Spar- ureathane n minerals spirits question?

[Ricky Cartagena]

Hi guys this question is related to a thread posted not long ago about this topic for sealing headlights. I just tried it today and i must say it is the best thing ive put for protection so far and was amazed on how well this went on and dried to a fantastic and clear finish. Just amazing so far! I know about opti-coat 2.0 havent tried it yet but decided to go with this method. I do a lot of headlight restoration and have tried various paint sealants and protective coatings for protection after six months or so start noticing some sort of hazing or failure from them. This method is cheaper and will allow me to do more cars money wise. I used 50/50 spar- odorless mineral spirits and it worked fantastic. On one headlight i finished with just 3000 sand paper and applied and on other one compounded, polished IPA wiped down then applied. Makes no difference the side i sanded looks just as good as the other without the extra buffing... which i love saves time= money to me!

But my question for anyone who might of use this method, would you be able to save the 50/50 dilutions in a ready to go bottle for storage or you should leave it in the containers as it comes and diluted when your ready to apply it? I have one of those wax squirt bottles with that red cap on it.

Will post pictures or a video on friday of a honda crv that i will be doing this same method on but as of today this is my method... Thanks guys for any replies or if ay experiences with a better or best way to protect headlights.

[The Count]

A chemical reaction may occur, but Idk know what it would do. Maybe harden?

Just do a 50 50 mix and put it in a bottle and leave it sit for like a month, then if its good then you got your answer. Just try it out.

[Dugdug]

I'm not sure, but I would imagine something could happen to it over time. I mix it as I go. I have bunch of small disposable plastic cups and stir stick that I keep in a crown royal pouch lol When I go to use it, measure out my mix, stir it up and apply it. I use some spirits to clean off the measuring cup and pack it back up.

[snellvilleauto]

I discard the unused portion after the mix because it's cheap :) I got a bunch of 30ml plastic cup and a plastic pipette. Mix as i go.

[tuscarora dave]

Are you guys wiping this mixture on to the headlight lenses or are you spraying it on? If either, what applicator/spraying device are you using?
Thanks in advance for any replies.

[Dugdug]

Are you guys wiping this mixture on to the headlight lenses or are you spraying it on? If either, what applicator/spraying device are you using?
Thanks in advance for any replies.

I use scotts blue shop towels. It was recommended and seems to work great. No fluff

[snellvilleauto]

Same here. I use scott white shop towels and fold it in 4x. Dip it into the spar and brush it onto the lens.

[ray6]

We never used spar/MS, but we do use a polyurethane which I believe is similar to Minwax/spar. Since these coatings cure by oxidation, storing them diluted with ms or undiluted will depend on the amount of oxygen it's in contact with. Also, it will depend on the type of container it's stored in. Many types of plastic will freely pass oxygen and would quickly oxidize your coating. This is why you see some plastic containers tend to collapse. They are allowing oxygen to react with the solution inside. If you want to store premixed, make sure the container is non-reactive (metal would be best) and try to either keep full or add something like marbles to raise the level. Short term (a few days or week) would probably be O.K. even without a full container. Glass bottles would also be good.



ray6

[Ricky Cartagena]

Thanks guys for all your replies and input... ill think ill try glass bottles with a good seal and keep them separate, then mix 50/50 as i go... i just wanted to avoid opening that can it comes with everytime seemed to be a pain in the xxt lol

Now to you guys that have tried it and do business to these repeat customers how is this method holding up so far and how long has it been?
Besides opti-coat that i will be purchasing and trying soon also, what's the best method you guys have seen or heard of?
thanks for any input on this...:buffing:

[Ricky Cartagena]

I use a blue shop towel also folded and soak it real good but no drips coming down. Start at the top to the bottom and avoid doing the same area twice so in won't streak oh and i also do the edges first then go wipe top to bottom. Sometimes seems to streak but as it dries it levels out. Headlights look so much shinier after application! Very pleased with results...:dblthumb2:

[Dugdug]

Works great for me so far. No complaints. I did these headlights over 6 months ago,

http://www.dugdugsdetailing.com/hlba2.jpg

The driver, "my girlfriends stepfather" Is pretty harsh on his car. Never washes it..... I mean never.... The weather out here gets pretty bad, it hails every few months. In fact last night we had a bad hail storm. But the headlights still look great. There's a few chips in it from rocks vut other than that it still looks great.

[tuscarora dave]

I assume you guys are using the clear gloss Helmsman right? I just picked up a quart this morning and will be practicing with it soon starting with my own headlights. Thanks for the insight. TD

[Dugdug]

I assume you guys are using the clear gloss Helmsman right? I just picked up a quart this morning and will be practicing with it soon starting with my own headlights. Thanks for the insight. TD

Yep

[ray6]

We use 4 different coatings, depending on the customer's needs. Although we don't use Minwax/MS, we do use a low price polyurethane probably similar to Minwax spar. Here's a list of what we use, what it costs and warranties we issue:

UVHC (Polyurethane 1K) no warranty/.86/headlight
PREMIUM (Urethane 1K) 1 year/1.50/headlight
ULTRA (LPU, water based, 2K) 2 years/1.85/headlight
FRC (OEM, 1K, UV cured) 3 years.2.10/headlight
We only use UVHC for commercial restores or low end buy here, pay here lots. Typically 10 minutes/car @$20-25 ea.
We also use it for acrylic work (tail lights, emergency lights, etc)