How soon after repainting to polish, wax etc?

[Licit]

I just got my car back last week after it had the bumper nad hood repaired and repainted. How long do I need to give the fresh clear coat before I start detailing on it? I recall someone damaging theirs in thye past by not waiting long enough and polishing.

[Apollo_Auto]

Usually about a week is OK, but I'd wait 2 just to be in the safe side.

[mystic04]

depends on the paint and clear thats was used from what i have read before a good 30 to 60 days for the paint to cure. You could use a glaze for the time being but nothing that will seal the paint. You may be able to do some light polishing but i would waite longer than a week or two .you can ask the body shop how long before you can polish they should have a better idea.

[jayh2301]

I would wait about 90days on the higher end clears

[karburn]

My body shop said 90 days to be on the safe side.

[RZJZA80]

entirely depends on the paint and clear maker. It ranges from 30-120 days from what I've seen.

[Accumulator]

This comes up frequently, and there's a thread where MirrorFinishMan contacted all the major paint manufacturers. They *ALL* said the same thing- wait 60-90 days whether it was baked or not.

I've experienced first-hand how even baked paint can continue to harden for several months during the outgassing process. I always wait at least 90 days before I wax/seal, using something like Meguiar's #5 in the meantime.

As the paint cures it gets harder. You can wetsand/polish/etc. about as soon as the paint is dry, but that progressive hardening will affect how things turn out. Some paints are so soft for the first few weeks that it's very hard to finish-polish them.

[weekendwarrior]

As the paint cures it gets harder. You can wetsand/polish/etc. about as soon as the paint is dry, but that progressive hardening will affect how things turn out. Some paints are so soft for the first few weeks that it's very hard to finish-polish them.

I have spent a good bit of time around the body shop lately polishing out some classic car restorations. One thing I noticed is that the amount of hardener mixed into the paint can differ from painter to painter. Some guys don't put as much in, and can result in what Accumulator mentions above, where it is VERY hard to finish it out with anything. Conversely, I have seen guys put a good bit of hardener in, and I had to break out the hard core wool pad, and compound to even make a dent in the fresh paint.

[Conan777]

Ask a question and get tons of different answers ha..ha..! I too hang out in a Body Shop and am learning how to do paint work myself. Like others have said you can pretty much buff after the car comes out of the booth which is often necessary to get rid of some dust nibs etc or if working on a show car that will have extra layers of clear. They sand the clear after about 3 coats to level the orange peel then lay a couple more layers down and wet sand again then buff. The finish is like a mirror. Now I have learned that leaving a freshly painted car in the booth overnight with the doors closed can totally ruin the paintjob because the heater shuts off and the fans shut off and all the solvent out-gassing falls back onto the paint and makes the finish really dull. Only way to fix this is to repaint the car. So with that being said I would wait a couple weeks before applying any type of wax or sealant to be on the safe side.

[Anthony Orosco]

Your repainted panel is buffed before you come and pick it up. So why can they do it and not you?

How many really think that a layer of wax can prevent out gassing? Is a layer of wax so powerful that it will keep paint from hardening? If that be true then how does the base coat cure if covered with another layer of paint?

We had some bumper repairs today and about 2 hours after we wet sanded the areas, polished them and waxed it.

Paint suppliers and the paint shop itself may state to wait 60 or 90 days but then ask yourself how long is the paint job under warranty? Maybe 60 or 90 days? I've installed clear bras on repainted cars hours after they have been painted, no ill effects. If the painter is good and knows his or her stuff then it shouldn't be an issue.

Anthony

[III]

Is a layer of wax so powerful that it will keep paint from hardening? If that be true then how does the base coat cure if covered with another layer of paint?
Anthony

Good point. I'm no body shop expert, but paint manufacturers must say to wait for a reason. Who are we to disagree? Let's discuss.

[BigJimZ28]

How many really think that a layer of wax can prevent out gassing?

I do

If that be true then how does the base coat cure if covered with another layer of paint?

paint is porous