Practice makes perfect! Be sure to purchase
enough so you can practice on a test piece first before you jump
into your project. Get familiar with the product and you'll have a
much better chance of success. Crystals have a mind of their own and
it does take practice.
Start with a catalyzed surface. Clean your catalyzed surface very well with some
warm, soapy water. Use Dawn or Ivory dish soap and really get
the surface clean. Dry it well with a clean, lint free towel.
Try this simple test. Pour straight
water on the cleaned surface. If it sheets off then you're ready to dry it
and apply the crystals. If the water beads up then the surface is
not clean enough for the Crystals to work properly. It has to be super clean!
Try applying the Crystals Decontamination Solution (60-888P) and
wipe clean then re-wash with Dawn or Ivory soap solution, rinse
well with clean water and towel dry. Then try your sheeting test again.
Xotic Crystals are ready to spray right out of
the bottle. Don't try to reduce or dilute them. When you apply your Crystals get them as uniform
and even as possible. The heavier the Crystals and the cooler the
shop temperature the larger the
Crystal pattern will be. Be sure to not get runs or light spots or
the pattern will not be uniform or blotchy at best. You can watch the Crystals start to make their
patterns with in a few minutes of spraying. If you're not happy with
the current pattern simply rinse them off with water, dry and reapply.
Once the application of Crystals completely dry you're
ready to apply your contrasting color. Put this on lightly! Don't
apply anymore than you need. If applied too heavily your final water
wash will not be
able to dissolve the Crystals to rinse them off and the effect will be less than
desired.
Don't scrub the surface too hard during the rinse
process after the contrasting color has dried. You can easily scrub the
contrasting color away and you'll get bare spots. The idea is to
rinse away all the crystals and leave the pattern that they've created.
Take your time. Have Fun! Don't get frustrated
and
give up. It takes a few tries to get the hang of it and feel
comfortable but when you do
you'll have a very unique, one of a kind custom paint job that you
can truly be proud of.
NOTE: If you have never used Xotic Crystals before, it is best to
take a scrap piece of painted metal (like an old car hood, door
panel, etc.) and simply sand and apply Xotic Crystals as a test to
get a feel of the product, so long as the test piece has a clear
coat. Also, if you just want to see the crystal patterns, you can
wipe some Xotic Crystals on a piece of clean glass and observe how
the crystals form. It is not necessary for the initial color coat
to be freshly applied.
1. Apply initial color coat (if not already present) of any
color or brand of paint. You could also start with a candee color
at this point.
2. Apply 2 coats of production clear (if not already present)
and let cure overnight at a minimum of 70 degrees. Even if you
force-cure, you still must allow it to dry overnight. NOTE: Clear
coat must be thoroughly cured at this point. Quick dry clear has
given us bad results due to possible out-gassing, so only use
quick-dry at your own risk.
3. Dry sand the clear with 320 grit sandpaper until surface is
dull (no shiny spots). Make sure your edges are sanded well and
entire object is absolutely free of any contaminants such as dirt,
grease, oil, fingerprints etc. Surface must be sanded thoroughly,
as the scratches provide nucleation sites (“seed points”) for
starting the crystallization. Since Xotic Crystals is water-based,
the scratched surface is what holds the product while the crystals
form. Also, DO NOT USE any solvent based cleaning solutions, as
the residual hydrocarbons (oil) in the solvents will inhibit
crystallization. Soap and water IS MANDATORY. ABSOLUTELY
NECESSARY. IF YOU DON’T USE SOAP AND WATER, YOU WILL WASTE YOUR
PRODUCT. The best soap we have found to date is plain “Dawn”. It
cannot contain any hand-softeners, citrus, or antibacterial
agents. Also, use lots and lots of it. We will be releasing a
stronger but guaranteed compatible detergent soon - check our
website often.
4. Surface must be absolutely clean and dry!!!
TIP:
Put tap water on your surface. If tap water beads-up, so will
Xotic Crystals. If it beads, you have surface contamination or
insufficient sanding.
5. Spray 1 wet coat of Xotic Crystals at room temperature
(65-75 degrees), and relative humidity of at least 60%. These
temperatures and humidity levels serve as a guideline to success
every time. They can be changed, but be careful of the results you
may get. Also be sure that your substrate is not hot or cold – it
should be about the same temperature as the air and have no hot or
cold spots. You can easily add humidity to your environment by
spraying water from your paintgun (like a giant humidifier). Also,
you need to clean your spray gun with soap and water before you
spray Xotic Crystals with it.
6. Let dry. This could be in 5 minutes or 2 hours depending on
temperature and humidity. Dry time depends on temperature, air
movement, and humidity. As a rule, the longer it takes for the
product to dry, the larger the crystal patterns produced. It is
necessary to be patient at this point – you will notice the Xotic
Crystals beginning to dry, and sometimes the surface will appear
almost dry, but without any crystals. Have patience, and in
another 10 minutes the crystals will begin to form. If you get
“runs” in the product, do not fear. Excess Xotic Crystals dripping
off is ok, so long as it does not look as if it is doing so
because of a contaminated surface. Minor beading up is also ok.
The crystals are finished drying when they become hard and have no
appearance of moisture.
7. NOTE: After you have worked with this product a few times
you will be able to tell at this point whether or not you will be
getting the pattern you desire. If not, simply wash off the Xotic
Crystals with water and a sponge and reapply. If you do reapply,
keep in mind that washing off the crystals tends to smoothen-out
your rough sanded texture base coat. Therefore, it is a good idea,
if you have re-applied more than once to the same surface, to
re-sand before reapplying Xotic Crystals.
8. Apply your top coat; spray a lite coat of contrasting color.
It is best to "dust" this color on. NOTE: dark top colors work
best over a Candee bottom color - OR - light colored top coats
work best over dark colored bottom coats etc. (avoid heavy build
up of paint along edges using a blending action).
