Re: The Great Paint Debate

["Steve Bradley" <scscomp@mindspring.com>]

Toby,

I agree you can spot repair single stage. But, as you said, the repair can
be detected if not done properly.

The way I would do it would be to blend the new paint into the existing
using a special blending compound that essentially dissolves the existing
paint and and "melts" it into the new coat over the repair. This is
something that can be screwed-up if not done just right. It's much easier to
repaint the panel.

I know of no paint vendor that specifies that BC/CC can be laid on  "heavy".
You may be aware that the clear coat is acrylic urethane. Acrylic urethane
shouldn't be laid on heavy because it's very thin. I just saw a car tonight
with sags and runs all over the clear coat because someone tried to fill
pits in the base by putting on a heavy clear coat. The heavy coat of clear
was also "cloudy". The guy was buffing and sanding all night to try and
recover his investment.  Not a pretty sight.

If I wanted a thicker clear coat, I would apply the base, apply 1 or 2 thin
clear coats, let it cure, scuff and recoat with clear. Pretty, but
expensive.

European car makers do put on a thicker BC/CC. I think they still have a
relatively thin clear coat though. The reason BC/CC chips and scratches
easier is the thin clear coat is easily damaged. The base coat is soft and
if something is coming fast and hard enough to get throught the clear, it
will certainly damage the base.

John,

My understanding is that BC/CC is easier to spot repair because it is a "wet
on wet" application. The area to be repaired is feather-edged and the base
coat is sprayed to the feather edge. When the clear coat goes on, it
dissolves the existing base coat paint along with the new base coat just
applied making the repaired area indiscernable.

I didn't mean to say your body shop did the wrong thing. There is nothing
wrong with repainting a panel instead of blending the repair. It would even
probably be advisable for them to do so if you have a metallic finish. It do
think that it is unethical for them to tell you that that "have" to do this
and charge you extra for it.

The materials required to repaint a panel are no more than to do a spot
repair. There may be a 15 minutes or so more labor required. $400.00 is the
going rate to repair a ding at a dealer or premium body shop.

Steve B.


Toby wrote:

> Steve, now I disagree!  If you want an absolutely flawless finish,
>right, you end up doing a big sand and blend.  But if you get a rock
>chip or a door skooge on single stage, it's quite easy to either
>airbursh or even use a small brush to get just a bit of paint into the
>flaw, then color sand it straight.
> I'd also have to say that bc/cc can be just as heavy or heavier than
>single stage- once you get the base down, the improved flow of the clear
>means it's easier to get wet coats of clear to flow out well without
>hanging.

John wrote:
>I am not a paint expert by any stretch of the imagination,
>but my thoughts on the BC/CC system were that it would be
>much harder to get the right proportion of base to clear to
>have everything match properly.  However it would not be
>the first time that my logic has failed me.  I would like
>to know why BC/CC is easier to repair (Big Al or Steve or
>anyone?)