whats the best lighting for metallic Silver?

? are you talking about halogen's and etc? Having some good florescents on the ceiling and side walls helps a lot. Then have a halogen tri-pod for direct inspection.
 
Generally speaking, it's hard for any lighting to bring out defects in metallic silver, unless the paint is thoroughly beat up.
 
put your head as close as you can to the paint, and look down the panel @ a light source (look @ the light sources bulb reflection in the paint). If you go slow, and look very closely, you will see the light source being interupted by the defects. Try to have the light source which you are looking @ overhead. Halogens are often too bright. Regular standard bulbs seem to work best @ least for me. Hope this helps.
 
so 500watt or 100watt holgens would be too bright?
 
Flourescents actually work quite well for silver.

If you really want to look for defects, nothing seems to work better than driving your car under the cover of most gas stations at night!
 
Rob T said:
If you really want to look for defects, nothing seems to work better than driving your car under the cover of most gas stations at night!
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Absolutely!!! Problem is, you can't polish your car there. :laughing:
 
6500k flourescents work great on showing defects in silver.
 
Dubbin1 said:
6500k flourescents work great on showing defects in silver.
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Can you use that in any fluorescent light fixture, or do you need a special fixture for it?

I have a metallic silver Forrester and I am also having difficulty reliably finding swirls and the like.
 
You can put them in any fixture and you can find them at Lowes, Home Depot and Menards.
 
loudog2 said:
I have a dual 1000watt tripod. It works just fine. I think I still see better with the flourescents looking at a angle.
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I agree. I use my halogens to work in the garage, but I still think the floursescents reveal swirls better.
 
The problem with the big halogens is the heat the produce. Before I had AC in my garage the halogens would really bring the temp up.
 
this is what i'm using -

6e197ff2.jpg


and yes, that's a silver metallic car under there, lol.

here's another silver metallic i've done in there

IMG_1603.jpg
 
i dont have a garage so i'll be doing this out side in the shsade.... do they havehand held florecent lights thats good enought? anyone recommend any?
 
350z00m said:
i dont have a garage so i'll be doing this out side in the shsade.... do they havehand held florecent lights thats good enought? anyone recommend any?
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No chance you can use any artificial light outside with metallic silver and highlight defects(with the exception of gas stations at night). Your best bet would be to use the sun.
 
350z00m said:
i dont have a garage so i'll be doing this out side in the shsade.... do they havehand held florecent lights thats good enought? anyone recommend any?
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i must have missed that...sorry y0!

in for an answer on that because i honestly don't know - i know there are a ton of drop lights out there that use smaller fluoro bulbs, maybe that would be the ticket?

like this: Long-Line Fluorescent Work Light

(believe it or not i've never been to a harbor freight!)
 
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