Off Color: The Ability to Match a Color
With the advent of blending techniques over the past 15 years, a perfect paint match isn’t always necessary. However, you will occasionally have a need to paint a panel, such as a bumper fascia, spoiler or air deflector, without blending. When those times arise, having the ability to match a color is a very valuable
Examining Materials and Paint Profitability
Why do some shops boast high paint and materials gross-profit percentages, while others just hope to break even? So often I meet with clients and shop owners and the discussion quickly turns to paint and materials costs and then their profitability (or lack of it). Sometimes, the “first liar never has a chance,” and sometimes
The 2 Minute Cure: UV Curing Primer
“We’ve got a new primer that’ll cure in two minutes, ready to sand! ” said our paint rep. Yeah, right. Skeptical by nature and not easily sold, I’ve discovered that UV curing primer really is all he claimed it would be, saving my shop time – and money. What’s all this talk about UV curing
Paint Predictions & Amp; Educated Guesses
Which way is the wind blowing auto paint these days? I recently asked the major paint manufacturers what trends they saw on our near and far horizons. And because refinish paint technology tends to follow original equipment technology by several years and at a lower level of sophistication, they were able to make some pretty
Cured: Let’s Talk About Why the Paint Shop Runs Slower than the Metal Shop
Both departments take their allotted completion times from a published labor time database, so 4.5 hours should pass just as quickly in both shops. But, as you well know, the 4.5 hours of work takes longer to complete in the paint shop. The difference of course, is the dry times. You can hang a new
The Clear That Took Afternoons Off: Clearcoat Problem
It started with a phone call. A customer was having trouble with his clearcoat. It seems the clear just didn’t spray right in the afternoon, so he was convinced that something was wrong with it or the hardener. I decided to gather some facts before I went down to see him. I knew the shop
Becoming the Mask Master
When I started in this business, I couldn’t wait to pull the masking paper off that “flawless” paint job that I’d so meticulously laid down on that well-massaged custom. In fact, you’d often find me tugging on the tape and ripping paper before even cleaning my gun. What I lacked in sense I made up
When the Paint Hits the Fan
What are the common paint-shop screw ups? What mistakes are consistently causing paint failures – and costing you cash? Hint: It’s not all your painter’s fault.
What Lies Beneath: Good Surface Prep
Is a poorly prepared surface lurking under that shiny new paint job, just waiting for the right time to peel and to turn your life into comeback hell? If so, you’ve only got yourself to blame. The steps for proper surface prep haven’t changed. You just need to tart following them.
Auto Body Paint: Solvent Popping
Solvent popping occurs when trapped solvent expands and breaks through the applied paint film. Because there’s no quick fix (you need to remove all of the affected product from the vehicle), the best strategy is prevention.
There’s a Right Way … and There’s a Wrong Way
Paint-shop best practices.
Clean Up your Act
That tiny spec of dirt in your paint job costs you a lot more time and money to remove than it would have to prevent it. In The Big Book of Painting, page 2,344, paragraph 6, the author explains “The Rule of Dirt”: “All dirt comes to you. But from where? you sayeth. I sayeth,
