Blackfire Crystal Coating

S

spencer559

New member
Joined
Aug 1, 2015
Messages
8
Reaction score
0
Hello everyone!
I know i'm new on this forum but I just want to put in my ideas about this coating so literally nobody has to go through what happened to me.

So lets begin the start of my experience with this coating, I had planned to do all of the detailing in one day since I have a very new mustang. The car is in great condition but i still went through all the proper coating steps. As many of you know you have to wash the car, clay it, and polish it to perfect condition, then after you need to wipe down with an IPA in order to remove ALL polishes. So my first experience with applying the product was that I assume it wasn't going on because everyone said to apply very little and it comes off very easily, so after all my anger and frustration I applied on a very thick layer so it spread very evenly and looked nice at first, then I let it dry for a very long time. Just so everyone knows DO NOT DO WHAT I DID. Literally after all this product dried it was a nightmare for me to remove, the following day I couldn't even drive to school because it looked as though someone had poured glue all over my car. DO NOT APPLY TOO MUCH, I promise even if you assume it isn't going on don't over apply because it will be the worst process to get it off. After I got home I had to repolish the whole car with a much harsher compound to get all of the coating off, and it was terrible it was 7 hours of very hard work. The next day I removed the rest of the small parts I could remove by hand

OKAY so here is how I did it right and got very good results, so after reading what not to do, this is what you should do:
After all the coating was removed I just repolished because the marring from the harsh compound was just annoying, so I repolished with m205. After the polishing I sprayed the whole entire car with 35% alcohol and 65% water. I pretty much soaked the car just to make sure everything was off. After the alcohol was on I took all of it off with the towel I used to remove all the polish. Once this step was done I got a brand new towel and sprayed down the whole car again with IPA and wiped it off with the brand new towel. Once this was done just to make sure I even wiped the panel I was about to do with the towel soaked in IPA, after this I would start on the coating. The coating had to be applied very thin and if the surface was ready it would feel as though it was pulling a little when trying to spread it but once a little bit of product was everywhere it was really easy to spread it and make sure that everything was even. Now this is the most important part, after about 1-5 minutes just depending on how fast its drying (and you can tell when its starting to flash) thats when you start to take it off. Now some people say don't take off too much and try to be gentle with it but I completely disagree, do what you have to do to make sure all extra product is off because if not the next day you will regret it when you see all those high spots and have to repolish a panel and start all over, double triple and quadruple check just to make sure I promise you will thank me later. Also do not start another panel without wiping all the excess off the first one, you probably won't see all the spots and what not so just be very careful, you do not want to rebuff the car. Now after you've done all the panels just check and make sure all the high spots are gone and then you will be perfectly fine, the coating sticks to the surface almost instantly so you will definitely have the protection you need.

Anyways I know these instructions aren't perfect but I just want to make sure at least one person doesn't have to go through what I did so I just hope at least one person reads this and really thinks about it before applying their coating.

I will post pictures of my car, it isn't perfect because I couldn't get all the coating off from the first application and it is still a little dirty because it hasn't been washed and some dusting is still on it, however I hope someone finds this helpful.
 
Have you seen this.

http://youtu.be/6UXF7bD34Zs

Mike aka Smack basically describes somewhat your successful procedure. I am applying this tomorrow so I much appreciate your insights. Also did you research on ago application issues. One thing is for sure. Apply thin coats which is what I will be focusing on.
 
I haven't applied this specific coating. However, I have applied C1, 22PLE, DP, and Pinnacle Black Label coating. They are all very different in their application and in their removal. I'll admit that applying coatings has been a steep learning experience. Everything depends upon how much you apply, the temperature of the external environment, and the relative humidity. At one point during my latest application, I had to wait 5 minutes for the 22PLE to start flashing and later in the day I was waiting 2 to 3 minutes. I think this is why coating application can be challenging for a lot of people, especially if you do not do it frequently like myself. However once you nail down the process, apply lightly and remove with gentle buffing, the results are fantastic.

Thanks for posting this; it's a great reminder.
 
Follow the manufacturer's recomendation...

Sent from my SM-N900W8 using Tapatalk
 
I just got done applying Blackfire Crystal Coating. Overall a tough experience.

First. The bottle. Not sure what PBMG was thinking but the consistency of the coating is like water and tipping the bottle meant a ton came out on the applicator. The tip should be a lot smaller.

Second. Application with the lake county applicator was not easy. You lay a small bead (not a drop) and then spread it. I found the first swipe to be very thick and very sticky and then it was not easy to spread it out. Hence I laid it down somewhat thick and then smoothed the excess. When I removed I did it in 2 passes. First was immediate, then I waited for it to flash, which was difficult to tell, and then after flashing buffed off the high spots. Humidity was normal and temp was low 70s.

Third removal. I found removing the high spots to be very difficult. I used a microfiber and then another microfiber. I had to make sure all the high spots were leveled and it was a real pain.

Finally I like a slicker feeling. Not sure if all coatings are not slick but this one was not.

Overall since this is my first application of coating I found BF Coating to be difficult. However the car looked great thankfully. I did use the BF Preparation Spray but the whole process was too time consuming. I have to see the durability as this was the main reason for the application.

