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| Painting & Polishing |
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- What is Pearlescent Paint?
- What are reducers or thinners and why do we need them?
- What causes rust?
- What is the best and quickest way to strip the paint off of a car?
- What is Pearlescent Paint?
Pearl is a material that reflects light (like metallic) but also allows some of the light to pass though and reflect back from the surface below. The light reflected may be unobstructed, or may pass through another particle of pearl, adding the illusion of depth, and altering the hue. Paints containing pearls usually contain a higher resin to pigment ratio and require more coats of material to obtain full coverage. The newer tri-coat systems involve a base coat, a clear/tint coat, and a final clear coat. This creates a very nice effect, but makes spot repair more difficult.
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- What are reducers or thinners and why do we need them?
Aliphatic hydrocarbons (Mineral Spirits- V M P, Naphtha) Aromatic hydrocarbons (Toluene, Xylene) Esters (Ethyl Acetate, Butyl Acetate) Ketone (Acetone, Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK)) Various combinations are used along with other additives (retarders, accelerators, and levelers) to reduce the viscosity of the material to a sprayable consistency and accommodate climatic conditions. In general, the smaller the molecular size of the resin (high volume solids), the less reducer will be required. Some products require very little or no reduction. Follow the manufacturers directions unless you have extensive experience in spray painting automotive finishes. However, in a pinch, the general rule is that reducers are downward compatible (i.e. you may substitute acrylic enamel reducer for enamel reducer, but NEVER vice versa. The solvents are weaker and you'll end up with an ugly curdled mess in the bottom of the paint gun).
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- What causes rust?
Corrosion is caused when an area of metal has a positive charge and another has a negative charge. Water acts as an electrolyte, allowing current to flow between these areas. During this process the metal absorbs oxygen from the water and forms iron oxide (rust). Salt water conducts electricity better than fresh water so in areas that use salt on the roads, this process is greatly accelerated. The objective of applying a protective coat of paint is to insulate the metal from water. To ensure that no rust is present before we coat the metal, we clean the metal with an acid (phosphoric based, which leaves a thin film of iron phosphate or zinc phosphate that prevents flash rusting), and then apply a zinc phosphate coating which neutralizes the acid, and promotes primer adhesion. Zinc (galvanized and zinc rich primers) competes with the iron for oxygen, and becomes the sacrificial metal which corrodes, leaving the iron undamaged.
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- What is the best and quickest way to strip the paint off of a car?
The most common methods of paint removal are sandblasting, plastic blasting, chemical stripper or sanding. Sandblasting is not recommended as the high energy tends to create heat and warp the sheet metal, which creates a whole new set of problems. Plastic blasting is good, but expensive. Chemical stripper is fairly inexpensive and fast, but it is quite messy and be sure to mask or remove all the trim and plastic lens coverings. Additionally, caution must be used to avoid skin or eye contact which could result in severe injuries. A dual action sander (set to strip mode) with 80 grit paper will do the job nicely, although it may take a while. Follow with 180 in oscillating mode to remove the circular patterns in the sheet metal.
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