I will be the first to admit I like shiny things, I like bright colors, I will even admit my leanings on custom coatings verges on gaudy at times. To me a coating can be utilitarian or it can have something that sets it off as unique. Recently I have been using bright neon's, and two stage coating a piece, with a clear final coat with a metallic flake pigment introduced. I like big flakes…no sir mix-a lot fans I said flakes as in metallics….I had a few older varieties of aluminum powder pigments to use as a test bed for my experiments.

Here is what I learned, a large flake looks awesome mixed with a high gloss clear around 5% range. I also like the look around the same range of 5% over a black it gives it almost a starry night sky look. I did notice that the 5% looked a bit overdone on darker dark greens and blues.

I realize that not everyone has the same propensity for ugly in a coating as I, but I can say for a certainty I have had a dream of using one of these models to build and custom powder coat a Yamaha Banshee for The Silver Lake sand dunes near where I live. 

Could you guess which one I am leaning on? Remember I like Gaudy. I can picture my freshly coated banshee, stretched, plastic deleted gleaming on test hill with a nice set of new paddles on it…..maybe if I put a company sticker on it the company will finance my build????..c’mon guys we can just call it advertising right?? 

I have seen some interesting things done with the shocker yellow look that presents a bold, modern look or the root beer look that gives off a nostalgic vibe. Either way there is the element of unique for both. The opposite end of the spectrum in the powder coating industry are powder coaters that routinely coat for durability, typically the same parts many times, whether its furniture, industrial parts or many other applications. These are the guys who order your everyday Ansi grey, black, sky white, black texture or safety yellow…how boring right? Well I can attest that a large part of the industry is driven by the utilitarian powder coater and that is just fine because they are the ones who typically demand better durability, better UV qualities and better resins that the custom powder coaters can start experimenting with to make unique and durable colors. It still does not change my affinity for what some consider Gaudy or even ugly, in my perfect world everything is either Candy coated or metallic flaked to the hilt. Assuming I can get the company to hop on my Banshee dreams, this summer there will be one BLING of a banshee ripping up the dunes…probably shouldn’t hold my breath for that, or if I do take up free diving in the meantime! 

Darrell Flachs