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I finally stopped using cheap clear coat after a job in Phoenix went wrong
I had a pearl white Honda Accord come back 6 months later with the clear coat peeling off like sunburned skin. I painted it in March, customer lived near 35th Ave and Bell Road. I used that budget clear from the auto paint supply shop on Van Buren. Never again. $400 job turned into a $1200 respray on my dime. Anyone else have a horror story from skimping on clear coat?
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stella1212mo ago
Oh man, I gotta disagree a bit here. I've actually had pretty good results with that budget clear from the shop on Van Buren as long as I prep everything right and put enough coats. Sounds like maybe the paint job itself wasn't fully cured before you cleared it, or the temp got too high that day. What's your process for checking if the base is totally dry before you spray clear?
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ruby6592mo ago
Check if the base is dry by touch first, then do a quick solvent test with a rag and some reducer. If it gets gummy or lifts in any way, youre not there yet. You ever had that clear spiderweb or crack on you a few weeks later even when it looked perfect out of the gun
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grant1552mo ago
Wait, you had the clear spiderweb or crack weeks later even when it looked perfect coming out of the gun? That sounds like it could be a compatibility issue or the clear was too thick when you laid it down. I've had that happen once on a hood I was real proud of, thought I nailed it but after a month in the sun it looked like a cracked desert floor. To check base dryness, I'll sometimes spray a light mist of activator on a hidden spot and if it's still active or tacky after a few minutes, I know I gotta wait longer. Also, temp swings in the shop can mess with cure times way more than people think, so I started logging humidity and temp on every job just to be safe. It's a pain but beats having to sand and redo a whole panel because you rushed it.
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