how to tell if coating is removed

[builthatch]

i was working on a chip last night and had to aggressively polish the area to prep for the repair. i wiped the area thoroughly with IPA after polishing and naturally the telltale sign of removed coating showed up so i figured take a quick video since that question seems to come up a lot.

to clarify what you see in the video, there is a line of moisture after i wipe, with very visible trails to the right of that line (parallel with the overhead light reflection). the area without coating is the area with the trails.

the coating is Opti-Coat Pro that is a couple years old.

https://www.youtube.com/v/xBCK35ZvqM...ion=3&vq=hd720

[GenesisCoupe]

I had to do the same after de-badging my Genesis, polished the small area out and had to re-apply CQUK to that one area.

Coatings are awesome.

[builthatch]

I had to do the same after de-badging my Genesis, polished the small area out and had to re-apply CQUK to that one area.

Coatings are awesome.

you know i've always been told that you have to polish the whole panel and redo it but i have done both ways and not seen a difference...but - that might be something that is sensitive to certain colors. maybe certain colors will show a difference in a spot coating "repair".

my latest technique is a hybrid - if i have to go after damage and polish past the coating in an isolated area, i'll inspect the whole panel and if there is no other damage, i'll finish polish the rest of the panel, but obviously not remove it. then, i'll recoat the whole panel. my theory is that finish polishing gives the previous coating microscopic surface area...texture...to allow the new coating to adhere to.

[FUNX650]

Would the IPA-test (RE: "the area without coating is the area with the trails.")...prove, or disprove, if any of the underlying CC was also removed...during this OC-Pro Coating removal process?

Bob

[builthatch]

Would the IPA-test (RE: "the area without coating is the area with the trails.")...prove, or disprove, if any of the underlying CC was also removed...during this OC-Pro Coating removal process?

Bob

Bob, i do not believe so. the coating seems to have a specific reaction with the IPA vs. bare clear.

i want to add that i have lightly polished on coating before many different times and wiped with IPA to check the work and it would act just like the rest of the panel. to me that always indicated that i didn't go through the coating. in cases like this, i already knew i went pretty far because i had to correct damage - i lost several microns on the gauge getting the clear coat divits out that were collateral damage from whatever debris struck my hood.

i imagine you could do this with water or whatever but since wiping with IPA is just part of the process for me, it's easy.

[FUNX650]

Bob, i do not believe so. the coating seems to have a specific reaction with the IPA vs. bare clear.

i want to add that i have lightly polished on coating before many different times and wiped with IPA to check the work and it would act just like the rest of the panel. to me that always indicated that i didn't go through the coating. in cases like this, i already knew i went pretty far because i had to correct damage - i lost several microns on the gauge getting the clear coat divits out that were collateral damage from whatever debris struck my hood.

i imagine you could do this with water or whatever but since wiping with IPA is just part of the process for me, it's easy.

Isn't OC-Pro advertised as being an additional layer of CC?



Bob

[builthatch]

Isn't OC-Pro advertised as being an additional layer of CC?



Bob

i'm not sure if they say that specifically but if so, it makes sense. that would be a good way to explain coating tech in very basic layman's terms.

so, ok, yeah, coating is like an extra thin layer of clear coat for your paint in function...but not in chemistry.

whatever makes Opti-Coat so hard and have whatever surface tension it does...makes it react differently when wiped with IPA vs. clear.

i would imagine but can't be sure that CQ and the rest of the high perf coatings out there react similarly. i'm very limited in my hands on coating exposure bandwidth to solely OPT offerings.

[FUNX650]

so, ok, yeah, coating is like an extra thin layer of clear coat for your paint in function...but not in chemistry.

whatever makes Opti-Coat so hard and have whatever surface tension it does...makes it react differently when wiped with IPA vs. clear.

...but not in chemistry. Why not?

And...if the following OC-Pro description is true...
Shouldn't OC-Pro be impervious to a weak solvent such as IPA?
_________________________________________________

"Opti-Coat is a hard wearing, ceramic clear coat for superior resistance to scratching (9H) and protection from chemical etching due to environmental impacts.

The Opti-Coat pre-polymer cross links, and forms a continuous protective film on the painted surface it is applied to, similar to a single component isocyanate that forms a clear coat finish.

Opti-Coat has better chemical resistance, scratch & mar resistance, and release properties , than any automotive paint coating in use. It provides permanent protection for all modern factory paints and can also be used to protect metal and hard plastic surfaces."
________________________________________________


Bob

[builthatch]

...but not in chemistry. Why not?

And...if the following OC-Pro description is true...
Shouldn't OC-Pro be impervious to a weak solvent such as IPA?
_________________________________________________

"Opti-Coat is a hard wearing, ceramic clear coat for superior resistance to scratching (9H) and protection from chemical etching due to environmental impacts.

The Opti-Coat pre-polymer cross links, and forms a continuous protective film on the painted surface it is applied to, similar to a single component isocyanate that forms a clear coat finish.

Opti-Coat has better chemical resistance, scratch & mar resistance, and release properties , than any automotive paint coating in use. It provides permanent protection for all modern factory paints and can also be used to protect metal and hard plastic surfaces."
________________________________________________


Bob

OPT coating uses different technology than clear coat that makes it much harder and microscopically smoother once it levels. that is what makes it ideal as something to put on top of our existing clear coat to protect it. it's clear...and a coating, but it's totally different in chemistry.

OPT coatings are totally impervious to IPA solutions...in fact you could throw the strongest strength IPA they normally sell, 91%, on cured OPT coating and nothing would happen. maybe i'm not being clear about the video, hehe.

the hood was coated a couple years ago. i got a chip. i needed to level that area out because there were some divots around the chip from whatever debris caused the chip. in doing that, i removed the coating in that area via polishing, and then a couple microns of clear too, all in the name of leveling. to remove the polish residue so i could put paint in the chip, i used an IPA solution. when you wipe from a coated area to an uncoated area with an IPA soaked towel, the moisture trails behave differently on the uncoated area vs. the other.

[GanenR32]

i'm very limited in my hands on coating exposure bandwidth to solely OPT offerings.

We've noticed.