Tom Ames Paint Pearls

[Ron R.]

I read the article Tom wrote in 2003 Driveline. I really want to paint my 61 metallic lacquer but my painter won't do it without using clear. I'm not willing to take the 85 point deduction using clear. Am I stuck painting a solid color lacquer? I understand there was a paint seminar in Texas? last fall. Can anyone share any new info that Tom may have passed out since his first article?
Desperately wanting to paint metallic lacquer,
Ron

[Lyle24961]

Re: Tom Ames Paint Pearls

I doubt if their is an answer to any question on paint. The expert painters and the expert judges will never agree or know for sure what you have done. The best you can do is get it the right color allmost and the experts will tell you what paint you have how you put it on how far away the gun was and what you named your second child.
good luck LYLE

[Gary C.]

Re: Tom Ames Paint Pearls

Lacquer has sharp and defined edges with no or little build up. The jams, trunk, hood and other areas were flat (dull finish) as compared to the body. If a painter can match the affect and look of lacquer, the no one will know for sure except your "hairdresser", painter in this case and you. If a painter is unable to paint without edge build up and gloss areas that should be flat, then the Judges will be able to detect a non lacquer appearing paint job. Tom Ames will be conducting his seminar during the National Convention this summer in San Antonio. You can always give Tom a call to discuss technique. Hope this helps. Good luck, Gary....

[Bob B.]

Re: Tom Ames Paint Pearls

Ron,

If you are crazy enough, you can do it yourself like I'm doing. I had never used anything but a paint spray can before, but now I have a car painted with lacquer! My paint booth was my front driveway on a mild, low breeze day. There's really nothing that looks like lacquer except lacquer. It has fine orange peel about the size of sand grains, unlike the much coarser in modern paints. It doesn't build on edges. It has a pretty low distinctness of image (DOI), which means that your reflection is somewhat fuzzy, unlike the mirror-like modern paints. And you can tell that the color is right on the surface of the paint. As to shine, it is pretty shiny, much more so that you would think listening to all the door jamb and trunk area talk. Believe it or not, restorers are now getting deductions for making their jambs and trunks too dull! Given all that, I decided the best way to make my paint job "appear" like lacquer was just to use lacquer! Since perfection is not expected from an assembly line process, I figured I could handle that. I'll find out when I get to San Antone!

Bob

[Jean C.]

Re: Tom Ames Paint Pearls

Ron, one of the bits of information that I came away with from one of Tom's recent seminars as concerns metallic is that metallic lacquer used years ago contained metallic particles that had corners (square, rectangle, triangle shapes for example) while metallic particles of today are usually eliptical in shape. Thus a difference in "brillance" results, less brillance in todays metallics. Don't know if this would cost points in judging but is something to consider if you are attempting to get the same glitter as in original metallic lacquer. Attend one of Tom's current presentations if possible.
Charlie

[Bill W.]

Re: Tom Ames Paint Pearls

If your guy wont do what your paying for find another guy.

[Ron R.]

Thanks for all input! *NM*

[Tim E.]

Re: Tom Ames Paint Pearls

I agree with all the comments made above. I consider myself an amateur painter and painting is one area I enjoy the most in the restoration process (in my garage, on the right day, without a booth). I just finished painting my Laguna Blue 1966...a dark blue metallic lacquer.

The paint I used was PPG mixed locally here in Houston and was called single stage metallic. It does not require a clear coat. The caution (from Tom in his seminar as well) is to take great care not to sand or buff into any of the metallic particles during your finishing process. I did not break into any of the metallics in my buffing and it came out fantastic. My feel is that many painters prefer to clear coat to avoid the risk of buffing into the metallics and to gain the depth a clear coat provides....even though the paint manufacturer does not require clear coating. Go for it and post a picture when you're done.

Tim

[Ron R.]

Re: Tom Ames Paint Pearls

Tim, Is your paint a urethane or lacquer? If it's not lacquer, does it look like lacquer?
Thanks,
Rom

[Tim E.]

Re: Tom Ames Paint Pearls

I used PPG acrylic lacquer. A lot of people on the Board have trouble finding a supply store but I can still get it here in Houston. They're proud of it but at least I can buy it.

One thing Tom recommended in the seminar is to spray a test panel not only to verify color match but to evaluate the size of the metallics and to practice your buffing technique. I had to take my paint back once to get the shade corrected and got a perfect match after that.

Tom's seminar also covered metallic mottling (blotchy patches) and striping (alternating light and dark stripes) all due to the metallic particles concentrating in undesirable patterns. A purist should try to reproduce those factory results.

[Mike M.]

Re: Tom Ames Paint Pearls

When I have such a question, I just ask Tom.
H. a. N. D.