Bodyshop Paint Repair Question

[Ron Ketcham]

If a panel has the clear "blended" in a spot, in a year or so, a "hazy" line around the area usually appears.

This is due to the clear being "thinner" on those edges and the UV rays are breaking the clear down, since it is thinner and has insufficent UV blockers because of the lack of film build.

Ford`s Body and Paint Tech Center, in it`s manuals and TSB`s, do not recommend blending, only complete clearing of a complete panel to a break line.

There`s nothing wrong with Sherwin Williams materials, or BASF, the only real difference is the painters perference due to some unknown.

Then there is the issue of what the PBE supplier in the area pushes due having a better deal from one paint company over another.

I have used both, as well as several others and, when it`s all said and done are pretty much equal.

That said, BASF, DuPont, AzoNoble, PPG, Sherwin Williams, etc, for a total of around 10 paint brands, are tested and approved by a consortium of GM, Chrysler and Ford body/paint techs every couple of years.

The Big 3 then list these approved paint suppliers in their TSB`s, etc.



Grumpy

[Thomas Dekany]

Happened on my car! Thanks for the great advice Ron.

If a panel has the clear "blended" in a spot, in a year or so, a "hazy" line around the area usually appears.

This is due to the clear being "thinner" on those edges and the UV rays are breaking the clear down, since it is thinner and has insufficent UV blockers because of the lack of film build.

Ford`s Body and Paint Tech Center, in it`s manuals and TSB`s, do not recommend blending, only complete clearing of a complete panel to a break line.

There`s nothing wrong with Sherwin Williams materials, or BASF, the only real difference is the painters perference due to some unknown.

Then there is the issue of what the PBE supplier in the area pushes due having a better deal from one paint company over another.

I have used both, as well as several others and, when it`s all said and done are pretty much equal.

That said, BASF, DuPont, AzoNoble, PPG, Sherwin Williams, etc, for a total of around 10 paint brands, are tested and approved by a consortium of GM, Chrysler and Ford body/paint techs every couple of years.

The Big 3 then list these approved paint suppliers in their TSB`s, etc.



Grumpy

[Buff Guys Auto]

If a panel has the clear "blended" in a spot, in a year or so, a "hazy" line around the area usually appears.

This is due to the clear being "thinner" on those edges and the UV rays are breaking the clear down, since it is thinner and has insufficent UV blockers because of the lack of film build.

Ford`s Body and Paint Tech Center, in it`s manuals and TSB`s, do not recommend blending, only complete clearing of a complete panel to a break line.

There`s nothing wrong with Sherwin Williams materials, or BASF, the only real difference is the painters perference due to some unknown.

Then there is the issue of what the PBE supplier in the area pushes due having a better deal from one paint company over another.

I have used both, as well as several others and, when it`s all said and done are pretty much equal.

That said, BASF, DuPont, AzoNoble, PPG, Sherwin Williams, etc, for a total of around 10 paint brands, are tested and approved by a consortium of GM, Chrysler and Ford body/paint techs every couple of years.

The Big 3 then list these approved paint suppliers in their TSB`s, etc.



Grumpy

clarification question, could blending a panel also be understood to blending just color for matching purposes and going to the edge of it with clear. whereas a `burn in or spot" does NOT go to the edge with clear and results in the eventual visual halo.

[C. Charles Hahn]

clarification question, could blending a panel also be understood to blending just color for matching purposes and going to the edge of it with clear. whereas a `burn in or spot" does NOT go to the edge with clear and results in the eventual visual halo.

A proper blend panel means blending the base (color) coat and applying fresh clear coat to the entire panel, edge to edge. An improper blend ("burn in or spot repair") indicates that the clear is also only applied to a spot (not the entire panel).



Basically when a clear coat spot repair is performed the technician will use a "blending solvent" which is sprayed onto the edges of the fresh clear which allows it to "etch" into the existing clear on the rest of the panel. At first this makes the edge mostly invisible, but as Ron mentioned it compromises the UV protection in the blend zone and also thins the film build significantly. Over time and with environmental exposure, or due to excessive sanding/buffing, the edge will become more noticeable. That`s why it`s not a proper lasting repair.

[Buff Guys Auto]

A proper blend panel means blending the base (color) coat and applying fresh clear coat to the entire panel, edge to edge. An improper blend ("burn in or spot repair") indicates that the clear is also only applied to a spot (not the entire panel).



Basically when a clear coat spot repair is performed the technician will use a "blending solvent" which is sprayed onto the edges of the fresh clear which allows it to "etch" into the existing clear on the rest of the panel. At first this makes the edge mostly invisible, but as Ron mentioned it compromises the UV protection in the blend zone and also thins the film build significantly. Over time and with environmental exposure, or due to excessive sanding/buffing, the edge will become more noticeable. That`s why it`s not a proper lasting repair.

Interesting I was`t aware that blending solvent existed, Thanks for fielding that question Charles very informative!

[Ron Ketcham]

"Blending solvents" have been around since the 20`s and were intended for lacquer finishes.

Those shops who tend to go for "low price" to get some work will use them on modern clear finishes, as things look fine for as long as it takes for them to cash the check.

Those solvents do not cure the real, long time issue of the lack of film build with sufficent UV blockers.

Grumpy

[Junebug]

When my daughter first got her car (2010 brand new, blue, Mazda 3 GT, 2.5) I told my wife NOT to freak when (not if) she has her first bump up. Sure enough, exactly 1 week to the day of her getting her license, she didn`t back far enough out of her packing space and rubbed the bumper of the car beside her when she turned to drive forward. I stayed calm and cool as my wife had a cow. Later, I took the car to a buddy that owns a body shop, explained there was no way in hell I would turn this in to insurance as I was already getting gang banged, and that I would pay this repair in cash, that $600.00 bill dropped to $400 and change. It was a spot about the size of a orange, paint rubbed completely off. The took the bumper off, sanded and repainted the whole thing. The DuPont Rep was there and they painted it 3 times before he was satisfied. I`ve looked at this car for almost 2 years now, and there is no sign there was ever a repair. This is that very bright blue Mazda uses, and it looks as good now as the day we bought it, maybe better since I`ve cared for it. BTW - she has just hit 13K miles! Me? When I was 16, I kept the roads hot, not the facebook, like anybody in the 70`s saw that coming....guess it`s cheaper though.

[Whiskey8]

Update: Still waiting on insurance adjusters at this point. Getting under my skin a bit since I can`t drive my new car until they come out.

[Whiskey8]

Still waiting on adjuster....I was holding off on writing a review for the company / broker, I mean things do happen...it`s how a company handles it that counts. I wanted to give them a chance but this is getting ridiculous. I`ll update once the repair starts.