Removing Coatings too soon

[AuZZZie]

I recently put a significant amount of effort into coating my new wheels using CarPro DLUX, however in fear of letting it sit to long I now think I removed it too soon. There's a lot of info out there about leaving coatings too long, but not much on removing too soon.

It was 21 Celsius (70 Fahrenheit) and around 40% humidity during application. I removed the coating after 90 seconds which I'm now thinking should have been closer to 4-5min.

It wasn't grabby on removal. Did I just waste my time?

Appreciate any input.

[Mike Phillips]

I recently put a significant amount of effort into coating my new wheels using CarPro DLUX, however in fear of letting it sit to long I now think I removed it too soon. There's a lot of info out there about leaving coatings too long, but not much on removing too soon.

It was 21 Celsius (70 Fahrenheit) and around 40% humidity during application. I removed the coating after 90 seconds which I'm now thinking should have been closer to 4-5min.

It wasn't grabby on removal. Did I just waste my time?

Appreciate any input.

I'd say no.

A coating from an reputable, established brand is formulated to bond instantly to the surface it is designed for. 90 seconds is plenty good.

Heck, for most coatings I've installed - I'm at 30 seconds to 45 seconds. A minute at the most.


The last thing I want to deal with is a coating that is curing and becoming sticky to wipe-off. When this happens - it's a pain in the rear.

[Bruno Soares]

You're fine. If you wait too long Dlux gets very sticky and difficult to level. Like Mike said, the bond happens in a few seconds, the time we wait is to make our job easier by avoiding smearing (too soon) or grabbing (too late).

When I did CQ UK3.0 last year it was taking its time to flash and that allowed me to work an entire large panel or two smaller panels at a time, makes it very easy not having to do small sections due to it flashing fast - I had that happen when coating in the humid summer.

[AuZZZie]

Perfect, thanks gents. Given there's no exact science to flash time and removal time, the perfectionist in me was likely over thinking it.

[Desertnate]

Like Mike said, the bond happens in a few seconds, the time we wait is to make our job easier by avoiding smearing (too soon) or grabbing (too late).

The smearing is what I look for. Some times the flashing may not be visible (paint color is a big factor) or like Bruno mentioned, flashing is going really slowly. After letting an area sit for around a minute I'll cautiously start to remove it. If I don't see any smearing I'll speed up and remove it normally, but still keep an eye out for any smearing.

[The Guz]

You could always apply a second coat. It’s fine either way.