HighLine MeterII PTG Question/confirmation

[theblob640]

Hey all, so I just received my HighLine Meter II today and I have a question for those that have some experience with this specific device. I measured my door jamb to get a general idea of the thickness of the door jamb to compare with my exterior paint thickness. Measuring one door I was reading around 77-80um. Measuring the exterior paint of the same door I was reading around 118-126um. So does this mean I have roughly 41-46um of clear coat to play with? Also, I was measuring in FE Type if that matters or mean anything. Is that a lot to play with?

I would also like to see some input from others have used different devices.

Looking forward to your responses.
Thanks.

[SonOfOC]

No, you do not have 41-46 microns to play with. The readings you have gives you a general idea that it's safe for polishing. Paint systems are getting thinner and thinner. 120 micron average is very common.

If the car was purchase new, then you have less to worry about since you would know of if any body work/ respray was done.

If you are curious, you can section off a 18" square on your car, take 4-6 measurements in that square, polish to your liking, let the paint cool, then remeasure those exact spots. This will give an idea of how much clear you removed with your particular tools, polishing style, and products.

Swirls and light scratches and be safely polished out with just few microns removed. It's the wet sanding and heavy compounding that is aggressive.

Just remember to use the least aggressive approach first and to always remove as little amount of paint as possible. At some point, the clear coat can get thin enough to compromise it's ability to effectively fend off UV rays.

[theblob640]

No, you do not have 41-46 microns to play with. The readings you have gives you a general idea that it's safe for polishing. Paint systems are getting thinner and thinner. 120 micron average is very common.

If the car was purchase new, then you have less to worry about since you would know of if any body work/ respray was done.

If you are curious, you can section off a 18" square on your car, take 4-6 measurements in that square, polish to your liking, let the paint cool, then remeasure those exact spots. This will give an idea of how much clear you removed with your particular tools, polishing style, and products.

Swirls and light scratches and be safely polished out with just few microns removed. It's the wet sanding and heavy compounding that is aggressive.

Just remember to use the least aggressive approach first and to always remove as little amount of paint as possible. At some point, the clear coat can get thin enough to compromise it's ability to effectively fend off UV rays.

Yes, the car was purchased new, purchased January 2013 and polished it March 2013. I do practice the least aggressive first. Even though I am still new compared to others in paint correction, I do have some experience with it. Using the PTG on the other hand I am brand new with it. So from those readings, how much clear coat would you say I have to play with?
Door jamb: 77-80um
Exterior: 118-126um

Thanks for your response btw.

P.S. your location is pretty close to mine, San Bernardino county area for me.

[SonOfOC]

Current paint system are rather complex. Manufactures continually ask for thinner and thinner paint.

There are two issues. (1) at a certain point the clear coat thickness looses it's ability to protect from UV rays and can result in premature clear coat failure. (2) You can void your warranty if it's too thin from polishing.

Chrysler/Dodge has guidelines as to how much you take polish off before the warranty is void. IRC, it is about 10-12 microns. So if warranty is a concern, then this number would be the "how much I have to play with".

With that said, you can polish your car one per year for 10 years with no issues. That's taking very general estimates of 2 microns removal per medium polishes on soft to medium paint.

Hope that helps a little. Didn't want to make it more complicated, but there are so many variables to give an exact answer.