Paint beading after polishing and using mineral spirit to strip it ? Is this normal ?

DaC

DaC

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Well, I'm trying to use Mineral spirit to strip the paint before opticoat, but the problem is..... the paint still beads after polishing and using mineral spirit....
Does this means my paint is not free from oils ? And if so this might effect opticoat ? What would you recommend me to do ?
 
DaC said:
Well, I'm trying to use Mineral spirit to strip the paint before opticoat, but the problem is..... the paint still beads after polishing and using mineral spirit....
Does this means my paint is not free from oils ? And if so this might effect opticoat ? What would you recommend me to do ?
Click to expand...

I have read on the Optimum Forum that Mineral Spirits leaves behind oils (if I remember correctly) and cannot be used to prep for OptiCoat unless you wash the car with ONR after the MS.
 
ski2 said:
I have read on the Optimum Forum that Mineral Spirits leaves behind oils (if I remember correctly) and cannot be used to prep for OptiCoat unless you wash the car with ONR after the MS.
Click to expand...

Strange... I've saw the opposite recommendation around here at AGO.... Can you pm the link to this topic over optimum forum ?
 
Can't seem to find the link. I could be wrong, but it rings a bell.
 
If you use Optimum polishes they say to just wipe off with a damp towel...they are made to work together. I think I would still do a IPA wipedown.
 
DaC said:
Well, I'm trying to use Mineral spirit to strip the paint before opticoat, but the problem is..... the paint still beads after polishing and using mineral spirit....
Does this means my paint is not free from oils ? And if so this might effect opticoat ? What would you recommend me to do ?
Click to expand...

What steps did you perform prior to using Mineral Spirits? Spirits are used to remove oil-based <anything> on a painted surface. It has no oils in it to speak of.
 
mwoolfso said:
What steps did you perform prior to using Mineral Spirits? Spirits are used to remove oil-based <anything> on a painted surface. It has no oils in it to speak of.
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I'm not a chemist, but i know mineral spirits are petroleum based, all the solvent ingredients are hydrocarbons and I would expect that they would repel/bead water unless they are completely removed or flashed off. if the OP is using lower grade mineral spirits then perhaps it's leaving some residue.
 
The surface is beading because its extremely smooth thus the surface tension is very high which is what causes beads, my paint will bead and sheet without wax, however using a quality lsp takes it to an entirely different level, so yes if your surface is smooth / polished / decontaminated this should be expected to a degree
 
Quote: From TOGWT:
Mineral Spirit
(Mineral Oil) is a petrochemical based product, a clear, colourless, oily liquid that is a by-product of the distillation of petroleum that can be used to clean heavier oil stains by diluting and liquefying the other oils, rendering the oils more accessible to detergents. It has a high refractive index and is sometimes used in car care products. Likewise, it can be employed to remove adhesive residue left by adhesive tape. It can be used as a cleaner and solvent but it can leave a residue, which is undesirable for paint cleaning applications. Other uses, as a prevention to stop chopping boards cracking and , as a rust prevention for steel A clear fluid , Flash point 107.0F (41.0C) closed cup
End of quote

Hotrodders also don't recommend MS for paint prep (painting vehicles) due to residue.

In general, I use Gtechniq Panel Wipe or DuPont wax and grease remover to prepare for coatings.

For polish cleaning and check your work, IPA is great.
 
Thanks to all for the replies. I've always used 15% ipa, but I also got beading after it and I was wondering it wasn't doing the job quite well...

I hadn't washed after polishing. Just removed residue with one towel and inspected with other doing the IPA. maybe I'll start doing a onr wash with apc before doing an IPA
 
Mineral Spirits does a nice job cleaning up the finish after compounding and polishing. It's a petroleum based product therefore additional cleaning steps might be needed but this depends on what those next steps are.