I will probably go back to sealants as you get 6-9 months, easy to apply and looks are similar. My final conclusion was that the sealants, coatings etc don't seem to make that much of a difference. I found the paint really poping after the menzerna polish with LC hybrid white on the flex.

Any comments thoughts appreciated.
 
I've found that the applicators that come with C1, EXOv2 and 22PLE to be better since they regulate the amount that comes out such that they are drops. The DP and PBL sprays are nice in that you get a fine mist. Both work well for application.

I personally like using the Carpro block (or 22PLE block or LC block) with a suede cloth to be better than the applicator (esp. Lake County, 22PLE) alone. I like it better than the gauze pads that Gtechniq supplies as well.

In terms of slickness, C1 and 22PLE aren't really that slick. Once C1 is topped with EXOv2 and 22PLE with final coat, the surface is very slick! I thought PBL was pretty slick also.

I tried Gyeon booster. I didn't like it at all. It flashed way too quickly, and I'm not sure there's anything on the surface of my paint. Granted, we're talking about sub-micron height, so what do I know?

I'd really like to try BF coating, but I'll probably just go back to Gtechniq C1/EXO in the future.

My personal take on the coatings v. sealants debate is that the longevity of the coatings wins out for me. In the winter, I really can't do much to the car, so the better and longer protection I can have on it gives me piece of mind. I think 22PLE and C1/EXOv2 gave my car more shine and glass-like appearance than powerlock or 845 ever did. My opinion.
 
Last edited:
mbpress01 said:
I just got done applying Blackfire Crystal Coating. Overall a tough experience.

First. The bottle. Not sure what PBMG was thinking but the consistency of the coating is like water and tipping the bottle meant a ton came out on the applicator. The tip should be a lot smaller.

Second. Application with the lake county applicator was not easy. You lay a small bead (not a drop) and then spread it. I found the first swipe to be very thick and very sticky and then it was not easy to spread it out. Hence I laid it down somewhat thick and then smoothed the excess. When I removed I did it in 2 passes. First was immediate, then I waited for it to flash, which was difficult to tell, and then after flashing buffed off the high spots. Humidity was normal and temp was low 70s.

Third removal. I found removing the high spots to be very difficult. I used a microfiber and then another microfiber. I had to make sure all the high spots were leveled and it was a real pain.

Finally I like a slicker feeling. Not sure if all coatings are not slick but this one was not.

Overall since this is my first application of coating I found BF Coating to be difficult. However the car looked great thankfully. I did use the BF Preparation Spray but the whole process was too time consuming. I have to see the durability as this was the main reason for the application.

I will probably go back to sealants as you get 6-9 months, easy to apply and looks are similar. My final conclusion was that the sealants, coatings etc don't seem to make that much of a difference. I found the paint really poping after the menzerna polish with LC hybrid white on the flex.

Any comments thoughts appreciated.
Click to expand...
To be honest I was also thinking maybe I shouldn't apply this coating again but when you look at the benefits of it, as in resistant to harsh detergents and acids, and that it can last up to 2 years (my local auto supply store says that he's seen cases where its double that) it just speaks for itself. The first try of application is the hardest and after that it just gets easier, I think my second application that worked went much better than the first. Also I poured water on my car and oh my god! The water just sheets right off and just disappears!! It's amazing, i would definitely apply the coating again in my opinion just because it protects that much better than a sealent but its all in personal preference. I also agree with what you said how it is tacky, it is extremely tacky like tree sap. I couldn't say if I would use this specific coating again but so far I think coatings could be pretty great.
 
Thx for the comment. I agree with you completely. Coatings are the only way to go and worth the hassle. As an update, I examined the car after 5 hours and bam the paint looked ridiculous. It was a deep blue and looked dripping wet. I think you need to let the coating "cure" and then you see the benefit. Although difficult the BF Coating is worth it. Durability tbd though.
 
I used the Blackfire coating about a week ago. I found it to be very easy to work with. I've coated quite a few cars with different coatings though. The more practice you get the easier it becomes. C1/EXO are probably the most difficult. If you master those most others seem pretty easy. It did have a slick feel.
As far as slickness the 22 ple pro2 is supposed to be slick, where the original pro isn't. I just used the Pro2 a few days ago. It should be back in a few days and I'll verify the slickness.
From what I've seen of the Blackfire coating it seems to be a pretty good product. The durability has yet to be seen. I already think it's a much better product than the PBL version one. As far as the problem of it coming out too fast, try turning the bottle. If the tip is is a certain position you can get it to drip out.
 
I too had a nightmare experience applying the Blackfire coating. It was my first coating application, so combine that with 90+ degrees/80%+ humidity and I was asking for a disaster.

Once it was all said and done, I think everything turned out despite all the problems I encountered. The car looks really good, although I do agree the finish isn't very slick. Collinite 845 produces a far slicker surface.

I saw the car with the coating briefly this weekend. Despite being parked in a construction area during the day and several rain storms, it still looked like it had just been washed. My daughter said the beading was fantastic and she loved how after driving in the rain it looked freshly washed again.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top