stardustcolors | The blog of Stardustcolors paints

23 September 201924 September 2021 stardustcolors Informations

How to repaint your 2CV bodywork?

In 1948, when the type A 2CV was released during the post-war period, these cars displayed a unique metallic paint colour : Gray 109.

With the success growth in the post-war years, during the 50s and 60s, 75 new shades, specific to the vintage 2CV cars, have emerged until the end of the 1980s, such as the Monte Carlo Blue, the Palm Grove Green or the Cormorant Gray.

Find the original car paint

For this, it is necessary to find its original colour code (specified on the engine board, the doors, the hood, etc.). All colour codes start with AC.

For 2CV cars, we choose a paint called “2K paint” (two-component gloss paint). After mixing with a hardener, you have 30 minutes to apply it. It’s a finish that does not require topcoat application.

Let’s move now to the 4 steps to redo your car paint and the advice of a professional for a long-lasting and quality work :

1. Prepare the substrate

Scrape and remove oxidized areas and those where paint does not adhere. Sand with 220 grit paper.

2. Applying the primer

Apply an anti-corrosion primer on the bare areas of body or metal to ensure good body protection

Then apply a filler primer on the entire body. Sand with 320 grit paper to achieve a smooth surface.

3. Last checks

To succeed your painting project, moisten the floor well to fix dust, clean your spray gun, purge your air compressor and accumulated moisture filter.

Degrease with a degreaser (don’t use white spirit or acetone!)

With a blow gun, blow the dust on the body and on your coveralls.

4. The car paint

It all takes just a few minutes to succeed several hours of preparation:

A successful car paint must have gloss: This is a delicate task. Watch out for drops! If you load too much, the paint will drip, and on the contrary, if you do not apply enough paint, it will lack gloss.

Tip: practice on plates before you start the paint job. Keep the spray gun always straight facing the substrate, at a constant distance and steady speed. Apply 2 passes (allow 5-10 min between each coat). Then let dry in a warm and dry atmosphere.

If you have trouble finding your bodywork tint, here is the page that lists all the 2CV car paint colours with their years of release.

21 December 201816 September 2021 stardustcolors Informations|News|Products

How to create a car body paint with matt or satin areas?

How to create a car body paint with matt or satin areas?

When creating a custom paint, for example on a car bodywork, a motorcycle fairing, or on a bike frame, there’s a very interesting effect which is the association of a matte surface with a glossy surface.

Juxtaposing a beautiful matte topcoat with a gloss clear coat gives a fantastic aspect, but it raises technical difficulties related to implementation and some questions:

– What to do first? The gloss topcoat, or the matt clear coat?
– How do you hide and sand certain areas?
– How not to leave any white marks caused by sanding

StardustColors, with the help of Bryan la tinta for the application, teaches you the trick to create a matt and gloss topcoat:

1 – First, it is necessary to apply the topcoat in the classic way, with a gloss bodywork clearcoat, to the entire painted work. This will form the glossy areas, which will be masked off thanks to the masking tape

2 – Apply then the masking tape to hide the areas that must remain glossy.
For fine lines, especially for very tight curves, we can use a lighter to soften the line.

3 – You can now use the matt clear coat. How to achieve a good adhesion?
Do not sand. If it’s done with an abrasive sponge or paper, it will leave white marks under the adhesives, and this will produce a very poor appearance once the masking tapes are removed.

4 – Make a quick and superficial flaming to obtain good adhesion on the substrate.
After flaming, apply a very fine pass of matt topcoat within 60 seconds.

5 – Matt clear coat: it is important to apply only a very thin coat, to avoid a “stair” effect, and also to obtain a good adhesion.
Also, it is recommended not to load the edges of the adhesives with product but instead, simply apply a thin pass around the masking adhesives. This will create a smooth and seamless finish.

6 – Remove the masking tapes, then let the matt topcoat dry completely.
Using a sticky pad, clean and scrub to soften the low edges

17 December 20184 September 2021 stardustcolors Informations|Products

Metallisation by spraying

Different “chrome effect” metallization techniques:

Silvering (silver), galvanisation (decorative chrome or hard chrome) and vacuum metallisation (aluminum) are different techniques that consist of depositing a metal layer on materials for decorative or technical uses.

Among these techniques, apart from galvanic chrome plating which is a constraining, toxic and polluting process that is increasingly regulated, silver metallisation is the most efficient technique.

