Hard and Soft paint
- Thread starter RedMam
- Start date
White95Max
New member
The difference?
Hard paint (hard clearcoat) is harder to scratch, and thus, harder to correct if marring does occur.
Soft paint is the opposite...easier to scratch/mar, easier to correct.
Hard paint (hard clearcoat) is harder to scratch, and thus, harder to correct if marring does occur.
Soft paint is the opposite...easier to scratch/mar, easier to correct.
salty
Active member
Hard paint means it takes more effort to remove marring - like compound and a compound pad to remove normal marring that maybe a compound and polishing pad should do.
Opposite for soft paint - hard to make it swirl free, because it marrs easily.
Opposite for soft paint - hard to make it swirl free, because it marrs easily.
How do you tell which one you have (soft or hard clear coat) when you are a novice. I drive a Holden Monaro which is the equivalent of the Pontiac GTO in the States. Has anyone in the States had any experience removing swirls on this car? My big concern is that I get to aggressive (with my PC) and take off more clear coat than I need to. I am using menzerna IP and the Sonus Orange pad.
imported_mirrorfinishman
New member
RedDog said:
Since new car vehicle manufacturers paint processes are so similar now and given the limited number of paint manufacturers, I am not really sure there is such a thing as 'hard and soft paint'. Years ago, that might have been the case, but I do not think that is a major concern today.
togwt
The Old Grey Whistle Test
Clear Coat:
Conventional clear coat is two-component isocynate using a non-pigmented paint used to both protect the colour coat and provide a depth to the colour, it is already on 90% of new vehicles It was originally designed to protect metallic paints, but is now applied to all colours. Any product applied on top of the clear coat needs to be transparent otherwise both the paint colour and its depth of shine will be muted
The newest technology is a nanoparticle ceramic (Ceramic Clear) that provides an outstanding hardness, premium gloss, distinctness of image and long-lasting colour retention and a hard protective layer.
Most cars manufactured from 1990 on (with the exception of single stage paint systems) have a clear coat. To check, take a cleaner type wax and in an inconspicuous place like a door jam rub the surface using a medium to heavy pressure and wipe off. If there is no paint colour (this is somewhat difficult to see with silver paint) on the cloth it has a clear coat finish.
Clear coat has a thickness of 2-3Mils and contains UVR radiation protection. Removing more that 0.3 mil (0.0003") of clear coat will cause premature paint film failure. As a point of reference a sheet of copy paper is 3.5Mil (0.0035") a surface scratch that will `catch' your fingernail is approximately 0.004" deep
JonM
How much paint are you removing?
Conventional clear coat is two-component isocynate using a non-pigmented paint used to both protect the colour coat and provide a depth to the colour, it is already on 90% of new vehicles It was originally designed to protect metallic paints, but is now applied to all colours. Any product applied on top of the clear coat needs to be transparent otherwise both the paint colour and its depth of shine will be muted
The newest technology is a nanoparticle ceramic (Ceramic Clear) that provides an outstanding hardness, premium gloss, distinctness of image and long-lasting colour retention and a hard protective layer.
Most cars manufactured from 1990 on (with the exception of single stage paint systems) have a clear coat. To check, take a cleaner type wax and in an inconspicuous place like a door jam rub the surface using a medium to heavy pressure and wipe off. If there is no paint colour (this is somewhat difficult to see with silver paint) on the cloth it has a clear coat finish.
Clear coat has a thickness of 2-3Mils and contains UVR radiation protection. Removing more that 0.3 mil (0.0003") of clear coat will cause premature paint film failure. As a point of reference a sheet of copy paper is 3.5Mil (0.0035") a surface scratch that will `catch' your fingernail is approximately 0.004" deep
JonM
How much paint are you removing?
Accumulator
Well-known member
There are dramatic, and easily demonstrable, differences in the hardness of factory clearcoats from various manufacturers. E.g., the clearcoats on Audis are much harder (and thus harder to correct) than the clearcoats on Mazdas and Subarus.
I use these three paints as a specific example because I have worked them side-by-side, one after the other, using the exact same pads, products, and machines. Combos that will remove rather serious marring from Subaru and Mazda clear won't remove even *light* marring from the Audis.
No need to take my word for it; polish a few Audis and you'll see for yourself. It's not a subtle difference.
Or just ask anybody who's worked Benz's Ceramiclear. Heh heh, it's so hard that polish companies had to come up with new products to correct it (with reasonable time and effort).
I use these three paints as a specific example because I have worked them side-by-side, one after the other, using the exact same pads, products, and machines. Combos that will remove rather serious marring from Subaru and Mazda clear won't remove even *light* marring from the Audis.
No need to take my word for it; polish a few Audis and you'll see for yourself. It's not a subtle difference.
Or just ask anybody who's worked Benz's Ceramiclear. Heh heh, it's so hard that polish companies had to come up with new products to correct it (with reasonable time and effort).