Coating levelling - possible to remove too much?

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I'm new to coatings, and the first one I'm trying is Cquartz Lite. I've noticed that in order to effectively "level" it, leaving no high spots, quite firm buffing is required. Is it possible to over buff, removing too much coating?
 
When I applied the Graphene Ceramic coating to my Ram and found high spots, I applied the liquid to the high spot. I waited the required time and buffed off

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Are you talking about during the initial application?

I haven't used CQuartz Lite, but with similar products like Gyeon CanCoat, or really any coating, if it is hard to remove you're waiting too long to buff it out. Try applying it to a smaller area and don't let it sit as long.

The good news is, if you're having a hard time buffing it out, the solids in the coating have most likely started the bonding process and you aren't removing removing anything important. Someone here far more experienced than I am once mentioned the solids really start bonding as soon as the flashing starts and your only buffing off the remnants of the carrier agents and excess solids.
 
The directions say not to wait, so I'm not waiting. At all.
It spreads very easily, but feels a bit tacky when buffing it off, and needs firm pressure.
Temperature is ~20 - 25C.

Under my very bright, wide, even beamed head torch, yes - it looks "super easy" to work with.....because the high spots are totally INVISIBLE. (same applies to my Scangrip 1000R inspection torch, which is FANTASTIC at showing swirls).
Get it outside, under a cloudy sky, and it's a total mess.
I have solved the illumination problem - I inspect with my tablet computer, which I set to display pure white. I look at the REFLECTION of the screen against the paint, and this shows the high spots very well. (I got the idea to look at the reflection from Car Craft Detailing, here in Australia).

I can remove the high spots, and produce a very clear finish, but it's quite a lot of work. Any blemish at all, however slight, must be buffed off, because a cloudy sky will show it very easily.

Again - is it possible to "over" buff, removing too much product? That's my question.
 
As I mentioned before, no, I don't think it's possible to over buff. The fact it is already tacky and hard to buff means the solids are already bonding to the surface and you're not going to buff them off

Also, if you are removing the product right away and it's tacky, try reducing the size of the application area.

You've discovered the same thing I have regarding lighting. I too have found bright, direct lighting is terrible for applying a coating. Dim, highly diffused lighting seems to work far better when seeing the coating flash and hunting down high spots and smears.
 
Excellent - thanks Desertnate. (Mike - do you agree?)
If there was a fine balance, between removing high spots, and removing too much product, I may have decided it was all too hard, and not worth the trouble. Now that I can SEE the high spots in my garage, and have a sense for the amount of buffing required, it's actually not that hard. It's fascinating how the optical behaviour is so very different to conventional waxes & sealants, when applying.
 
Desertnate said:
The fact it is already tacky and hard to buff means the solids are already bonding to the surface and you're not going to buff them off

Also, if you are removing the product right away and it's tacky, try reducing the size of the application area.
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Skip said:
Excellent - thanks Desertnate. (Mike - do you agree?)
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Yes. I agree with Nate.


:)
 
And if this coating is becoming tacky so quickly?

How old is it?
How warm or hot is it?
What is humidity like?
Is there wind or air current?


This product should not be flashing so quickly to the point that it's tacky because it's curing - so quickly unless there is another underlying factor causing an issue.


The entire idea behind a "lite" version is to make it super easy to use even for first timers.



:)
 
Maybe "tacky" is an exaggeration - not sure. If it's supposed to feel really thin and slick, like, for example, Reload, then no - it doesn't feel like that - there is some resistance against the cloth.
Temperature in mid 20s deg C, unsure of humidity at the time, and no wind.
Has a "2020” date stamp - no explicit expiry date - used shortly after purchasing.

Just as an aside, it's a shame it only has a 6 month shelf life after opening. Way too much product for me to use in that time. I'd like the option of purchasing a smaller bottle, and also the option of purchasing in a syringe, if that would extend shelf life. (I love how Optimum do it that way - why isn't that idea used by others?)
 
Hold the phone - date stamp on the bottom of the bottle says ”25 05 20”, which I assume is 25-May-2020. Is that a use by date?
 
Skip said:
Maybe "tacky" is an exaggeration - not sure. If it's supposed to feel really thin and slick, like, for example, Reload, then no - it doesn't feel like that - there is some resistance against the cloth.
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Some resistance is okay, but tacky or sticky is simply a sign it's drying.


Skip said:
Temperature in mid 20s deg C, unsure of humidity at the time, and no wind.
Click to expand...

These factors are no problem.



Skip said:
Just as an aside, it's a shame it only has a 6 month shelf life after opening. Way too much product for me to use in that time. I'd like the option of purchasing a smaller bottle, and also the option of purchasing in a syringe, if that would extend shelf life. (I love how Optimum do it that way - why isn't that idea used by others?)
Click to expand...


All the above is the marketing department's responsibility. Sorry, can't help you except to say I read a lot of comments like the above. At some point a company has to pick size and delivery system and move forward. :)



Skip said:
Hold the phone - date stamp on the bottom of the bottle says ”25 05 20”, which I assume is 25-May-2020. Is that a use by date?
Click to expand...

I would think that's a "born on" date.


:)
 
Lite is tacky upon removal. It also has a 1 year life span within the bottle. After that it starts to harden up.

You got good information. Once you get it on the paint you will enjoy it’s performance.
 
Thanks everyone for your help and encouragement!
 
Skip said:
Maybe "tacky" is an exaggeration - not sure. If it's supposed to feel really thin and slick, like, for example, Reload, then no - it doesn't feel like that - there is some resistance against the cloth.
Temperature in mid 20s deg C, unsure of humidity at the time, and no wind.
Has a "2020” date stamp - no explicit expiry date - used shortly after purchasing.

Just as an aside, it's a shame it only has a 6 month shelf life after opening. Way too much product for me to use in that time. I'd like the option of purchasing a smaller bottle, and also the option of purchasing in a syringe, if that would extend shelf life. (I love how Optimum do it that way - why isn't that idea used by others?)
Click to expand...

Skip...I have had good luck so far storing my unused ceramic coating in the refrigerator in a dark opaque bottle with a poly cone cap. been in there 18 months, and just took it out 2 weeks ago to coat my daughter's jeep.

As far as I can tell, there was no degredation in the performance, but I guess only time will tell. Still had the same properties as when I purchased it.

This:
View attachment 71676

Eric
 
Thanks Eric. The Cquartz Lite bottle looks similar to that - it's very dark (but not completely opaque), and the cap looks similar. (not sure what "polycone" means, but it has an inner cap, that once tight, allows the outer cap to continue to be twisted freely, and it also has a bit of vertical play)
 
There's something interesting I noticed - may as well mention it here....on a failed application (incomplete removal), I decided to do a little experiment, as I had nothing to lose: I sprayed the surface with a 33% IPA solution, and then immediately wiped it off, VERY gently, without applying much pressure at all. The high spots COMPLETELY vanished, leaving a perfect finish.
I was surprised at how little buffing I had to do.
I have now reapplied the coating, which I preceded with an Eraser wipedown, but I'm curious to know how much of the original coating the IPA likely removed. I applied the IPA 16 hours after the coating.
 
It has a 1 year shelf life once opened. Carpro confirmed this.

Not a good idea to use IPA on a freshly applied coating. It’s not cured and any chemicals introduced to early will degrade it’s performance.

Lite is one of the most forgiving coatings when it comes to high spots. Add more product to the applicator to remove them.
 
The IPA is probably removing high spot and coating altogether. Maybe after the IPA wipe reapply your coating to the area
 
As I said, that's what I've done, this time successfully. Looks absolutely pristine under a cloudy sky.
 
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