.

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From what I understand, the flakes are mostly polyester film, but they have a metal coating, some actual metal content. I am curious, is your answer based on opinion, or in actual chemistry from having spoken with engineers who make the flakes? I got my information from the manufacturers, but it could be incomplete. I also wonder if some of the pearl and color shifts might be different than say, gold or silver flake, which I believe, all has some aluminum content.

Chris_H said:

From what I understand, the flakes are mostly polyester film, but they have a metal coating, some actual metal content. I am curious, is your answer based on opinion, or in actual chemistry from having spoken with engineers who make the flakes? I got my information from the manufacturers, but it could be incomplete. I also wonder if some of the pearl and color shifts might be different than say, gold or silver flake, which I believe, all has some aluminum content.

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You may very well be right for the components that you're using.

I walked into a local hot rod paint shop and started asking questions after explaining what was going on with RF being blocked by flake. Old guy pulled out a ton of catalogs and started making phone calls. Come to find out that a LOT of metal flake and metallic component is some sort of plastic film with no metal involved. Something about toxicity and EPA stuff that turned into blah blah blah.

He started mixing up all sorts of flakes and stuff and we started spraying some nose cones that I had. Did 5 or 6 at a time, stuffed an EggFinder transmitter in 'em, walked away to test range. Sand, repaint, repeat. Come to find out that all the ones that were METAL component metallic had some sort of range issue, but even the crazy bass boat flakes sprayed heavy were as RF transparent as a naked nose cone. Cost me sweat equity sanding and his lunch 4 or 5 times that we did it, since most of it was waste paint anyway.

Bottom line, check with the manufacturer of your paint components, only they'll be able to tell you if there's a metal component.

Your experience is encouraging. I spoke with someone at SEM, one of the leading manufacturers of flake, and was told that all of the silver and gold flakes (not just SEM) would have some metal in them. The better flake is made on a thin polyester film. I did not necessarily take this as the last word, but it was a reputable source.

I have not tested, aside from one test that I realized after, may not have been an accurate method.

Lots of good stuff in here and some nice pictures. I've used color shifting pearls, lots of different metal flakes, colors, effects you name it. Haven't had an issue with eggfinders at all. I would like to see some solid testing behind this but it's all kinds of different opinions. If It's really an issue we can always run the rubber ducky antenna out side the bulkhead.

One other thing to remember: Just because it has metal in it doesn't necessarily mean that it's going to be an RF blocker, either. The only way to know for sure it to spray some and test.

Thank you for this thread. I am wanting to start using a spray gun to paint rockets. I bought a HF gun with the 1.4mm tip so that’s good. From what I have seen the paint is pretty expensive since all I have found is 1 qt cans. Is that what you get too? Where do you get your paint?

Awesome resource here
https://tcpglobal.com/pages/category-paint-coatings

Local resource here
https://www.duplicolor.com/product/paint-shop-automotive-lacquer-finish-system/

davdue said:

Thank you for this thread. I am wanting to start using a spray gun to paint rockets. I bought a HF gun with the 1.4mm tip so that’s good. From what I have seen the paint is pretty expensive since all I have found is 1 qt cans. Is that what you get too? Where do you get your paint?

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Try and find a local body shop supply store. Go in there and let them know you're painting as a hobby and they can make half and quarter pints or half quarts etc.. I use a lot of OEM colors too. Like Honda electron blue pearl, spa yellow pearl, blaze orange metallic, Milano red, or GM synergy green, BMW Laguna sea blue, Mazda innocent blue mica, velocity red and some custom colors we mix up.
I use our local Carquest they are awesome, they talk shop and techniques and let me go in the back to mix the paint. Very helpful people. They got me started painting back in the day, spending time teaching me things and still support me to this day. I wouldn't be half the painter I am today if it weren't for them. Try to find a brand and stick with it. I use Axalta Nason clears and primers and Axalta Chromabase paints- formerly Dupont. You can find gallon clears a d activator on eBay for $120. Or go to supply store for quarts.

As far as the other pearls and flakes and effects you can try www.didspade.com
or eBay for those items. Usually I mix all of those in Axalta 498-00 clear or the HoK C2C SG100.
PM me if anyone wants to chat I can give you my number and we can talk on tje phone. It's easier to do Q&A for this.

davdue said:

Thank you for this thread. I am wanting to start using a spray gun to paint rockets. I bought a HF gun with the 1.4mm tip so that’s good. From what I have seen the paint is pretty expensive since all I have found is 1 qt cans. Is that what you get too? Where do you get your paint?

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TCP Global sells some things. Eastwood has relatively inexpensive paint, and a nice 'hot rod' flat black and rattle cans of a decent DTM black primer, the only paints I buy there. Old paint (clears and colors) that are still usable can be purchased on ebay.


Auto paint is expensive. I have paid upwards of $500/qt. for some finishes.

Nitrocellulose lacquer is a lot less expensive than 2 part urethanes, easier and safer to spray. Candies, flakes, and pearls can be mixed in to nitro. Nitro can be used over automotive filling primers. Industrial tints can be added to clear nitro to achieve opaque colors. Clear nitro can also be used as a top coat for automotive bases.

Also, hardened nitro will re-soften with acetone or an appropriate reducer. Catalyzed urethane is much more difficult to clean up once hardened.