Discover the handheld metallisation equipment:
and chemicals with base and topcoat

The traditional silvering process of reducing a silver salt, to create a “silver mirror”, was used for years in the mirror industry specifically, and has been remarkably improved and developed by a French company which now proposes this innovative and patented technology to small and large businesses in 47 countries, to easily achieve a chrome effect on all substrates!

The 5 advantages of this original metallisation technology:
– application on almost all types of substrates
– non toxic products
– easy and quick technique
– chrome surface that can range from a few centimetres to a few meters
– efficient and economical, with prices ranging from 15 to 20€ per m²

This innovative technique has many varied applications in different areas:
luxury, automotive, bottles…

The chrome finish is of high quality: it is almost indistinguishable from a real chrome and produces a real mirror effect.

Metallisation using silver nitrate solutions is sprayed with a double nozzle gun
The silver layer is provided in a thickness of 0.1 microns

Pure chrome effect:
Metallization with silver nitrate is currently the technique that gives the best results and the least toxic method.
The quality of the chrome effect finish is far superior to that of sputtering for example.
Non-hazardous:
the products do not contain any CMR substances or toxic products (except R2S version that contains formaldehyde)
Economic performance:
from an economic perspective, it is by far the most profitable at a cost of less than 20€ per m²
Flexible application:
application using traditional methods (small workshop) or industrial application in automated serial production

2h: minimum time needed for metallisation of a part.
Applying the colourless gloss base (fast baking: 30min)
Spraying the silver nitrate solution, rinsing and drying (5min)
Applying topcoat then drying (30min)

The metallisation process allows you to create coloured Chrome effects using coloured clear coats

Contact info@stardustcolors.com

to receive free documentation

18 October 201829 November 2022 stardustcolors Informations|News|Products

What painting for an airbrush?

There are many brands of paintings, different types of paintings, but also different qualities.

There are also different professions using the airbrush. So let’s take a look at all this, and see how to choose and what paint to use for an airbrush.

In truth the choice of airbrush painting is very simple:

First, how do you use the airbrush?

Each application has a type of airbrush paint :

Artistic or decorative airbrush paint :

Essentially paints and water-based inks, very fluid with a range of graphic colors exclusively, from the classic palette of Fine Arts.

These are paintings made for drawing on paper (min 250g / m²), art board, on interior painted wall … They are ideal to realize portraits, landscapes, animals, frescoes, trompe l’oeil, … and not suitable for other applications. The fluidity, the smoothness and the destination of these products necessarily implies products that are not very resistant once dry, very thin, and sometimes not resistant to UV.

They are often available in very small bottles.

« artwork from Alina Tarasenko »

Custom paint, miniature, radio controlled and hobby:

These are waterborne acrylic paints for car bodies or fairings, necessarily more resistant because they can be exposed to the sun (resistant colors), abrasion, fuels, solvents of the primaries and body polishes.

They are a little less liquid, and once dry, they form a thicker film. They have the main advantage of being odorless and solvent-free, perfect for protecting the environment and the applicator.

These are ranges of paints with a wide range of colors but also effects, such as metallic, fluorescent, pearlescent, candy and all their related products (varnish, thinner, degreaser, …) They are found in bottles of 17ml to 125ml

Warning! There is a great difference in quality from one brand to another, and between the “low-end” paintings usually offered for miniatures, hobby or radio-controlled gear on one side, and the high quality paintings presented “Custom Airbrush”, for the customization of bodies or helmets.

All the famous brands of airbrush paint have embarked on the creation of a bodywork range, after the arrival of the first waterborne car paint. The problem is that the first body water paints represent a good progress of course, but they were not very developed (difficult to sand, slow drying, bad wear over time, fouling of airbrushes, ..), and some big brands have not renewed their products …

Over the last two years, this field has benefited from major innovations directly from the world of professional automotive painting, with the arrival of new-generation body-water paints, as effective as the traditional solvent-based paints and even sometimes better!

This is well illustrated with the new Stardust airbrush paints, acrylic / polyurethane hybrids.

which combine all the following qualities: ultra-fast drying, grips all substrates, extreme finesse, very high strength even without varnishing, total compatibility, high pigment concentration, without solvents, great flexibility, very affordable prices …

Bodypainting, tanning (tanning), temporary tatoo

These are products classified cosmetics, intended to be applied to the skin. They are therefore free of all dangerous substances or allergens, they contain mainly natural or food dyes, and can be removed with water and soap even after drying.