9. Let the contrasting color dry to the touch. This coat of
paint must be dry enough that it adheres well to the bottom color
beneath. If your top coat is not dry enough, then it will be
“torn” away with the crystals in the next step…
10. With a wet smooth sponge and water, wipe off all the
crystals. NOTE: A pressure washer (with low pressure) may be used
on larger objects. If the product is not washing off, then use a
very mild scuff pad and gentle strokes to remove crystals and
accompanying contrasting color. This can occur with resin-rich
paints and / or a heavier-than-normal coat of contrasting paint.
11. If you do not like the pattern you have created, simply
remove the top color using reducer, then soap and water (You can
do this because your base color should have a cured, catalyzed
coat of clear). Any residual of reducer will interfere with the
crystal patterns being formed... so you will now need to re-sand
your clearcoat. We realize you risk sanding-thru the clearcoat, so
it is possible you will need to re-apply your clearcoat. In the
very least, use lots of detergent and water to be absolutely sure
there are no traces of solvent left. Be aware that rubbing the
paint surface too vigorously with cloth or paper tends to smoothen
the chalky, rough surface of the clearcoat that holds the Xotic
Crystals. This is another reason to re-sand the surface prior to
re-applying Xotic Crystals. With all that said, you can repeat the
previous steps to re-apply Xotic Crystals..
12. Apply; spray 2-4 medium/wet coats of clear, let cure, wet
sand with 600 grit sand paper and then spray 1-2 wet coats of
final clear, let cure and buff if needed.
NOTE: If artwork is planned and tape outs are needed, Graphic
Mask or Vinyl tape. DO NOT use masking tape, as Xotic Crystals is
a water-based product. If you plan to do the entire vehicle make
sure you do it all at the same time. (This material has a mind of
it’s own and you may not get the same pattern if you do your paint
job in segments).
WARNING: DO NOT DILUTE. SPRAY AS IS or you will lose the effect!!
Some informal tips:
CRYSTAL SIZE – FACTORS
Things That Make the Crystal Pattern Larger:
· Slower drying time
· Higher humidity
Things That Make the Crystal Pattern Smaller:
· Faster drying time
· Wetter (thicker) coat of Xotic Crystals
· Lower humidity
· Letting a first light coat of Xotic Crystals dry, then spraying
a second light coat on top of the first one. This will re-wet the
first one, and when it dries this second time, you will have small
crystals.
IMPORTANT DO’s AND DON’Ts
We cannot stress enough how critical it is to not use any
degreasers before applying Xotic Crystals. Just use plain
dishwashing detergent. Additives, such as antibacterial
ingredients and hand softeners, can prevent the sensitive crystals
from forming correctly. “Dawn” is one detergent often used that
can be bought without additives. “Ivory Liquid”, though not as
strong, will also work but you need more of it. Also, keep in mind
that the crystals are “hygroscopic”. This means that they tend to
absorb water. In fact, after the crystals dry, they begin to
slowly “melt”. If you wait too long to spray your topcoat, the
crystals could lose their sharp lines and definitions. We have
left items lying around for several weeks, and then sprayed them
with a top coat, and the pattern produced was not very defined. So
it is best to crystal your object immediately prior to a time when
you can apply your topcoat (allowing for the time it takes for the
crystals to form/dry). And about that topcoat…. If you get it too
thick, it will be hard to wash off. Put another way, if you apply
your top coat over the crystals with a heavy, wet coat, the top
coat will seal-in the crystals, and then you would have to use a
scuff pad to remove the top coat to expose the crystals to your
water wash. The scuff pad is dangerous because you could scour
away all of your top color and pattern. If you apply your top coat
with just a light feather coat, then you will have a porous paint
finish which allows the wash water to dissolve the crystals
beneath and allow the paint to wash-of in just the right places,
exactly as planned. Too light a topcoat, and you may wish that you
had better contrast between your colors. We have used very light
dustings for a top coat as an intended effect, as well. So better
too light a topcoat than too heavy. Actually, the cheap paint
works best for a topcoat. There can only be 2 reasons why your top
coat doesn’t wash away easily. Either you have a heavy topcoat, or
you are using some really strong paint that doesn’t want to break
away at the junction between the paint which is stuck to the
bottom coat and the paint stuck to a line of crystals. You will
notice that vertical surfaces tend to produce different patterns
than surfaces which lay horizontal to gravity. This is just
further mystery and appeal. Also, the contours of your painted
object affect the pattern produced.
The crystal patterns produced seem to be mildly “directed” by
the scratches from sanding. This has led to some interesting swirl
patterns. Keep in mind that we have only scratched the surface
when it comes to Xotic Crystals. We expect that the public, while
using and playing-around with our product, will probably amaze us
with the new techniques they come up with. We encourage this, of
course. Send us pictures of your results and we will gladly
showcase it on our website.
On a cool, damp day, the hygroscopic nature of Xotic Crystals can
cause the crystals to stay wet, and not dry. If this happens, you
will need to raise the temperature and/or lower the humidity of
your environment. Also, if the piece you are working on is cold in
one area, but warm in another, you will get varying crystal sizes
that you may not find beautiful. This could also be a cool effect,
however.
The direction of the dominant crystal lines is also affected by
gravity. You will notice that the crystals tend to "climb" against
gravity. You can prop your various items at different angles while
the Xotic Crystals dries... though with a car this is of course
more difficult.
Some Ideas To Try:
· Stencils used to produce patterns on top of the crystal
patterns (we have a picture of this on our website).
· Several different layers of crystal patterns, one on top of
another.
· We could write a book on all the ideas, but that will come
later. We encourage you to use your imagination and share the
results.
