Spraying Metallics vs Solids

[Troy]

Hello Paint Experts,

I've been thinking about the future painting of my '55 and I would really like to paint it in the original colors, Neptune Green and Shoreline beige. I will probably have a pro do the showing parts but I would like to do the jams, trunk, firewall, ect ect. My biggest worry is getting even spread with no blotchiness. This is one reason I'm also considering a solid color like Grabber Blue, the other reason is my oldest son is color blind to greens so he'll inherit a car that looks two tone beige!!! Anyway back in the day I seem to recall there being "agitating" spray guns was this a real thing and do the new HVLP guns do this too? If not how do you keep the paint mixed up and the metal flake in suspension? Thanks

[MP&C]

They used to put marbles or large steel bearings in the paint cup of the old siphon guns to keep the metallic mixed together, for heavy flakes they even made a special gun with an agitator on it. For modern paints and gravity feed guns, I'm not sure if the product does a better job of "suspending" the flake or not, but I've not had any issue with metallics using them. You can't use the old marble trick as it would stop up the paint from leaving the cup. I guess movement more than anything during the spray process does help to keep the particles mixed, but not sure that any additional means are warranted..

[chevynut]

As long as it doesn't sit around a long time it seems to me that the metallics stay in suspension pretty well. Are you going BC/CC or single stage? I know some metallic paint colors aren't available in single stage urethane.

[Troy]

Well I'm a ways off from painting but I would assume If I go with metallic it would be BC/CC. I would guess that would be the only way I would get to be able to clean up the sags, runs, bugs and any other mistakes II "WILL" make!