Optimum Opti-Coat requires an IPA solution cleaning step prior to it's application...

opti-coat-3.jpg



  1. Polish paint to remove any defects.
  2. Clean surface with 15% IPA solution to remove all polishing oils, waxes, and silicone's.
  3. Prime the applicator by making an X pattern across the pad. Only a few drops will be needed for each subsequent panel.
  4. Wipe Opti-Coat onto a single panel at a time in a thin layer using two directions, front to back, and then side to side.
  5. Within 5 minutes, inspect the panel with adequate lighting looking for any thick areas that have not flashed away to clear.
  6. Use foam applicator or paint safe microfiber to even out any areas where you see streaks. This step is key, as any spots not leveled will have to be polished if allowed to cure. Panels will feel a bit tacky and will be self-leveling during cure time, so avoid any unnecessary touching, wiping, or contact to produce the best results.
  7. Repeat steps 1-6 for each panel where application is desired. Not recommended for glass.

Application Video


[video=youtube_share;Yyo_-UA8yM4"]Opti-Coat Application Methods - YouTube[/video]
 
BobbyG said:
Mineral Spirits does a nice job cleaning up the finish after compounding and polishing. It's a petroleum based product therefore additional cleaning steps might be needed but this depends on what those next steps are.

Optimum Opti-Coat requires an IPA solution cleaning step prior to it's application...

opti-coat-3.jpg



  1. Polish paint to remove any defects.
  2. Clean surface with 15% IPA solution to remove all polishing oils, waxes, and silicone's.
  3. Prime the applicator by making an X pattern across the pad. Only a few drops will be needed for each subsequent panel.
  4. Wipe Opti-Coat onto a single panel at a time in a thin layer using two directions, front to back, and then side to side.
  5. Within 5 minutes, inspect the panel with adequate lighting looking for any thick areas that have not flashed away to clear.
  6. Use foam applicator or paint safe microfiber to even out any areas where you see streaks. This step is key, as any spots not leveled will have to be polished if allowed to cure. Panels will feel a bit tacky and will be self-leveling during cure time, so avoid any unnecessary touching, wiping, or contact to produce the best results.
  7. Repeat steps 1-6 for each panel where application is desired. Not recommended for glass.

Application Video


[video=youtube_share;Yyo_-UA8yM4"]Opti-Coat Application Methods - YouTube[/video]
Click to expand...

Bob, I know you use something else to strip the paint, but I don't have access to something similar to it in brazil. What would you recommend me to strip the paint after polishing? I always use ipa, but I feel something is being left....
 
Just to be clear.... mineral spirits and mineral oil are two different products. For example, mineral oil is generally edible, spirits are not.
 
So mineral spirit or ipa 15% with onr + apc wash would be a safe bet to opticoat ?
 
DaC said:
Bob, I know you use something else to strip the paint, but I don't have access to something similar to it in brazil. What would you recommend me to strip the paint after polishing? I always use ipa, but I feel something is being left....
Click to expand...

Yes, there are two additional products I use besides Mineral Spirits or IPA...

  1. Klean Strip Prep-All
  2. CarPro Eraser
While compounding and polishing I use mineral spirits because it doesn't dry as quickly as Klean Strip Prep-All or IPA. If the product dries too fast you have a good chance that polishing residue will redeposit itself on the finish hiding surface defects.

I always finish up with Klean Strip prep-All prior to applying a sealant or unless the manufacture recommends something specific....

Do you have an automotive paint supply store? If you do then stop by and see what they have for products similar in design to the ones above...
 
DaC said:
So mineral spirit or ipa 15% with onr + apc wash would be a safe bet to opticoat ?
Click to expand...

Optimum seems to recommend a solution of Isopropyl Alcohol and water and out or the ones you mention here I would use this as the last step before applying Opti-Coat 2.0...
 
Mineral spirits is a volatile solvent, so it will evaporate away without residue. However, the flash point is relatively high so it will need relatively high temperatures to flash quickly or will require extended drying time. It is plausible that drying may take several hours in certain conditions. Were you to spray water on the surface at this stage, there will be a significant hydrophobic character. Of course, as stated by someone else, the surface may very well be hydrophobic due to it being extremely clean although this is not always the case.

My preference is for a higher volatility solvent. IPA is great but, as Mike recently reminded me, it provides little in the way of lubrication. Panel wipe products tend to be non-polar organics, like mineral spirits, but with a higher flash point so they will dry more rapidly.
 
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