When do i apply clear coat

Before you start to paint the best advice is to do the best you can to make certain you'll have a few hours to dedicate to uninterrupted work so you can start and finish in one shot. Greg "Make sure you tack before shooting with a final tack cloth" --Greg, are you saying to let the base coat dry sufficiently to go over it with a tack cloth before Clear Coat??

Buck Buck: Paint companies market their products to painters working in booths I'll leave the professional title out of it cause not every painter working at every shop that has a booth is one. That booth is a controlled environment which among other things keeps contaminants off the panels while the coatings are being applied and till they dry sufficiently.

That's not where I work, I'm a garage painter, and I imagine you are too. In that case unless you have a custom garage built your's is probably as well sealed as mine not. So it doesn't take much too get some dust or dirt on the panels. The slightest breeze either from opening a door or just the wind outside is enough. You don't have to let the Base Coat flash any longer than required before applying the Clear but this stuff dries pretty quick provided you haven't hosed it on and like I said by the time you clean the gun and mix up the clear, check your settings and get ready to go it could be 30 min's or longer.

Any time I let the panels sit longer than between coats of the same material I lightly tack the surface just in case anything has found it's way on there in the meanwhile. I especially do this before the Clear Coat so as not to have any dust nibs or dirt to remove later. It's just some thing a real painter showed me. He said "any time you've been away from a panel for awhile make sure it's clean before spraying again.

Now how do I know the paint is dry? Well I keep a 3' x 3' or 2' x 2' piece of scrap metal around that I use for spray out's once I've checked my gun settings with a piece of masking paper taped to the wall.

That scrap gets Primered when I lay the Primer, then color coat when I apply that, and so on. Having a test panel around has helped my avoid issues that would cost me time and material had I just gone straight to the panels and began shooting.

Or however long it takes to cure. I think 30 min to an hour sounds best. If you can't apply clear till after it cures you must scuff and shoot a light coat of base again. It's best to have a chemical bond. If, when you try to tac your base prior to clearing, and you leave marks, ie. Normally 1 hour is fine Most urethane base coats are 30 minutes to 24 hours.

And if circumstances force you to do it the next day, spray one layer of base coat, wait half an hour and then spray your clear coat. At least three coats of clear coat should enrich the color of the paint, add gloss and protect it from weather and human elements.

In between these three coats of clear, you should give a waiting duration of about ten to 15 minutes in between the coats. Depending on the conditions of the area where you are performing the paint job , you may have to wait longer or shorter in between these coats. If you are not sure about the duration you should give in between clear coats.

Touch and only spray another coat when the clear is dry and not wet. After applying the three to five layers of clear coat, it should fully cure after 48 hours. Expert detailers will advise you not to wash the car for at least a week so that the clear coat and paint fully hardens.

Some people claim that clear coat dries after 24 hours but this is such a short duration. And if you want to keep the sharp look, give it more time to dry before you can take your car outside.

Three base coats should be enough for you to paint your car. In between these base coats, you should give it a resting period of ten to fifteen minutes.

For the primer to dry in between coats, it should also be given about 20 minutes. This may extend to an hour depending on the conditions of the place you are painting your car in. When you are done with the base, the next step is to paint the clear coat, something that should be done after 30 to 45 minutes. For those who may decide to do it the following day or even a week later, the base coat will have dried and there is no way the clear coat will hold on to it.

You will have to spray one more base coat so that the clear can hold on to it better. Having seen that clear coat should be applied thirty minutes after the base coat, one may be left wondering, how long does it take for car paint to fully dry?

The curing duration is anywhere between 1 to 3 months. During this period, you are advised against using sealants or protective coatings. You are also asked to be very gentle with the car surface as machine car washes can scratch the delicate paint. If you intend on applying the clear coat, later on, wet sanding the surface is a very useful trick that can help the clear coat stick to the surface of the base even after it has dried. Though it is a great trick when you compare wet sanding the surface and applying a base coat so that you can add clear coat.

The latter requires the least effort and guarantees better results. Should you find yourself in a situation where you want to apply clear coat the following day, instead of wet sanding, grab some base paint and add one coat on top of it.

Additionally, waxing your vehicle on a regular basis will help protect the exterior. This adds another layer that helps protect the car, as well as, the clear coat. Applying clear coat spray to car paint can be challenging. DetailXPerts , a mobile eco-friendly auto detailing company specializes in refreshing the exterior paint. Our highly-trained professionals will restore your clear coat for you and save you the trouble. Schedule an appointment today for a consultation. Enjoyed this post?

Sign up for our newsletter to receive more valuable tips, ideas, coupons, and extras! Recent Posts. October 26, September 30, Tags car finish car paint protection car polisher car wax clear coat detailing tips professional detailing.

Relevant Posts. Connect With Us. Join Our Newsletter Subscribe.