Hand-applied clear coats offer cost-effective solutions

July 23, 2014
A unique method of paint restoration is allowing detailers to take high-profit business away from you. Get this business back without the expense of new equipment or training.

A unique method of paint restoration is allowing detailers to take high-profit business away from you. Get this business back without the expense of new equipment or training. Less than three years ago, I did not think it was possible to formulate a clear coating that could be applied with a hand application — easy as wax, but with a coating similar to those you have sprayed on for years. In the last several years, hand-applied clear coatings that can lay down as fine a finish as a spray job for restoring original color to the paint while leaving an often better-than-new shine have been developed and are being used by many detail operations. This clear coating can also make paint swirls, light scratches and scuff marks seem to disappear and can even bring back life to a surface where the paint had gone white from a burned out clear coat.

Now that I have your attention, let’s get to the details — how much prep work is required and how difficult is it to apply? Prep work involves first cleaning the vehicle with a thorough pressure washing, then using a scuffing paste (like Presta's Scuff Stuff or Sherwin-Williams’ USP 90) applied by microfiber cloth or white 3M Doodlebug scrub pad, depending on the vehicle, with water and light hand pressure. Rub in a circular motion; if you have to rub up and down or back and forth to clean a difficult area, always finish with a circular cleaning motion. Rinse with water and finish the preparation by using a tack rag. To complete an average car (Toyota Camry, for example), it should take about 45 minutes. The application process will vary depending on supplier instructions, but all vendors agree you must have a wet enough coating on the surface to allow for proper flow out. Don't try to work it in; it doesn't need that. The objective is to have enough coating over the area you are working on so that it almost runs. If you don’t have enough, your finished application will have streaks. It is a learning process and may take four or five attempts before you become proficient.

Always practice on a scrap surface before attempting a quarter panel, door, trunk, hood or especially a whole vehicle. Hand application of the clear coating takes approximately 30-45 minutes. Dry-to-touch time varies by vendor but usually takes less than 30 minutes. Ready-to-go-out-the-door drying can take all day, but the time can be greatly reduced by the use of heat lamps.  If you have to paint over this "miracle" coating, don’t worry. Most vendors offer a coating that adheres to automotive coatings readily, and those automotive coatings can adhere to it. Painting over it, if or when it becomes necessary, is not a problem. However, there are now multiple vendors in the hand-applied category, most of whom are good at marketing but know close to nothing about the chemistry of the product they sell. Make sure you deal with an established manufacturer, not a reselling agent.
Examples of what can be done are shown in the two sets of before and after photos above. The first set shows a car about to be crushed into a block that had its clear coat completely whited out with a scratch through it. The technician cleaned the surface and hand applied a clear coating. As you can see, the whited-out paint was fixed, scratch marks no longer existed, and color/gloss were restored so you can see his reflection in the paint. In the next set, you see the scratches around the door handle before being restored to perfection with the procedure described above.

Remember that while the coating can correct a number of cosmetic flaws, it also can add a new layer of clear coat protection to the paint against sun damage, acids and alkalis, bird droppings, insect splatters, salt spray on the coasts, tree sap, industrial pollution and other airborne contamination. Also, the coating provides a great looking shine that is very dirt repellant, so it is easy to keep clean.

How much does it cost to get this unique coating technology into your shop? There are as many different answers as there are vendors — it can vary from a few thousand dollars to more than $50,000. Almost all will not let you buy small quantities (like a quart or a gallon) to use the product only as needed. A franchise, distributor or licensee "package" must be bought from the other vendors; however, there is at least one vendor who allows you to buy whatever amount you need. The cost per gallon for all products is higher ($550-$650 per gallon) than the best clear coat you can buy from any of the majors. But, because hand application is more efficient, the cost per vehicle is a relatively inexpensive — $25 to $30 (for a typical sedan). Because product usage of 4-6 ounces per vehicle is so efficient and hand application removes the atomization necessary from spray application, the environmental profile of using a hand-applied solvent-borne coating is almost as environmentally friendly as spraying a waterborne clear. And the water-based problems of both poor adhesion and especially poor weathering (sun exposure) performance can be eliminated with these solvent-borne, hand-applied clear coatings. Clear coatings now exist that can restore a paint’s original color and gloss, make light scratches and scuff marks disappear and easily eliminate swirls in the paint by simply applying by hand. 

As with any other decision, you should investigate the supplier before investing. But isn’t it worth taking the time to seriously explore this opportunity to serve your customers better and more profitably?

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