View Full Version : Paint Thickness Gauges
Danspeed1
05-24-2010, 10:14 PM
I recently ran into a car that threw me for a loop. Panels where not necessarily repainted but I later found the car had been hammered by a previous detailer prior to myself. Made me realize that a paint thickness gauge was a vital tool.
Like many of the other people on this site i was under the misconception that these gauges ran thousands of dollars. Recently I did a little research and found that one can be had for as low as $99. Of course I imagine for $99 there is not much in the way of bells, whistles, or any quality.
For those of you that have paint thickness gauges purchased new for $1000 or less could you please post your experiences, product information, where you purchased it, and if buy it again so the rest of us can choose a gauge that works for our needs?
DG
WMD-DFW
05-24-2010, 10:24 PM
lol just searched on ebay and found this jem
AUTO-MAG Paint Thickness Gauge Auto CRASH-TEST CHECK: eBay Motors (item 270579274340 end time Jun-13-10 22:39:54 PDT) (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/AUTO-MAG-Paint-Thickness-Gauge-Auto-CRASH-TEST-CHECK-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem3effc81264QQitemZ27057 9274340QQptZMotorsQ5fAutomotiveQ5fTools#ht_6338wt_ 1165)
WMD-DFW
05-24-2010, 10:26 PM
Actually after watching that youtube video on the bottom its got me interested since its only $20 and see how accurate it is
Danspeed1
05-24-2010, 10:32 PM
I am certainly not going to stop you.
DG
Legacy
05-25-2010, 02:31 AM
Highline II works for me.
Barry Theal
05-25-2010, 04:49 AM
HighlineII will do everything you need it to do for 225.00, Its a smart investment at times like this. It will give you and you clients a good sense of well being!
Tony1
05-25-2010, 04:50 AM
Unless you get the gauges that can actually measure the different layers of material than the gauge is a waste of money and time IMO. The typical gauge measures all the material between it and the metal. How much of that is clear cote? How much is base coat? Unless you know it`s pointless.
IMO, Highline II is the best bang for the buck, its accurate, backed by a real company and only $225.
Unless you get the gauges that can actually measure the different layers of material than the gauge is a waste of money and time IMO. The typical gauge measures all the material between it and the metal. How much of that is clear cote? How much is base coat? Unless you know it`s pointless.
why is knowing the base coat thickness so important? When you polish you take off small amounts of the clear coat, so it isn`t pointless to just have the ability to measure that...
Tony1
05-25-2010, 07:23 AM
why is knowing the base coat thickness so important? When you polish you take off small amounts of the clear coat, so it isn`t pointless to just have the ability to measure that...
It`s not the base thickness that`s important it`s the clear coat and I agree with you 100%. The problem is if the gauge doesn`t determine the two what good is it? Most gauges just measure the total material. How do you determine the clear coat thickness than?
Mindflux
05-25-2010, 07:25 AM
It`s not the base thickness that`s important it`s the clear coat and I agree with you 100%. The problem is if the gauge doesn`t determine the two what good is it? Most gauges just measure the total material. How do you determine the clear coat thickness than?
well in an ideal world the base coat, color coat and clear coat are all the same thickness, so the clear would be 1/3 of your total reading on the PTG for that spot.
Of course, that`s not always the case. :laugh:
donut.
05-25-2010, 08:12 AM
well in an ideal world the base coat, color coat and clear coat are all the same thickness, so the clear would be 1/3 of your total reading on the PTG for that spot.
Of course, that`s not always the case. :laugh:
You just proved his point.
Mindflux
05-25-2010, 08:17 AM
You just proved his point.
And? If he wants to fly blind with no knowledge of how thick/thin the paint (and clear and base coat) are then that`s his prerogative. He won`t even have an idea if it`s abnormally thin or abnormally thick.
Nevermind how thick just the clear is! What`s it matter if the panel you are working on has been resprayed THIN and you can cut down to metal with astounding ease? No harm no foul, right? Just tell the owner "oops!"
:rofl
imported_DetailDan
05-25-2010, 09:00 AM
There has yet to be a repaint I haven`t noticed by visually inspecting the car. Not saying a gauge is pointless, but you shouldnt NEED one to spot repaints.
Rickrack
05-25-2010, 09:00 AM
I have been using a paint thickness gauge for years and it is definitely a great tool to have in your arsenal.
If anyone is interested, I picked up a few of them a while back and still have a couple unopened in the package. My friend who sells cars was supposed to take 2 of them, but ran into money problems and never bought them. I forget what I paid for them, but would be willing to let them go for a decent price.
Here is the site with all of the info about them: Order Page for FS 502 Coating Thickness gauge (http://www.fs502.com/Order_Page_for_FS_502_Coating_Thickness_gauge.html )
Let me know if anyone is interested...