paint cure

PoNyUp · 02-01-08, 07:39

I had some work done on my car over the last couple of weeks. The hood was refinished, front bumper cover, and right rear 1/4 panel. How long do I need to wait before applying any wax, glaze, etc.? The guy at the body shop said I could apply glaze if I wanted, just no sealant or wax? What do you guys recommend? Thanks in advance.

Jakerooni · 02-01-08, 08:31

Glaze is fine but wait at least 30 days before you ad wax to it.

mirrorfinishman · 02-01-08, 04:12

One again Jake is accurate in his suggestion to wait at least 30 days. Of course, the longer you wait past 30 days the more time you are allowing to insure the paint is in fact properly cured.

brwill2005 · 02-01-08, 05:18

30 days is plenty of time IMO. The new waterborne paints do not need to off gas like the old laquer and solvent based paints. I was on PPG's website today and could not find anything on not waxing newly applied paint. It is possible that if you ask 100 people this question, you will get 50 different answers.

Accumulator · 02-01-08, 05:49

As MirrorFinishMan has posted on this thread, I feel a little weird pointing out that when he queried the major paint manufacturers they *all* said to wait at least 90-120 days.

I've experienced major differences in hardness well after the 90 day mark (and that was baked paint). Thirty days has *never* been long enough for aftermarket paint to achieve maximum hardness IME, simply never.

Superior Fine · 02-01-08, 06:26

I am an ASE cert. re-finisher. I always told my clients to way 30 days before waxing.

All the major paint manufactures recommend 30 to 60 days before waxing.

As a test I waxed fresh paint (clear coat over black/baked) the very next day after it was painted. A year and 1/2 later it still looks perfect.

So ........

David Fermani · 02-01-08, 06:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by brwill2005

The new waterborne paints do not need to off gas like the old laquer and solvent based paints.

Are you referring to OEM or aftermarket finishes? Not too many shops are spraying waterborne yet?

David Fermani · 02-01-08, 06:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Superior Fine

I am an ASE cert. re-finisher. I always told my clients to way 30 days before waxing.

All the major paint manufactures recommend 30 to 60 days before waxing.

As a test I waxed fresh paint (clear coat over black/baked) the very next day after it was painted. A year and 1/2 later it still looks perfect.

So ........

Exactly. Does anyone have any valid proof that waxing freshly finished paint will damage it? Lots of people warn against it, but why? Does anyone want to try an experiment?

I get more scared when shops hack up fresh paint with sandpaper & compound than just plain wax.

ReLoaDeD BuLLiT · 02-01-08, 09:27

I've always thought waxing fresh paint wouldn't harm it as well.

brwill2005 · 02-02-08, 07:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Fermani

Are you referring to OEM or aftermarket finishes? Not too many shops are spraying waterborne yet?

Both. Either way modern paints do not need to off gas as much as the older laquer paint did. Is that not why they tell you not to wax fresh paint; the wax will keep the paint from off gassing and effect the curing? Like I said, you can ask many people and get many different answers.

Accumulator · 02-02-08, 10:30

There are a number of (supposedly) fresh-repaint-safe products that will provide better protection than the glazes that I prefer to use: FK 2180 (IIRC

) and OCW come to mind (the latter endorsed by Ford for post-production refinish jobs), and IIRC Sal Zaino says his stuff is OK.

Somebody oughta take a panel that was reshot with something like baked S-H and wax it right after the paint dries. Then see if it's as hard as usual to correct after four months. I'm sure there are other aftermarket paints that get at least as hard as S-H does, but IME that stuff gets as hard as factory Audi clear, and that's hard enough for an easy evaluation.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Superior Fine

All the major paint manufactures recommend 30 to 60 days before waxing.

Interesting that their info was different when MirrorFinishMan inquired

FWIW, the S-H rep who services Stoddard Imports said to wait at least 90 days.

Quote:

..As a test I waxed fresh paint (clear coat over black/baked) the very next day after it was painted. A year and 1/2 later it still looks perfect...

It's not a matter of looks, durability, etc. but rather a question of the paint attaining its maximum potential hardness.

If you get a chance to polish/etc. that paint, see if it's as hard as the factory clear.

Ah, I bet I'm coming across all

and I don't intend to do that

Again, it's merely a matter of whether the paint gets as hard as it can. Will the waxing/etc. of a fresh repaint have a negative effect on that hardening... well

but I don't want to find out the hard way that it will. I'd sure be ticked off if one of my Audis ended up with softer-than-factory clear.

One of the things I like about the S-H refinishing is that it gets nice and hard...the areas they spotted in with it on my MPV are a *lot* harder than the factory Mazda clear.

Quote:

Originally Posted by brwill2005

..modern paints do not need to off gas as much as the older laquer paint did...

(I just had the last remaining quart of old ss Rhodium Silver applied to the Jag last year.) Yeah...ss lacquer is weird with regard to how long it takes to outgas and cure. My (good, independent shop) painter wouldn't even do his final polishing until it had sat for a few months.

The baked S-H b/c that Stoddard is using on their work for me still seems to take forever to outgas...the whole garage smells like a paintshop for months on end and the polishing always gets progressively more difficult. By the time I don't smell the paint it's as hard as it'll get..that seems pretty consistent so I don't *think* it's a coincidence.

PoNyUp · 02-02-08, 06:18

Thanks for all the answers. Well, the guy that told me this from the body shop wasn't the same guy that called me 2 hours before that and said, "your car is all ready to go, we waxed it up and got it looking all purdy!" Hmmmmm. Yea, they got it looking pretty all right, pretty swirled! Anyway, since I was told they did wax it, should I try and remove the wax(just in case)...just as a precaution? Thanks again.