This is the case of the excellent paintings for Bodypainting Senjo® brand

Paintings on T-Shirt and leathers

These are paints that must be both flexible, resistant to friction and also washing (detergents, water, temperature). It is therefore necessary to obtain good adhesion and excellent resistance.

This is the case for artistic Stardust acrylic paints that are ultra-resistant to leaching, even at high temperatures, and are indestructible on a variety of substrates, such as natural or synthetic fibers.

Pastry

These are edible and therefore food products, derived from natural dyes (caramel, beets, etc.) or synthetic.

What are the quality criteria for a good airbrush paint?

– do not contain solvents (allows you to work without a mask, without constraints or installations)

– For the drawing, the range must decline hues both opaque and / or transparent.

– low prices and small packages proposed, for drawing or custom
– fast drying on the support (allows to work and cover quickly with the different layers)
– ready-to-use product without the need for further dilution

– allow spraying with the smallest nozzles and the production of ultra-fine lines.
– High concentration of pigment and high tinting power (can be used to cover in one pass or one stroke without the need to go through several layers)
– low water content / high solids content (no excessive wetting of the paper)
– do not dry too quickly on the needle or dirty the nozzle
– to form a dry film not thick, for the bodywork and the work multi-layers, and easy to sand
– compatibility with other solvent products for bodywork (primers, varnish, degreaser)

Airbrush custom: Compatibility with other products

The following questions must be asked:

What other products will I use below and above my painting?
Are they compatible, is there a risk of reaction?

On many medium quality acrylic airbrush paints, and sold as products for bodywork and model making, if we risk applying a real quality varnish with solvents (polyurethane type) is the disaster, with the paint who faints, blisters, or whatever.

The basic rules to avoid defects are:
– ensure a good drying of each layer (sufficient curing, and total evaporation of water or solvents)
– do not mix professional products and consumer products “cheap”
– When in doubt, when painting acrylic paints and solvent paints, always paint one or two thin veils “to see” and to fix.

On which support do I apply and the grip will be good?

Very few paints make it possible to paint directly on a raw support, such as metals or plastics.
If you want to get a good grip of the paint, and not see all his work come off after two weeks, then we must use primaries for airbrushes, or paintings that hang “really” on all media.

And what about solvent-based paints for airbrush?

They are called “solvent-based airbrush paints” because of their nature and composition, different from aqueous acrylics, although in truth water is also a solvent. Like water paints, they dry and harden by evaporation.

But many professionals prefer them for many reasons:
Solvents evaporate faster, whatever the temperature. They allow finer paints, highly dilutable, with an unmatched fine line for drawing freehand airbrush, and also a low fouling of the interior of airbrushes, they do not clog.
The dry layers are easy to hide, sand, work, with less unevenness when masking. The paints can be dissolved easily even after drying unlike water paints.

In return, they require a professional workshop or at least a sufficient air extraction and often the wearing of a mask.

Vallejo Acrylic airbrush paint

Graphic Solvent-based airbrush paint

Sparkle Solvent-based airbrush paint

Model paint – Hikari

Stardust pro airbrush paint

Schminke airbrush paint

27 September 20188 October 2019 stardustcolors Informations|News|Products

Bodywork Topcoat, Polishing and Buffing Techniques

Polishing and buffing are techniques that can perfect, increase, or restore the gloss from car or motorcycle topcoats.
These same techniques are applicable on topcoated surfaces in the furniture and interior design sectors.
It’s a gradual process that uses polishing from coarse polish to ultrafine polish, which corresponds to the terms of “sanding/polishing/buffing”

Usefulness:
– For fresh coats of clear coats, but perfectly through-dry, if you want to remove the defects.
– To eliminate defects such as “orange peel” or lack of shine.
– For old clear coats with micro-scratches on the superficial layer of the topcoat.

1 – Sanding/polishing

1500

When the clear coat is very damaged, or has orange peel, remove the clear coat top layer.

before
after

This is performed with sanding, manually or using a sanding machine, with a 1500 grit (we do not recommend going below 1200)

Topcoat application after 1500-grit sanding

You can use for this:
– our 1500-grit abrasive papers
– our 1500-grit abrasive discs with a flexible tray
dry, or wet

Never cross the topcoat layer, especially on the edges.

Between each stage, clean the sanding and polishing residues with a clean microfibre cloth!

