Is Opticoat2.0/OptiGuard really a clearcoat?

Alfisti said:
Sorry Phishy4, it seems I've made a blunder. I rechecked the info on OPT forum and you can't remove the high spots with Poliseal (PS). PS can be used to polish down any unevenness and ridges of the coating. You need to polish down high spots with a dedicated polish. Still, you don't have remove the whole panel coating. Think of it as removing marring off an OEM clear. You don't have to remove the whole clearcoat, just level the paint.
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I would be really interested to see pics of where the coating was "repaired".....like a panel where someone polished a portion, both before and after reapplying over the polished area. I cant quite get my head around just what it would look like (ridges, unevenness, etc)
 
Alfisti said:
Sorry Phishy4, it seems I've made a blunder. I rechecked the info on OPT forum and you can't remove the high spots with Poliseal (PS). PS can be used to polish down any unevenness and ridges of the coating. You need to polish down high spots with a dedicated polish. Still, you don't have remove the whole panel coating. Think of it as removing marring off an OEM clear. You don't have to remove the whole clearcoat, just level the paint.
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Yep, that's what I did by hand with 205 and a black pad, worked great and the coating is still intact as far as I can tell.
 
chris01i30 said:
I would be really interested to see pics of where the coating was "repaired".....like a panel where someone polished a portion, both before and after reapplying over the polished area. I cant quite get my head around just what it would look like (ridges, unevenness, etc)
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I understand your confusion. The idea of "ridges, unevenness" is at a micro level. It was to a response by someone complaining that it didn't feel slick enough to the touch. Opti Coat/Opti Guard doesn't leave a slick finish, like a sealant/wax does. Since it's essentially a harder clearcoat, it leaves a finish feeling squeaky clean like a fresh coat of paint. But it beads relentlessly as it's hydrophobic and doesn't wear away.



The "repair" wasn't about visual issues but about feel.
 
Phishy4 said:
Yep, that's what I did by hand with 205 and a black pad, worked great and the coating is still intact as far as I can tell.
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Super, I'm glad it worked for you and your getting the hang of it. I'm no expert and am continuously learning about this product. Feel free to post any other gems from your experience. :yo:
 
Phishy4 said:
You never really struck me as a seamstress Rasky. I wonder if we got some really really low nap mf (non waffle weave) and just wrapped a piece of it around a thin rubber disc (like punch cut a 1/4 thick piece of rubber backing) if that would give it enough to hang on to and be flexible enough to form to panels. Break out the sewing machine Chad, lets do it.
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Well I did get an "A" in Home ec for my totally awesome shark pillow! :D





I have a bunch of larger foam pads I ordered from ADS that were not what I was expecting...I figured I'd play around with them.



I actually don't mind the foam applicator it comes with though.
 
TOGWT said:
a durability of 2+ years it is claimed.
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Not according to Optimum. They claim it will last the life of the paint on the car, which we all know is way longer than 2 years.
 
Opti Coat cures to a 9H hardness. Pencils come in 9H hardness. I believe that Opti Coat 9H hardness is equivalent to pencil lead, and not the Moh's scale. As you said, a diamond is a 10 on the Moh's scale, which is the hardest substance on Earth. People have seen marring on Opti Coated paint over a year or two, and I doubt that anything that is a 9 on the Moh's scale would mar from simple washing. (Proper washing by a competent detailer)
 
Alfisti said:
That doesn't mean it won't scratch with *softer* substances like glass or sand. It's too thin (2 microns) to withstand the mechanical pressure of a heavy abrasive, but reportedly it will scratch less than standard OEM clearcoat.
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From my post above. ;)
 
Blackthornone said:
Opti Coat cures to a 9H hardness. Pencils come in 9H hardness. I believe that Opti Coat 9H hardness is equivalent to pencil lead, and not the Moh's scale. As you said, a diamond is a 10 on the Moh's scale, which is the hardest substance on Earth. People have seen marring on Opti Coated paint over a year or two, and I doubt that anything that is a 9 on the Moh's scale would mar from simple washing. (Proper washing by a competent detailer)
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Different scale. OC isn't made of graphite, it's composed of cross-linking silicon carbide which is 9 on the Mohs scale. OC reaches that as it's exposed to heat. :biggrin1:
 
I think you'll find cured hardness (Mohs scale) and scratch resistance (Pencil harness) to be two different things
 
BTW, I was digging through some of my gear and found a new set of viking microfiber applicators that I picked up at some auto parts store (I think for applying sealant to wheels or something) and I think they'll be perfect to try with OC 2.0, super low nap and fairly thin.
 
TOGWT said:
I think you'll find cured hardness (Mohs scale) and scratch resistance (Pencil harness) to be two different things
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I have heard people who work for Optimum say that Opti Coat cures to 9H. 9H is a pencil hardness. I have never heard anyone from Optimum say that it cures to a 9 on the Moh's scale. If Chris from Optimum will answer this question, then we will have the real answer.
 
I can't believe you're comparing something composed of Silicon Carbide (Abrams Tank Armour, ceramic bullet-proof vests) with pencils! :faint:
 
Sorry Phishy4, it seems I've made a blunder. I rechecked the info on OPT forum and you can't remove the high spots with Poliseal (PS).
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You were right the first time. Poli-Seal will remove the high spots. Not sure where the term high spots originated but what I'm talking about is what appears to be a stain in the finish. This can happen as the result of flash off where you have allowed it to cure without having first gone over the flash off area to even it out. Poli-Seal even on a red pad will easily fix those small mistakes without detracting from the protection.
 
Alfisti said:
I can't believe you're comparing something composed of Silicon Carbide (Abrams Tank Armour, ceramic bullet-proof vests) with pencils! :faint:
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That's how a Pencil Hardness test is carried out, many auto coatings products use the same testing method and as far as I know Opti-Coat isn't a silicon carbide, its a polymer.
 
Apparently it has an indefinite shelf-life as long as you don't introduce moisture into it. I squeeze out all the air out of mine before re-capping it after use.
 
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