paint hardness

B

Berrnard

New member
so does anyone know where to find out about your paints hardness?

is it a you gotta do it to know kind of thing?

btw, 2014 accord in white orchid pearl
 
With a little experience, you'll start to recognize whether a paint is soft or hard. There are generalizations, but the best way to determine the hardness of the paint you're working on is to perform a test spot. Always start with the least aggressive product.
 
Vega@Autopia said:
With a little experience, you'll start to recognize whether a paint is soft or hard. There are generalizations, but the best way to determine the hardness of the paint you're working on is to perform a test spot. Always start with the least aggressive product.
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Exactly! The chart above is nice, but far too simple...

For example, most Euro-built 3 Series Jet Black BMW's have extremely soft, difficult-to-finish paints, where as the USA built Jet Black's are very very hard. On top of that, the Black Sapphire is on the completely opposite end of the spectrum, with an extremely-hard paint.

2003 Ferrari's had very soft paint, most 2004 360's have soft paint, where as the late build 360's and F430's have hard paint, until 2009...

My point, is it varies model to model, year to year (in some cases build date to build date), and in some rare cases, color to color.

Add on the fact that each car has lived a very different life, years of sun exposure, chemical exposure and care will have a dramatic effect on not only how hard the paint is to finish, but how it difficult it might be to polish.

As Vega suggested, a test spot is really the most important thing. A hard paint with light scratches or a soft paint with deep scratches could likely require the same correction step.

At the end of the day, a test spot is going to allow the paint to "talk to you" and allow you "to listen." Autogeek's expert, Mike Phillips was the first guy I can remember to suggestion the idea, more than 8 years ago when he was Meguiar's. It is something I have used on every car I have polished since.
 
Todd Helme said:
Exactly! The chart above is nice, but far too simple...

For example, most Euro-built 3 Series Jet Black BMW's have extremely soft, difficult-to-finish paints, where as the USA built Jet Black's are very very hard. On top of that, the Black Sapphire is on the completely opposite end of the spectrum, with an extremely-hard paint.

2003 Ferrari's had very soft paint, most 2004 360's have soft paint, where as the late build 360's and F430's have hard paint, until 2009...

My point, is it varies model to model, year to year (in some cases build date to build date), and in some rare cases, color to color.

Add on the fact that each car has lived a very different life, years of sun exposure, chemical exposure and care will have a dramatic effect on not only how hard the paint is to finish, but how it difficult it might be to polish.

As Vega suggested, a test spot is really the most important thing. A hard paint with light scratches or a soft paint with deep scratches could likely require the same correction step.

At the end of the day, a test spot is going to allow the paint to "talk to you" and allow you "to listen." Autogeek's expert, Mike Phillips was the first guy I can remember to suggestion the idea, more than 8 years ago when he was Meguiar's. It is something I have used on every car I have polished since.
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That's why we put the disclaimer *This sheet is a general guide for a point of reference and paint systems can vary from make, model and year from the same manufacture and sometimes from panel to panel. This should not serve as replacement for a "test spot".*
 
Also if cars have had a repaint some panels may be diferent from others on the car. Also heard of some paints brand new being different on a car from panel to panel, (plastic panels, aluminium panels, steal panel, carbon fiber panels, Fiber glass Panel) some manufactures use different paints to get better results from the different material they are covering on the same car.
 
It's not the paint that should concern you. It's the clear coat. Painting with a broad brush here, but generally speaking Honda clear is very soft
 
Todd Helme said:
As Vega suggested, a test spot is really the most important thing. A hard paint with light scratches or a soft paint with deep scratches could likely require the same correction step.
Click to expand...

And even then, the first correction step might be the same, but others required could be dramtically different. All situational...
 
Trouble said:
It's not the paint that should concern you. It's the clear coat. Painting with a broad brush here, but generally speaking Honda clear is very soft
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the hondas I have done have all had soft clear and very easy to correct. All have been black. I do know that some of honda's white's are single stage, so you would want to find that out also (or your test spot will tell you if you paint transfer on your pad).
 
wdmaccord said:
the hondas I have done have all had soft clear and very easy to correct. All have been black. I do know that some of honda's white's are single stage, so you would want to find that out also (or your test spot will tell you if you paint transfer on your pad).
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Right! What you say is true. I actually own a white Honda and should've known better then to exclude them in my previous post. Thanks for making me look like a fool and embarassing me in front of everyone




:swirly:
 
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