Clear Coating Carbon parts.


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fgayford
fgayford
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Ok, now that I have pin hole free parts I now have another what seems insurmountable problem.

No matter what I have done I cannot get the clear to laydown without small craters in the outer surface of the clear. I am talking very, very small ones.

Here is what I have done.(and by the way I have been spraying clearcoat for years so I know how to do it, its just carbon panels that give me the problems)

1. Wash with soap and water - scuff with 600 or 400 wet and dry paper - wipe with prime wash -  spray. (pits)

2. Wipe with alcohol -scotch brite with grey ultra fine - wipe with 99.9% pure alcohol. (pits)

3. Scuffed as above - eliminated my spray equipment and sprayed clear with a spray bomb. (pits) 

4. Heated the part and spray bomb - sprayed fog coats - let flash well- built up to shiney. (pits)

5. Scuffed with "OLD DUTCH CLEANER" - sprayed with rattle can. (pits)

What the is going on!!!!! This is the pits!

Are you guys not getting these surface bleamishes ???????? 

The only thing that I can think of is that the carbon fiber is conductive of electricity or I am dealing with electrostatic repulsion.

I know that you cannot spray a plastic bumper without eliminating the electrostic fields.

Thanks for any help on this. Hopefully the Easy Composites Staff can clear this up!     Get It?  Clear this up!

Fred
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fgayford
fgayford
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Ok I have just got to a point that I can answer my own question.
Craters in the clear coat were still a problem. I spray a coat and wet sand down and then abrade each crater and fill in that crater with clear on a tooth pick then flat sand when cured in my over.
Now the surface is flat and crater free. Now when I spray the next layer I get the craters in different place??? I have degreased and cleaned with alcohol and craters still  happen.

Solution found!
 
I ran out of clear coat and this time I bought PPG $500.00 dollars a kit clear coat which has been tested to be able to use Fisheye eliminator. (any clearcoat that the manufacturer says fisheye eliminator can be used would be the same, PPG is not mandatory)
I sprayed and wait for it............................NO CRATERS!!!
Here's the deal. I talked to the paint supplier and they had found that many shops complained about suddenly having fisheye ( or craters) in their paint jobs where previously they had none. In this case it was tracked down to a Lance Armstrong silicone wrist band the painter was wearing. As he waved his arm with every pass microscopic silicone molecules were contaminating the surface. (I know it sounds like a wives tale but....) Wrist band gone and the fish eyes were gone as well.
I use silicone in my shop for making molds... go figure! The even crazier thing is that Fisheye eliminator is silicone. (so I have been told)
Armourall is also in my shop. Lots of silicone in it . So I unwittingly had set the stage for my own problems.

Hope this helps

Fred


 
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