URGENT HELP NEEDED!!! Touch up paint help!!

[blackntan]

Hey guys,



I`m dying here... Can`t figure out what i`m doing wrong... Please help!



I`m working on a ding right near the emblem on a customers BMW. I`ve followed all of the steps, and everything was working, up to the final coat.



Suddenly, every coat I put on goes on smooth, but dries bubbly. It looks like there`s a dozen or so teeny tiny bubbles, then when sanded, reveal pin sized holes in the coat of paint. It looks terrible.



Here`s my process. Please help me!



Step 1: wetsand using 2000 wet paper, in clean water.

Step 2: Clean area using 50/50 alcohol water mix, remove all sanding residue

Step 3: apply new coat using brush and paint.



I`m using a laquer based touch up, if it matters....





I don`t know what to do, and i`m starting to get worried that i`m sanding the surrounding area too much...

[DaGonz]

Has all of the wax been removed from the area around the ding?

[jimmybuffit]

Either it is not clean, or the paint is `bad`. It is reacting to something...



Wish I could help more...



Jim

[Rolla]

As Jimmy says, did you clean the area properly prior to painting?



Also don`t you wetsand after painting anyways?



For example. After applying last coat of touchup paint, I would wet sand the area with very fine sand paper 2000 or 3000 (forgot which one). That way it would even out the paint and then follow up with PC and SSR.

[Five Star]

it may have some wax residue in it, a cleaning with prep sol should do it.



does the spot need to be primed first? someone posted a pic with a chip down to the metal.



you should use a self etching primer on bare metal.

[AL-53]

all you had to do was wash area with prep sol 2-3 times to ensure sealant, wax and silicones were absent from paint...use a 3M sanding pencil to clean area to be painted...use a primer base coat...build up your color coat..let dry...wetsand with 2000 or 3000 grit paper and polish..



by wetsanding it first you may have contaminated the area..doe not take much...



also 50/50 mix is not a good cleaner for paint prep...prep sol..body solvent..are what should be used...better cleaners...they flash fast leaving a very clean surface..



Al

[blackntan]

Thanks for the input guys!



I have been making sure it`s clean, but using either the 50/50 or just 100% alcohol.



The bubbles aren`t just rough patches in the paint, they`re actually air bubbles. Once I wetsand, there are then a bunch of little pin holes in the paint, which you can feel with your fingernails...



I called a bodyshop, and the guy there said it could be heat. Too hot for the paint = bubbling. Thoughts on that?



I`m gonna try one more coat tonight after it cools off, if that doesn`t work, I`ll need to get a better solvent and try again.



All advice is appreciated...



AL-53: So far, I`ve followed all of the steps you posted, except my cleaner is different.... Could the alcohol be the culprit?



thanks again guys!!

[AL-53]

alcohol contains water straight from the bottle....go autoparts store and get some prep sol...last time I was at wally world they even had some near the bondo...now you need a solvent...do not want any liquid in the bubble holes now..need some thing that flash off fast...leave a clean surface...



the heat may play a factor...not sure but may...may cause paint to out gas to fast...???



put in a cool area..out of the sun...



how big is the area you are trying to fix...

Al

[stage5]

sounds like contamination from silicone or some other kind of contaminant. I`ve seen this before. I`ve used Prep Sol with excellent results. You want to lay it on thick and do not let it evaporate (otherwise the contaminants won`t come of) so wipe it off while wet (let it sit for 30 seconds (this will vary with the outside temp.) The Prep Sol comes as a spray and also straight liquid (used both, I always spray or wet a MF and use that to wipe the car, then use another MF to remove it).

[blackntan]

Hey guys,



I tested out the `temp` theory this morning, right as the sun was coming up, and it still bubbled...



So I went to Walmart, got the prepsol, a new jar of touchup paint, and new sandpaper. Figured I have to get it right, so why not switch up everything since I don`t know what`s causing it.



so far so good. The first coat went on, and doesn`t seem to be bubbling. It looks like it may take a few to fill in all of the holes, but that`s fine...



I`ll post pics later of the before and afters. May not be as clean as I`d hoped because of all the issues, but it still will be tons better than it was before...



Thanks for all of your help!