Adding an Iridecent top coat

[TheGreatSatan]

I was thinking of doing a dark cherry/Maroon paint job and maybe adding this (http://www.krylon.com/products/make_it_iridescent/) Iridescent clear coat to it. It says it gives it shades of purple/pink. Do you think it would look bad on a dark paint or will it not be all that obvious?

[TLHarrell]

Depends on the lighting. I did a pinewood derby car years back with dark grey paint and a blue/violet iridescent with powdered pigment dusted on and a heavy clearcoat. It was incredible in the sunlight, fairly decent under normal room lighting.

You will still see the regular color underneath. Depending on light angles, you will see purple/pink highlights floating in the clearcoat, mostly at edges and corners. If it's sitting under a desk in the dark, you wasted the effort.

[TheGreatSatan]

It'll be on the counter at work. Very bright there.

[Kayin]

For a finish like that, the paint under it needs to be as close to perfect as you can get, too. While you won't see it in the clear, when the pearl shows up it will highlight every hidden flaw in the paint job. It's kind of like spraying gloss black-it shows every flaw there.

[TLHarrell]

That's gonna be interesting, but possibly short lived. Spray paint won't stand up to all the scuffs and hand oils and other stuff in an environment like that.

[Konrad]

Or you could deliberately enhance the surface flaws to produce striking iridescent visual effects (https://www.google.ca/search?q=iridescent&num=100&hl=en&safe=off&tbo=d&source=lnms&tbm=isch), since the "rainbow" color-shifting properties depend a great deal on viewing angle. If a glossy smooth automotive paint job isn't going to work well then go for fish scales, orange peel, abrasive minerals, etc.

I couldn't get the MSDS data, so unable to say how this paint will withstand exposure to solvent vapours in your workshop.