3000

To remove the micro scratches from sanding with 1500-grit, sand then with 3000-grit, dry or wet.
several products for this:
– our 3000-grit abrasive papers
– our 3000-grit abrasive discs
– our Mirka 3000 and 4000-grit disks

Wet sanding

2 – Polishing

Then move to the polishing phase, which allows to further refine the surface condition at an extra level.
The polishing is performed in at least 2 steps.
Polishing can be done directly without going through step 1 if the clear coat is in good condition.
In this case, you should never polish without thorough cleaning and decontamination of the surface first!
> For this we use
– Degreasing Isopropyl Alcohol Solution
– Clay bar

Polishing machine

An electric polisher is usually used, by exerting a little pressure with the fingers on the rotary axis, and continuing until the polishing paste is dried.
Do not use too much polishing compound!

Hard foam pad and wool

Here are the equipment that will be installed on the polisher and used to rough the polishing
– all types of hard foam pads (white or orange)
– natural wool trays
These materials will “cut” the polishing scratches

A “compound” or a polishing paste must be used: apply 5 drops of product on the disc. Then pass over the disc for different uses of the bodywork to spread evenly the product

Apply the polishing compound, spread and polish

Work in 0.5m to 1m² section maximum, to allow the product to work properly.
You can wet slightly to lubricate with a sprayer, although it is not mandatory to do so.
Polish first slowly then increase the speed to 1000 – 1500 rpm
Work from left to right by drawing a grid, then from top to bottom.

Our Mirka® Polarshine 10 is a versatile high efficiency product ideal for all stages of polishing.

Final polishing with black soft foam pad

For the final gloss, choose a soft foam pad, especially for black bodywork paints.
The softest foams are usually blue and black.
Still with Polarshine 10, apply 5 drops of products on the foam, spread on the surface and polish at 1500-2000rpm.
Clean with a microfiber cloth: your topcoat is great!

Polished-buffered gloss topcoat

Polishing wax

Wax application is not mandatory. A professional wax such as Mirka’s NanoWax can be used to create a protective layer.
This layer of wax will be removed after the first wash.

How to choose a buffing and polishing foam
What is the difference between hard and soft foam pads?
The hard foam pad will penetrate deeper into the topcoat and abrade the surface.
Manufacturers usually use the same colour codes: Yellow, white, orange, for hard foams and black for soft polishing foams.

What is the difference between a lambswool tray and a foam pad?
Only use lambswool for rough buffing and polishing. Wool has more abrasive properties than soft foams It is the equivalent of a hard foam.
Contrary to common perception, the heating power of a wool is much lower than that of a foam: the heat produced by a foam makes your topcoat shine.

What is the difference between a soft foam or waffle foam pad?
The waffle foam pad produces less heating. It’s designed for final polishing. Its use is rather special and it’s recommended only to experienced applicators.

12 September 20184 September 2021 stardustcolors Informations|News|Products

How to make a river table with epoxy resin?

How to make a river table with epoxy resin?

River tables are truly unique artistic creations, which resemble a river flowing between two sides of a canyon. These masterpieces were created by combining wood, a natural and raw material, and resin, an amazing technical material which transforms whenever you want.

“credit : photo courtesy of JeffMackDesign Canada”

We can find on the site stardustcolors.co.uk all the products necessary for the realization of its own personalized “river table”.

How to choose the right type of wood for your epoxy table project?

All wood species (oak, poplar, chestnut, pine, Douglas fir, etc.) do not show the same characteristics, and some are more recommended than others:
Indeed, some woods are more porous than others, and will tend to “absorb” the resin during casting and to release air bubbles.
Wood species such as maple, hazel and olive tree are preferably used
More porous woods, such as pine, are not recommended.

The wood is also selected according to its thickness, price, shape, patterns and colour, more or less light. You can of course tint the wood with a lasure to colour or darken it, and offer a better contrast with the coloured epoxy resin casting.
Most often wood coming from the base of the trunk and the roots is used on the transverse section.

Wood preparation:

Cutting and drying:

It is very important to have a completely dry wood. Wood drying can sometimes take 1 year after felling the tree.
The wooden boards must be perfectly flat. Therefore, it is necessary to contact a carpenter or a cabinetmaker to obtain good quality cuttings.

Once you have chosen the board, cut it lengthwise, in the middle: flip each half and place the flat edges on each side of the casting frame, to form the future table’s edges.

Cleaning:

prepare meticulously the wood, by removing the bark, and sanding the surface and the edges. To remove sanding residue and dust, blown out with compressed air.

