A friend asked if I could remove the defects out of his 2007 VW Jetta. Yesterday I took out the Defelsko and the overall paint thickness was around only 100 microns or so. Now I only measured the trunk, but for the sake of discussion lets assume that number is consistent throughout. Would you guys consider that a little too thin to work on? I'm not entirely comfortable working on that even with a PCXP. I certainly would not take a rotary to paint that thin and I'd even think twice about using a Flex. Typically I would use either the PC or the Flex with UC or 105 on an orange pad, follow that with 205 on a white pad, then finish it off with 85rd on a black pad. That combo typically gives me good results. However 100 microns is thin and I'm a little tentative because of that. I realize it would probably be fine using a PC, but still thought I'd come over here to solicit some opinions. I may just end up using ColorX on a green AIO pad with the PC and/or Flex just to get rid of of the dullness currently in his paint. What do you guys think? Almost forgot to mention, this is a daily driver that currently sits outside 24/7. Thanks.
To buff or not to buff?? That is the question.
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DetailedByPrecision
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I would just do a AOI paired with a proper pad that cuts enough, but leaves the finish LSP ready if it sits outside 24/7. Then let your friend maintain it as best as possible.
I too thought 100 was still safe to do whatever with. I was under the impression that once you start getting a reading of 80 or less then thats where you have to start worrying about pulling out the rotary or not. Take a reading from the door jams or some other area which never gets polished and that way you can get somewhat of an idea of the paints original thickness when it was brand new.
Rsurfer
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Not true. The door jam measurement should be the lowest mics that you should cut. So if your door jam measures 80 mics that doesn't mean that the paint on your hood started out at 80 mics.
truckbutt
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Most thickness guages I believe measure the base and clearcoat. To get a better sense of what the clearcoat thickness is, you take a measurement in the door jamb and subtract it from the measurement elsewhere. The reason being that the clearcoat is thinnest in the door jams.
As per Minimum paint thickness specs - Professional Detailing Business Forums
As per Minimum paint thickness specs - Professional Detailing Business Forums
Mike Phillips
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What was the reading in mils?
Kind of relative but I've always used the mil measurement so that's my frame of reference.
Regardless, stick with your instincts, experience and common sense. Educate your customer and maybe just use a light cleaner/wax, even something like GPS
Kind of relative but I've always used the mil measurement so that's my frame of reference.
Regardless, stick with your instincts, experience and common sense. Educate your customer and maybe just use a light cleaner/wax, even something like GPS
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I'm not sure there is such a thing as normal. In my experience factory paint jobs have always been at least 130 microns, this was the thinnest factory paint job I've ever measured.
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- #9
What was the reading in mils?
Kind of relative but I've always used the mil measurement so that's my frame of reference.
Regardless, stick with your instincts, experience and common sense. Educate your customer and maybe just use a light cleaner/wax, even something like GPS
I didn't measure it in mils, but I think a mil is 25.4 microns so that works out to about 4 mils.
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My thoughts exactly.
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Using this as my base then since the door jambs came in at around 50 mics and the panel was 100 mics then I have about 50 mics (or 2 mils) of clear. Going by that I should have enough to work with, but this just seems too inexact for me to feel comfortable removing paint. I'm just going to recommend ColorX to bring the shine back. I wish there were laws that stipulated that manufacturers have to put on a minimum amount of clear coat. How nice would that be.
Mike Phillips
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Now you sound like me.
Greatness follows greatness :xyxthumbs:
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What was the reading in mils?
Kind of relative but I've always used the mil measurement so that's my frame of reference.
Regardless, stick with your instincts, experience and common sense. Educate your customer and maybe just use a light cleaner/wax, even something like GPS
Mike, it's about 4 mils.......would you feel comfortable working on that or is that a little too thin in your experience? In my mind once you get around 100-120 mics that gets into my uncomfortable range. Do you guys think I'm being too nervous or do I have legitimate cause to be uncomfortable with this thickness?
Rsurfer
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- Jan 26, 2007
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Have you worked on Honda's and Infiniti's?
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Can't say that I have. I've only been doing this on the side for a couple of years during some summer weekends. Are you telling me that Honda's and Infiniti's are thin as well? Let me ask you this, what's your comfort level with the aforementioned (overall) paint thickness? Like I said I'm used to seeing factory paint thickness anywhere between 130 and 180 mics (though it was only my Camaro that was that thick) so perhaps 100 isn't as thin as I'm thinking based on my own personal experience. What say you?
Rsurfer
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GM has a good layer of clear and quite hard. Between 90-100 medium to light polishing, 100-120 light compounding, 130-180 wet sanding and polishing.
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Well, I was thinking I'd possibly be "gutsy" enough to use a PCXP with an orange Lake Country pad with some SwirlX and work my way down to a black pad with 85rd. Being that this is a daily driver that sits outside 24/7 and is parked near an industrial plant where there's fallout I'm hesitant to do that even though that's a pretty light process. But he's like me and wants the swirls gone so I'll attempt a little buffing, but not much. Thanks for the advice.
Mike Phillips
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Taking into consideration your measurements are for total film build, it's my opinion when you have paint that is the 4 mil range that's pretty thin paint. a 3M Post-it Note averages around 3 Mils, so hold a Post-it note between your fingers and you'll have a good feel for how thin your total film build is. I go over this on page 6 and 7 of my how-to book.
That sounds pretty safe as SwirlX isn't very aggressive, make sure you're not getting micro-marring from the cutting pad and if you are maybe just switch over to a polishing pad and take what you get out of it.
Also see page two of this thread since it sits outside all the time...
Beginning Clearcoat Failure