I am wanting to paint my matte black rod blank pearl white... I also want it to be a spray paint but don't know of any companies that make a pearl white that would work on the blank. It has to have a flex additive right? How do I go about this process of painting the blank?

Ryan, I don't know if your'e in the US or not, and I don't know of any "spray bomb" paints in pearl white, but Cadillac Escalades are painted in an awsome pearl white, and Toyota has a good pearl white, also. I'm guessing that to turn a black blank into pearl white, you are going to have to start with a light, or white primer to get the pearl white to look the way you want it to. If I were you, I would go to a body shop, preferably a dealer that might be painting the pearl whites more often, and talk to them about spraying your blank when they paint an auto.

I just ran a search here for painting blanks and it came up with 659 posts on the subjec t [rodbuilding.org] I've never tried white over black but I'm sure some here have done it. I don't know that you have to have a flex additive. Many, myself included, have used regular spray cans like Duplicolor and others. Prep the surface and I would recommend a adhesion promoter first. Spray with auto clear coat afterwards. Let us know how it works out.

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

Oops! Typing at the same time, Greg!

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

Ryan,
What I do is sand the entire blank down and then rub down with a 3M scuff pad then wipe down with denatured alcohol. Next the paint that you need is duricolor which is sold at checkers and auto zones. It is an automotive paint which has excellent UV and flex protection, it is expensive but it is great quality. Once you do one, two coats max, you need to use the clear coat of the same brand, two lite coats with light steel wool scuff in between coats and then one medium wet coat, just not wet enough to sag or drip.
James

Ryan, James has great advice, just be careful with sanding the blank. You do not want to sand into the carbon fibers. Really, just scuffing with the scotchbrite and a good cleaning with alcohol will do for the blank preparation. Oh yeah, it wouldn't hurt to do a quick, light wipe with a painter's dust cloth.

Me I would take it to an Auto body paint shop. The work involved for a novice is a pain in the back side
Good Wraps bob

Greg, has a very good point and I should have mentioned that. It is for that reason that you should not be sanding and watching tv or trying to sand in a hurry, you need to be very gently. The only reason I sand my blanks before I paint them when scuffing them will work, is because paint weighs more than you think and so I try to leave as little on the blank because as we all know weight is the enemy.
James

Thanks alot guys. Looks like I'm going to call the autobody repair shop in my town maybe Monday and see what they have to say. Sounds like that would be my best option... I'll let you know how it turns out!

I was talking to a local rod builder friend about ways to paint a blank and we talked some about using auto paint and then a clear top coat. He said that was a good hard coating, but it added some extra weight to the blank. I haven't done it myself but I thought it might be worth mentioning. I guess it depends on what type blank and how it will be used.

Andy they have to add a fexing agent or your paint job well crake . The same agent they add to fiber glass bodies and bumpers
Good Wraps Bob