Stabilize:

Wood is a porous material, which has cavities and cracks: when covered with an epoxy resin, it frequently releases air in the form of bubbles.
To prevent any bubble formation and trapping in the epoxy casting during curing, a primer is applied over the full surface of the wood. For this, we use either:
– our water-based clear coat (very fast drying)
– Resoltech 1010 waterborne multi-purpose epoxy resin

Soak the brush, and generously dab each crevice. This will also prevent leaks through cracks and crevices in the wood.
It is also at this stage that a tinted lasure can be applied, if one finds that the tone of the wood is too light.

Prepare your casting frame:

A structure is made to contain the epoxy resin casting. It’s the mold (or frame).
The frame must be perfectly sealed and tight using seal clamps, because of the fluidity of the resin which has a tendency to flow easily if the frame is not sealed. The walls of the melamine frames as well as the bottom board are covered with a gloss and resistant PVC adhesive, to facilitate subsequent removal.

Logs must be secured to prevent them from moving or “floating” after casting.

It is possible to apply a bit of silicone to help contain the potential pouring overflows, and remove the silicone later

Epoxy resin casting:

It is recommended to pour first a thin 5mm layer of resin into the frame before placing the wood in it and immobilizing it. This avoids the formation of air pockets, and also potential leaks during casting.
For this fine casting, use Resoltech 4000 epoxy resin, which allows quick drying and a thickness of 1 or 2cm.
Once it has partially hardened and you can run your fingernail over it, then you can pour the resin.

To make a river table with a layer of casting several centimeters thick, WWA resin is recommended as it is a “slow” resin for its drying time. It permits a thickness of 16cm in one single casting, with a perfectly transparent result, and without shrinkage after hardening.

Successful epoxy casting:

The technique is easy, however two critical points should be respected:

1 – The mixture:
The resin-hardener mixing accuracy and quality will depend on the good curing of the resin:
Make a precise mixture, “in weight”, not “in volume”, using a precision balance.
In order for the polymerization chemical reaction to take place, each hardener particle must mix with each resin particle.
To do this, use a rounded pot and a ruler and stir vigorously scraping well the edges and corners of the pot.
The mixture can be re-poured into a second pot, to keep only the “mixed product” and remove the unmixed product remaining on the walls.

2 – Thickness and temperature:
The epoxy resin produces exothermicity during its hardening: the reaction releases an energy amount in the form of heat. The greater the thickness, the higher the heat emitted (above 250°C!). Beyond a thickness of 16cm, the heat is trapped.
The shape affects how heat is released:

A low ambient temperature slows the hardening, while a higher temperature accelerates the hardening and increases exothermicity.

Similarly, the greater the thickness, the faster the resin hardens. On the contrary, the more the casting is fine, the more the curing time is slowed down.

Avoid, at all costs, a too high temperature increase: pay close attention to the ambient temperature, the temperature of the product stored (the resin), the shape and depth of the casting, and even the material that constitutes the mold. For example, an ambient temperature that is just a few degrees high can result in defects in the cured resin: yellowing, shrinkage, cracks.

River table casting:

With the WWA epoxy resin and a 5cm thick casting of resin, it will be necessary to work in an air-conditioned room and an ambient temperature between 20 and 24°C
For a perfect very thick casting, choose a lower temperature, which will lengthen the curing time.
If the ambient temperature is too high, it will require several castings, in smaller thicknesses, and a sanding with an abrasive sponge between each layer, to create the grip.

Drying:

The WWA epoxy resin drying (polymerization) is achieved in 24h/48h. Optimum curing is achieved after 14 days.
To accelerate the curing, it is possible to steam the casting once dry, overnight at 40°C.

Customize your epoxy resin with dyes and pearls:

Inks:

Tinting the resin in the mass is possible thanks to Candy epoxy inks: They are extra translucent and ultra-concentrated dyes, which are added to the epoxy mixture in small quantities. There are about twenty colours, from turquoise to red, black, purple, lime green, or even cobalt blue. Other opaque colours are available.

Pearl powders:

These are ultra fine mica powders, used as a “load” to provide an iridescent effect.

About 25g of pearls per liter of mixture can be added to create a richly-coloured sparkling resin.
There are many different types of pearls, transparent, opaque and tinted
(see the colour chart detailing the 48 colours for Stardust® pearls)

Pearls and dyes can be combined to create extraordinary visual effects.

Finish:

The WWA resin provides an extra hard and gloss surface. One can apply topcoat of course, or polish using a polisher and a polishing paste, to increase the gloss and remove any defects.

