Detailing, buffing and putting the bonnet to rights... help!
Discussion
Hi folks.
Back story (so far)...
See also: http://tinyurl.com/myclearcoattopic
...I had a badly stone-chipped front end on my recently acquired beemer. It had been hastily repaired by someone in the past and wasn't a particularly neat job, and I was pretty sure I could see the beginnings of some oxidisation of the metal which made me nervous. So, in a moment of DIY over-confidence, I took the bad bits back to the bare metal, prepped, primed, smoothed, base-coated (carefully - or so I thought) and clear-coated the front foot-or-thereabouts. I was very pleased with my efforts - very uniform, certainly an improvement - but I had made an error and not blended one side of the base-coat properly so that from certain angles a definite step or line was visible. Spotted, of course, after I'd carefully sprayed clear-coat to ten inches or more past the line.
Anyway, I have spoken with a highly regarded detailing specialist whose work includes, if he is to be believed, work on everything from ordinary motors like mine through mid-range luxury such as M3s and Porsches, up to exotica including an F40 and a Veyron. In other words, he wouldn't last a minute at that end of the market if he wasn't sh!t hot at what he does. He has seen the front-end of the car and I've explained, and reckons he can wet-sand & buff to basically remove this line.
I haven't been able to get hold of him, but for peace of mind reckoned it would be worth asking here. Basically I am concerned because on the topic I linked to above, a number of people have said that the only real solution is to redo the blend or go for a full bonnet respray. I wanted to get a bit more clarification on whether this really is the only answer or whether, in the hands of a proper professional with all the tools and technique, a blend could be done without respray.
If this is the case, I'm guessing that it would need to be clear-coated once it has been wet-sanded or rotary-buffed enough to blend the metallic base - or are there other approaches that a top detailing specialist could employ to avoid a re-coat?
Also, and this is just as an aside: I still have a number of stone-chips, many down to primer (though none to metal). The Halford's touch-up kit sucks - the colour match isn't good (or maybe my base-coat has faded over time) so I am contemplating getting some made up based on an analysis of the car's actual paint, but before I do is this something that a detailer would require, or does the wet-sanding/buffing/etc. reduce the need to paint in these chips. I'm asking because I might be as well to get these remaining stone-chips as tidy as I can ahead of time...
Anyway, this has been a long post for me, and I would appreciate any and all advice. Bear in mind that the car is NOT new, but I would like it to look as good as it can...
Thanks,
John
Back story (so far)...
See also: http://tinyurl.com/myclearcoattopic
...I had a badly stone-chipped front end on my recently acquired beemer. It had been hastily repaired by someone in the past and wasn't a particularly neat job, and I was pretty sure I could see the beginnings of some oxidisation of the metal which made me nervous. So, in a moment of DIY over-confidence, I took the bad bits back to the bare metal, prepped, primed, smoothed, base-coated (carefully - or so I thought) and clear-coated the front foot-or-thereabouts. I was very pleased with my efforts - very uniform, certainly an improvement - but I had made an error and not blended one side of the base-coat properly so that from certain angles a definite step or line was visible. Spotted, of course, after I'd carefully sprayed clear-coat to ten inches or more past the line.
Anyway, I have spoken with a highly regarded detailing specialist whose work includes, if he is to be believed, work on everything from ordinary motors like mine through mid-range luxury such as M3s and Porsches, up to exotica including an F40 and a Veyron. In other words, he wouldn't last a minute at that end of the market if he wasn't sh!t hot at what he does. He has seen the front-end of the car and I've explained, and reckons he can wet-sand & buff to basically remove this line.
I haven't been able to get hold of him, but for peace of mind reckoned it would be worth asking here. Basically I am concerned because on the topic I linked to above, a number of people have said that the only real solution is to redo the blend or go for a full bonnet respray. I wanted to get a bit more clarification on whether this really is the only answer or whether, in the hands of a proper professional with all the tools and technique, a blend could be done without respray.
If this is the case, I'm guessing that it would need to be clear-coated once it has been wet-sanded or rotary-buffed enough to blend the metallic base - or are there other approaches that a top detailing specialist could employ to avoid a re-coat?
Also, and this is just as an aside: I still have a number of stone-chips, many down to primer (though none to metal). The Halford's touch-up kit sucks - the colour match isn't good (or maybe my base-coat has faded over time) so I am contemplating getting some made up based on an analysis of the car's actual paint, but before I do is this something that a detailer would require, or does the wet-sanding/buffing/etc. reduce the need to paint in these chips. I'm asking because I might be as well to get these remaining stone-chips as tidy as I can ahead of time...
Anyway, this has been a long post for me, and I would appreciate any and all advice. Bear in mind that the car is NOT new, but I would like it to look as good as it can...
Thanks,
John
What was said when you asked the question earlier holds. If he's as good as he says he is get him to do it. Wonder why you can't get hold of him to do it?
If the colour is wrong then the only solution is repaint. But do the panel rather than try another bit of paint on a bit of it as it will only end in tears. Don't forget that gun technique when applying the colour coat makes a HUGE difference to how pale metallics will look.
You could try messing about with the lacquer edge & hope it gets better, but as soon as you get to the color coat its game over.
Touch-up kits rarely match as they don't take into account factory finish variant shades - Ford Diamond White which is Tranny vans has 9 in DuPont Centari - & metallics/pearls can't be applied successfully with a brush.
Stone chips - in small sizes & quantities - are best done using a straightened out paper clip to apply the paint (colour coat only, don't bother with the primer or lacquer)precisely into the chip. The paint brush that comes with most kits would be fine for doing your garden fence but b..... all use for fine work.
The heavier the amount of paint you apply in one go with metallics the darker the finish is likely to be as the metallic particles will sink before the carrier flashes off. To prove that, put the lid on the pot, shake it & then quickly remove the lid & watch the metallic sink!
If the colour is wrong then the only solution is repaint. But do the panel rather than try another bit of paint on a bit of it as it will only end in tears. Don't forget that gun technique when applying the colour coat makes a HUGE difference to how pale metallics will look.
You could try messing about with the lacquer edge & hope it gets better, but as soon as you get to the color coat its game over.
Touch-up kits rarely match as they don't take into account factory finish variant shades - Ford Diamond White which is Tranny vans has 9 in DuPont Centari - & metallics/pearls can't be applied successfully with a brush.
Stone chips - in small sizes & quantities - are best done using a straightened out paper clip to apply the paint (colour coat only, don't bother with the primer or lacquer)precisely into the chip. The paint brush that comes with most kits would be fine for doing your garden fence but b..... all use for fine work.
The heavier the amount of paint you apply in one go with metallics the darker the finish is likely to be as the metallic particles will sink before the carrier flashes off. To prove that, put the lid on the pot, shake it & then quickly remove the lid & watch the metallic sink!
Edited by paintman on Sunday 26th April 21:23
Gassing Station | Bodywork & Detailing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff