The color palette of chameleon paints and the peculiarities of their application on the car
Many car owners try to make their car unusual and stand out in heavy traffic. Coating the body with chameleon paint allows you to achieve the desired result without changing the technical parameters of the car. After painting, the four-wheeled friend will certainly become beautiful, visible and eye-catching on the road or in the parking lot.
Composition and characteristics of chameleon paint for cars
Light waves are colorless. Color is the individual perception of a certain wavelength of light by the human brain and eyes. A feature of chameleon paint is the ability of the coating applied to the bodywork to change color, refracting and reflecting incident rays at a certain angle.
The metallic coatings and pearlescent additives found in some car enamels have a similar ability, but in a chameleon the refractive effect is much higher. Due to this color change and the specularity of the coating which looks much brighter, the body of the car shimmers with all the colors of the rainbow.
Chameleon paint is a multi-layered "cake".Each of the finest layers performs a specific task:
- The central color is the main color, created on the basis of aluminum and chrome oxides. This opaque color pigment serves as a substrate for the next "specular" layer.
- Transparent - the smallest particles of the coating are colorless, evenly distributed over several thin layers, they reflect light, providing refraction of the light wave and color change depending on lighting and viewing angle.
- External - a translucent durable varnish that protects the surface from chips and scratches.
The central layer determines which light waves will be the main ones, which will be absorbed or reflected and, passing through layers 2 and 3, will provide the effect of a mirror coating and enter the spectrum of possible shades.
Color pallet
Most often, motorists prefer black and white pigmented colors. But recently, the palette of shades has expanded significantly. Manufacturers offer basic colors of red, yellow, blue, purple, green and others.
The chameleon is more visible on dark substrates. Applied over a white base, it produces a stunning multi-coloured Northern Lights effect. The popular "bronze" is a game of yellow, red, orange and golden shades. In the "autumn" color, green tones are added to these overflows. The color of the car really resembles an autumn mixed forest.
The peculiarity of the violet color is that the bright reflections are very noticeable against a dark background. The coating contains shades of blue, green, silver and lilac. The lilac finish is stunning. Blue, blue and pink hues combined with the main shade of ripe plum make the color luxurious.
Advantages and disadvantages
Today, the chameleon blanket has become much cheaper than it was 3-5 years ago. Then such cars were a curiosity. Paint has become more affordable, prices have fallen, and the number of motorists who want an unusual multi-colored rainbow body has increased.
A car painted in chameleon has many advantages:
- the four-wheeled friend takes on an original look;
- the coating, like ordinary car enamel, protects the body from corrosion;
- the car is better protected against theft thanks to its special visibility.
The disadvantages of painting include the high cost of materials and labor, the impossibility of piecemeal repairs if the paint is damaged.
How to Choose the Right Chameleon Paint
Prices for chameleons vary from 1,000 to 7,000 per liter. It is better to choose an average price category so as not to come across a frankly poor quality product and not to overpay the brand. You should buy a car cover kit from a manufacturer. The most popular are: Mystic, 4TONE. You do not need to remove the factory coating, then the car enamel will serve as the base, which is treated from above with a colorless chameleon composition.
Characteristics of the paint
It is best to entrust the painting to professionals, but if you have at least minimal experience, you can paint the car yourself. The vehicle paint room must be spacious, dry and warm. You need at least 2 meters around the perimeter of the machine for freedom of movement. Good ventilation and good lighting are necessary in the garage. Before painting the car, the walls and ceiling are cleaned of dust and cobwebs so that they do not fall on the undried surface of the body.Garage floors are lightly moistened with water.
The vehicle should be thoroughly washed and dried before painting. Remove small body parts: headlights, position lights, indicators, rear and front bumpers.
Then the old paint is removed from the body. In addition, the car is straightened and putty. It is more convenient to putty with the finish option, it is thinner and adapts better to the surface. Then the body is wiped from dust and degreased. After that, a primer is applied. Cover the wheels before painting. Then proceed according to the manufacturer's instructions, which can be found on the paint. Product consumption - 1-1.5 liters, in the absence of experience it can increase.
Lighting
When working with canned chameleon paint you need strong lighting in order to control the uniformity of application and coat thickness, as the 2nd coat is colorless and inconspicuous with a lack of light. A pair of fluorescent lamps and a pair of halogen lamps should be installed.
Substrate
It is applied to the surface of the body using a gun (it is better to use a professional tool). Ink movements should be clear and sure to avoid skipping and sagging of the surface. Spray the substrate at a distance of 0.4 meters from the surface. First you need to study the instructions of the paint manufacturer, if they contain other conditions of application, you should stick to them. The drying period of the substrate is 10-15 minutes. Do not use a hair dryer.
coating
It begins to be applied even before the substrate is completely dry. Spray in a thin layer at a distance of 0.3 meters from the surface of the body.The next layer is applied after 3-5 minutes. For the effect you need 2 to 6-7 layers. Their maximum number reaches 9. The more layers, the richer the shades of overflow on the surface of the car will be. It is important to remember that the layers should be thin.
After the last layer is completely dry, the varnish is applied. 2-3 layers of protective coating are enough. Dry the varnish for 10-15 minutes. Then the removed parts are put back in place and the car is polished.
Additional tips and tricks
If it is difficult to find the desired paint, you can prepare it yourself by purchasing the ingredients from a well-known Chinese website. To do this, you will need 1-2 sachets of powdered color pigment, packaged in 50 grams, binder, base. The base is usually black. If a white basecoat is required for the pigment chosen by the buyer, the seller indicates it. The ingredients are mixed using a construction mixer or a screwdriver.
The car covered with a chameleon looks particularly original, with a streamlined shape and smooth body lines. When painting, use quality materials. If it is produced for the first time, it is better to take paints with a margin, because an experienced car painter has a much lower consumption than a person who never has beautiful cars.
The machine is painted with a respirator and rubber gloves. Wear long sleeves, a cap. When ordering paint in the salon, you can see the result on the computer before work. Experienced craftsmen will do the job better than a novice hobbyist.You need to protect the car from scratches and chips, it will not be possible to fix one-time paint defects, you will have to repaint the car.
Modern technologies allow you to create color solutions for the most incredible combinations. Competition among manufacturers helps reduce the prices of expensive paint options and make them more affordable for the consumer. The chameleon is able to make the most ordinary car bright and amazing, and will turn a powerful new car into a matter of special pride for the owner.