Make a light table with a phosphorescent casting:

Phosphorescent (or photoluminescent) pigments store the light and release it gradually in the form of phosphorescence.
They are naturally whitish by day, or coloured and glow in the dark.
There is also a range of day-coloured phosphorescent pigments.
Find the complete range here, in many colours and sizes.

Successful implementation with an epoxy resin:

These pigments are compatible with epoxy resin and easy to mix.
About 50 to 100g per liter of resin are added.

These pigments are quite heavy, and we must absolutely prevent them from falling before the resin curing.
There are two ways to keep them in suspension in the resin:
– use the finest pigments (1-5µm or 5-15µm) as they are lighter
– choose a quick-setting resin, such as Resoltech 4000 resin, which allows a 2cm layer to cure in 30min.

How to effectively protect your epoxy resin against UVs?

Although having been considerably improved in their sensitivity to the sun,
epoxy resins must protect from the sun, to prevent yellowing.
Resin 4000 and very resistant to UVs, but the resin WWA and more sensitive.

There are relatively effective methods to protect these works with resins:

1 – Apply a UV varnish. Depending on the number of layers, this will block much of the ultraviolet light.
(application after sanding with 500 paper)

2 – Apply nano ceramic protection: this will not only protect against scratches, but also UV rays very effectively
(application directly on dry and glossy resin)

5 March 201817 September 2021 stardustcolors Products

Chrome paint system – Industrial version

The StardustColors chrome effect paint is the best on the market : it produces a true mirror chrome effect.
The chrome paint effect is easy to apply using a spray gun over a gloss hard background.

The mirror layer is composed of aluminum flakes and is only a few micron in size once dry.
Yield: 4 to 5m²/L

For a quote and data sheet, contact us by email.

Different from the system on sale to the general public, the industrial chrome paint system provides an excellent level of adhesion between the coats (base/chrome/topcoat) and a shorter implementation time, for automatic paint lines The industrial system requires baking.

More details : Chrome paint

Chrome paint : what is it ?

This system consists of two products
CB7: For the undercoat and the topcoat
CHR : Chrome effect paint

The CB7 Base exists in 3 different kinds of packaging
1.65L Kit (1L CB7 + 150ml Hardener CCB7 + 500ml Thinner)
8.5L Kit (5L CB7 + 1L Hardener CCB7 + 2.5L Thinner)
33L Kit (20L CB7 + 3L Hardener CCB7 + 10L Thinner)

The chrome effect paint exists in 3 different kinds of packaging
– 1L
– 5L
– 21L

CB7 Topcoat

The CB7 Base will have a dual use: it will serve as a gloss and hard base to receive the chrome paint, and will also be used for the clear coat application.
This is a clear polyurethane topcoat that ensures adhesion with chrome paint without sanding. CB7 adheres directly to many plastics and metals.
Mixture: by weight, 100 parts of CB7 + 15 parts of Hardener CCB7 + 20-50 parts of Thinner
It is recommended to apply the CB7 Base over a black background for best results.
The CB7 Base is applied in 1 or 2 thin passes.
After 10 minutes of desolvation, proceed with baking
Recommended thickness: 25µm dry
Baking* of the CB7 Base:
1h at 100°C / 2-3h at 80°C / 3-5h at 60°C and minimum 3-7 days at room temperature > 20°C
*Ventilated baking
These recommendations are valid to get the best results.
Baking time can be shortened. Incomplete drying will produce a less perfect mirror effect.

Single-component ready-to-use product – Alcohol-based

The CB7 Base should be covered with the Chrome paint immediately after its temperature has dropped below 40°C
The chrome paint is applied in very thin repeated passes, until the surface is covered.

Allow a 20 seconds interval between each coat at 20°C
The chrome paint is immediately dry to the touch.
In order to facilitate the topcoat application without losing the mirror effect, it is recommended to bake the paint or use a flame treatment
5min at 100°C / 10min at 80°C / 20min at 60°C and minimum 48h at 20°C

Clear coat application is carried out with CB7, with prior very thin passes in order to fix the surface of the chrome paint without wetting it.
Then apply 1 or 2 passes

13 April 2017 stardustcolors Uncategorised

Phosphorescent Helipad

Photoluminescent Helipad:

Building a phosphorescent helicopter landing pad implies that it has to be visible at night, in complete darkness, without the use of electrical runway lights on the ground or other retro-reflective equipments.

An helipad with phosphorescent marking brings considerable benefits to both the civil and military fields:
No matter where it is located, even in the middle of a desert, the helipad markings will be luminous even without power supply:
It’s a limitless green renewable energy source: The phosphorescence, which primarily charges itself using sunlight.

