How long till it can be polished?

[OllieJay]

Gentlemen,



I have a customer that just had one side of the his Acura TL re-painted (2 days ago). My question to you guys is how long do you figure until its safe for me to touch paint ? Because from what I understand - correct me if I`m wrong - the paint has to cure for a certain period of time.



Thank you.

[Mike_Phillips]

Hi,



Most of the time in a body shop situation, they are touching the paint, that is sanding and buffing on the paint within a few days after the car comes out of the paint booth.



The precaution you might be asking about is,



How soon before I can apply a wax or paint sealant to fresh paint?





And for this most if not all "Paint Manufactures" recommend waiting at least 30 days for the paint to outgass before sealing it, some recommend longer.



Here`s an article I wrote on this topic back in 2004 that to date no one seems to disagree with or take issue with...



Paint Needs to Breathe (http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3704)







:)

[Mike_Phillips]

Does the new paint have swirls in it from where the folks at the body shop may have buffed it out? (Or more accurately swirled it out?)





If so, you can safely machine polish the fresh paint today, (or tomorrow).





Most professional grade compounds, polishes, swirl mark removers and glazes are what are called "Body Shop Safe" or in other words safe for fresh paint in that they don`t contain any ingredients that would act to seal the surface or cause a surface adhesion problem in a fresh paint environment.



The idea being if you want to avoid sealing the paint with a wax or paint sealant you can still compound and/or polish the paint, just don`t apply a wax or paint sealant afterwards.



Explain to the customer that there`s a waiting time of about 30 days and after 30 days to bring it back to you and then you can seal it.



Or skip the paint manufactures recommendations altogether and seal it like some people.





Just depends upon what you want to do.



Also, find out what the painter recommends...





:)

[rescuenut10]

When I work painters, I recommend not applying waxes or sealers for 90-120 days. The clear or single stage paint needs time to vent off the solvents. Sealing the fresh finish will cause poor surface apperance and durability.

[OllieJay]

My question has been answered.



Mike I will take a look at that article when I have some time, I appreciate it.



Thank you.

[Mike_Phillips]

My question has been answered.



Mike I will take a look at that article when I have some time, I appreciate it.



Thank you.



You`re welcome... the questions of,





Is it safe to wax my new car?

Is it safe to wax my new paint?

How long before I can wax fresh paint?

Are all pretty common and come up all the time on all discussion forums as there`s a lot of confusion over the topic.





It use to be pretty common to hear people say,



"Paint needs to breathe"





on the topic of sealing new paint, so that`s what I titled the article,



Paint Needs to Breathe (http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3704)





:)

[Accumulator]

jetwash- If the paint seems incredibly soft (as in, problematically so), it might just need to cure a little longer. I`ve had paints harden a *lot* over the course of a month or two, from "too soft to finish out 100%" to "very hard".

[brwill2005]

David G. at Optimum has stated that new paint can be polished, sealed, and waxed just as long as the product does not contain petroleum solvents. The enemy is the solvents which soften the paint and interfere with the curing. So, a product such as OCW which is water based could be used to seal a new paint job. This all came directly from him, and he worked for PPG at one time, so I trust it is correct.

[Mike_Phillips]

David G. at Optimum has stated that new paint can be polished, sealed, and waxed just as long as the product does not contain petroleum solvents.



This all came directly from him, and he worked for PPG at one time, so I trust it is correct.





Thanks for adding this little tidbit to the discussion.



I`ve worked with David recently including this last Sunday at Detail Fest and I didn`t even think to talk to him about paint technology.



Good follow-up post...



Each person should do like this member however, research the topic, gather information balance what they learn with any specific information that their painter tells them especially if what they are told to do or to avoid relates to any type of guarantee or warranty on the paint.





:)

[JohnKleven]

A lot of the new water based paints can be waxed almost immediately.

[akimel]

Here is the thread where David G. of Optimum discusses waxes and fresh paint (http://www.optimumcarcare.com/forums.htm). He states that it usually takes up to 30 days for fresh paint to crosslink and fully cure, though most of the curing occurs within the first 24 hours. And as already mentioned, he states that a water-based (as opposed to solvent-based) protectant will not affect the curing. Optimum Car Wax is water-based. What other protectants are water-based?



The local body I use insists upon a 90 days no-wax period. Wax before then and the warranty is voided.

[Accumulator]

akimel- Your link brought up the general Optimum Forums page for me, and I`ll admit I didn`t spend much time looking around :o That said, were you referring to the one where he said that Ford OKed OCW for use on post-production paintwork?

[akimel]

My apologies. I should have confirmed the link. Here is the link: Dr G discusses fresh paint and waxes (http://optimumforums.org/index.php?showtopic=510).

[Accumulator]

akimel- Ah, thanks!