Removing a coating

[Ebg18t]

I need to remove a Si based coating. Paint is in good condition so I was going to just go over the paint with CarPro Reflect then Eraser before I CQUK. But how do I know that the old coating is truly gone? I have FG400 but I really don't want to use something that aggressive unless I really have to. Thoughts? Suggestions?

[FUNX650]

•Isn't CQUK also SiO2-based?

•When do you know the Coating is totally removed?
-Perhaps the difference in contact-angles of the water beads on a Coated panel vs. a panel where an abrasive-attempt to remove the Coating has been performed...

•Nah...Instead of all that head-scratching worrisomeness:
-And...If I was going to do switch-out the two Coatings
(like you have planned)...

-Decon with IronX (if deemed necessary)
-Clay (per: "Baggie Test" ~MP)
-Polish with Reflect
-Eraser wipe-down(s)
-Apply CQUK
-Keep it dry for 24 hours of cure-time; or, I suppose:
"The Reload Treatment" curing-method.


Bob

[Ebg18t]

Bob - I was afraid I was thinking it.. I have a tendency to do that.

[swanicyouth]

This is really interesting to me. There is some "talk", that some of these coatings may be next to impossible to remove - almost like getting all the silicone out of a tire that has been soaked repeatedly with some greasy silicone dressing - albeit on a much larger scale.

Paint is porous. No? How porous it is - who really knows?

Whose to say all the "coating" is removed by just a regular polishing????

Who's to say some of the coating isn't "absorbed" by the paint or lays in the valleys (think orange peel) and can only be removed by wet sanding the surface flat - then polishing?

Who's to say that the coating that may be somewhat "absorbed" into the clear coat / or be semi-polished off laying in the valleys of the paint .... And that over the long term, it doesn't oxidize (almost like a single stage paint) hampering the gloss of the paint? ....I have seen some evidence certain coatings do oxidize over the long term (oppose to "wearing away") - what if it's next to impossible to remove them 100%?

Who's to say some of the coating isn't absorbed into the paint (paint does absorb moisture and can swell) when applied - and permanently change the characteristics of the paint?

Dunno. May not be all it's cracked up to be.

Can anyone answer these questions????

[CarolinasFinestDetailing]

OP, lets start here:

What coating is currently on said vehicle?

Why do you want to remove and replace?

[Ebg18t]

Swanikyouth - I understand where your coming from, thus my questions..




OP, lets start here:

What coating is currently on said vehicle?

Why do you want to remove and replace?

GD Infinite Diamond Sheild. Removing since I had to have the rear bumper replaced (some asshat hit me and took off while the truck was parked during my volunteer work). While it was in the hands of the body shop, poor washing technique left tons & tons of marring and small scratches all over the truck. The body shop was lackluster to say the least, not worth having them fix their mistakes only to make it worse. So I will fix it and start over.

[Mask]

I had seen some Japanese coating needs to be remove by polish with higher cut and a rotary + aggressive cutting pad.
Some coating remove easier while some is tough...
It's safer to polish the coated surface to remove swirl marks and apply the same coatings over it.
Do a test panel :D

[builthatch]

i posted a video before regarding how you tell if Opti-Coat Pro is removed. maybe that will help you discern what areas are free of coating and which still have it intact. dunno about your particular product.

i removed mine by polishing for a while with Hyper polish and a B&S green pad. i had to do a chip repair.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0z1AdX1doU

if you want to assure removal and try this technique, do least aggressive step first and see if it's removed. if not, step it up gradually and test at each step.

but imo i'd just correct as needed, at least finish polish the entire thing even in areas that might not need correction, and coat with the new stuff. polishing and/or finish polishing will give the current coating some surface area and allow the new stuff to bite. i can't assure you that the product you have on there will definitely work with that technique, but i know other coatings work just fine like that. for instance, i can personally attest to Opti-Coat Pro accepting itself or Gloss-Coat with only some passes with a finish polish.

[Ebg18t]

It's safer to polish the coated surface to remove swirl marks and apply the same coatings over it.
Do a test panel :D

Same product not really avaliable. Thus I am moving to a mainstream product with easy avalibility.

I think I will try to polish, wipe down and apply new product. I know fg400 will remove it no problem, but just don't want to be that aggressive.


i posted a video before regarding how you tell if Opti-Coat Pro is removed. maybe that will help you discern what areas are free of coating and which still have it intact. dunno about your particular product.

i removed mine by polishing for a while with Hyper polish and a B&S green pad. i had to do a chip repair.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0z1AdX1doU

but imo i'd just correct as needed, at least finish polish the entire thing even in areas that might not need correction, and coat with the new stuff. polishing and/or finish polishing will give the current coating some surface area and provide it some bite. i can't assure you that the product you have on there will definitely work with that technique, but i know other coatings work just fine like that. for instance, i can personally attest to Opti-Coat Pro accepting itself or Gloss-Coat with only some passes with a finish polish.

Thanks for the video.

[Mask]

Same product not really avaliable. Thus I am moving to a mainstream product with easy avalibility.

I think I will try to polish, wipe down and apply new product. I know fg400 will remove it no problem, but just don't want to be that aggressive.

Let us know how it work out.
FG400 is nice, I would also follow with SF4000/sonax perfect finish/M205 to bring out maximum gloss and ensure previous coating is remove.

Regards :)