The photoluminescence, according to its intensity and the size of the marking on the ground, will be visible at night up to 100m

Photoluminescent ground marking for helipad

The EPOXY 90000 High Resistance Photoluminescent Floor Paint emits a green fluorescence during the night for more than 8hours.
It creates a coating that provides high resistance to rain, chemical aggressions, UVs and mechanical abrasion from heavy traffic.
The system is composed of multi-layer painting easy to apply:

Ground preparation:
Washing, degreasing, dedusting, moss removal

Masking:
Laying masking adhesives, reserving and hiding parts to be painted for the design of the photoluminescent helipad.

Undercoat:
The photoluminescent paint used to make luminous the helicopter landing pad is a semi-transparent and colourless paint. It requires a white background for effective light reflection.
The EPOXY White Primer is applied in 2 coats at intervals of one hour. It effectively impregnates all concrete, asphalt and stone substrates.

Phosphorescent coating:
3 to 4 passes can be applied with a drying time interval of 1h to 24h max between the coats.
You can obtain a good phosphorescence with 3 passes. With 4 coats or more, it will increase in intensity.
Care will be taken to ensure that good adhesion exists between each of the layers, never exceeding 24h.

30 January 2017 stardustcolors Uncategorised

Hydro dipping equipment – Water transfer tank for sale

How to start and specialize in hydro dipping?

The hydrographics printing process involves immersing any item through an inked film placed on the surface of the water and dissolved with a solvent.

Dipping comes from the English word “to dip“.

In this process, the parts to be printed are treated with a special preparation before their immersion into the hydro dipping tank.
The object to be customized must be perfectly clean, cleansed with specific products to eliminate all the residues, greases, silicones, etc. which could affect water transfer printing.

Useful advice for preparation:

Use a specific adhesion primer.
Apply an undercoat and sand thoroughly with an abrasive sponge and some dishwashing liquid (to remove the surface tension).

Once the substrate is clean, apply a base colour (this base colour depends on the hydro dipping pattern you are working with).

This innovative process known as hydro dipping, water transfer or even hydrographics is a printing technique by immersing an object into floating inks,
which allow the application of tridimensional images and effects by dipping in water (into a water transfer tank).

How does it work?

Hydro dipping is a 3D printing method in which an object is dipped into water, through a hydrographic film deposited on the water surface.

Water transfer applies to any type of hard-surface object, once this surface has been prepared and primed.
The first stage of the hydrographic transfer process is the application of the background colour (a paint, usually a matt basecoat for auto body works, is used). Carefully sand the surface so that the transfer film adheres to it securely.

The hydrographics film is made of inks printed on a very fine and light polyvinyl alcohol-coated sheet which, when deposited in the water transfer tank, floats on the surface of the water.

The film will be dissolved using a solvent-based activator sprayed over. The piece is then delicately immersed into water, through the floating ink layer, which wraps around and adheres to the item.

Once the part is removed from the water, it’s rinsed with warm water to get rid of any film residue. The piece is completely dried then topcoated with a car body clearcoat to protect the hydrographic pattern.

Is it necessary to sand before applying the topcoat?

No; besides, the film would not withstand the sanding due to its frailty and finesse.
The topcoat directly adheres to the ink.
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How to install a hydro dipping workshop?

100 to 200m² premises are necessary, with a separate room for preparation and sanding, another room for painting, a room for dipping and a room for storage at controlled temperature.
The undercoat painting stages and especially the topcoating stages require a paint booth, to extract fumes and to avoid dust.
The hydro dipping can be achieved out of the paint booth. However, during the spraying of the activator (100% solvent based), the room must have sufficient air circulation.
Equipment needed:
A sanding station, a spray gun and a compressor, a suitable dipping tank, and supports to hold the parts during dipping.

Which model of dipping tank to choose?

The Wtp300 is the smallest model; it allows an efficient and professional manual dipping. The tank is economical and affordable compared to the automated water transfer equipment limited to industrial installations.

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The WTP300 manual dipping tank for hydrographics transfer measures 2.20m by 1.20 m wide by 1m high (300kg)
It allows to dip pieces up to 200cm by 100cm.
It’s manufactured from stainless steel and uses 220V (6kW).
It’s equipped with a heating system and a water recirculation system
The tank also relies on an automatic floating valve for filling and a water pump.
Price: 4800€ (excluding taxes)

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Hydrographics – also referred to as transfer printing or dipping – involves applying an ink film to a surface

StardustColors is operating since 2006 in the field of custom paints. StardustColors plays a pioneering role in the field of hydrographics transfer and distributes a range of professional manual and automatic hydro dipping machines.
The website offers different patterns for hydrographic films, sold per square meter or per roll of 100m² or 250m².
StardustColors is not only a distributor but also a manufacturer of a range of activators with, since 2016, new high-performance formulas that ensure a perfect film dissolution and excellent adherence.

How to participate to a hydrographic transfer training?

How to get the catalogue for the 800 hydrographic patterns available?
Contact us by email to get the complete catalogue

All hydro dipping machines for water transfer are supplied with a CE certificate of conformity (LVD and EMC)
StardustColors keeps a permanent stock of WTP300 manual hydro dipping machines

Delivery within 48hrs in France.

Are there blank films to print?

Yes. These blank polyvinyl films are available to order but with 100m² minimum size required. Note: they are sold at a significantly higher price than the printed film price, however they allow easy printing with most of printers.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What are the possible applications for hydro dipping?
> Electric and electronic
> Furnitures and kitchens
> Automotive Parts
> Indoor and outdoor decoration materials

Are hydrographic prints UV resistant? Are they durable?
Yes, the inks used are resistant against UV-rays, and their resistance is increased with the topcoats applied over the surface.
We like to let our products speak for themselves: Some of our biggest customers are boat manufacturers, with very high level requirements in terms of resistance: many parts spend most of their time exposed to direct sunlight (e.g. instruments, dashboards).

What products do I need? Do you provide complete kits?
– 1K Basecoat or primers
– Transfer film
– Activator
– Automotive clear coat
You can find all these products here

What are the costs?
Hydro transfer is very economical. The film price is from 5 to 15€ per square meter.
In addition, the technique eliminates the most common problems associated with conventional methods such as hot printing process, screen printing, etc.

Is it difficult to learn the process?
Approximately 30 hours of training with an experienced applicator provides an overview of the essentials of hydrographic transfer.
A period of 2 to 3 weeks afterwards helps you gain complete control of the production.

Can badly printed objects be reprinted?
Yes, prints that are not satisfactory can be dipped again, as many times as you want.

In what form is the transfer film sold?
Per roll of 50, 92 or 100cm. The film can be stored for a period of 1 year by respecting temperature and hydrometric conditions.

6 January 201724 September 2021 stardustcolors Uncategorised

How to paint the Kawasaki H2R?

A true phenomenon! In the motorcycle industry, one had rarely seen such a beautiful painting effect, until the release of the famous Kawasaki H2R.
With its beautiful ultra-glossy black appearance, it does not go unnoticed. At first glance, one can see that its not just a simple black topcoat;
it is much more effective in reflecting light, and one can perceive, by looking more closely, a very impressive effect, like a metallized coat, a kind of black chrome.
In bodywork painting industry, this is quite unprecedented and most innovative!

The Kawasaki H2R paint:

But then what is it? What is the colour code and how to obtain the paint?

In response to many recent requests from motorcycle paint specialists, Stardust Colors shares the secret behind the technique to achieve this effect.

Indeed, for some years now, StardustColors painters have fun testing and combining the special effects with their spray guns.
And they know well this black chrome effect.
“This is not achieved with chrome paint, as some people think.
Here, we have been doing it for years and we call it black chrome”

Theres a metallizing (silver film) chemical effect which is used to produce such exceptional finish.
This can be achieved through a double nozzle spray gun that projects a pure silver film over the shiny black undercoat.
But it is not that simple:
To start the silver reaction, it is necessary to activate this surface with a third product.
It will bring an outstanding chrome effect.

Black Candy over Chrome

“We had found this black chrome effect by amusing ourselves to cover the chrome with candy inks, thus the black candy.
By applying a lot of transparent black, we have obtained a lacquer with a unique effect of glossiness.”

Each motorbike is “handmade” by the Kawasaki painters. (This may partly explain the price of 50,000 euros for each bike!) This process is done manually, with a chroming machine.
Only the topcoat part with a UV-cure clearcoat is done mechanically.

So what do you do if you dont have this chrome plating machine?
It would be difficult to use spray guns to undertake this technique.
It is necessary to have a chroming machine to spray and rinse all these products simultaneously.

However, StardustColors proposes a chrome kit without machine, but the process is limited to the treatment of small parts such as a helmet to the maximum.