posted
Let's say you do a small pictorial or some such thing on a vehicle and want to clear coat it for durability. How do you folks aproach this?
I've been told (and tried once) to mask around your work, then clear while the mask is in place and pull the mask immediately. The time I tried it left a little raised bit of clear like a bubble.
I don't really want to have to sand and clear entire body parts to blend in small graphics. It's not really practical or cost effective. The graphic I mentioned above was probably around 6"x10" on the rear hatch of a PT Cruiser.
-------------------- Jon Androsky Posts: 438 | From: Williamsport, PA | Registered: Mar 2002
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posted
If you cut the graphic in Vinyl film, spray with Pelucid, wait 3 minutes, weed and let it sit overnight. Next morning apply premask and that's it. This is a procedure we commonly do in our studio all the time.
-------------------- Pierre St.Marie Stmariegraphics Kalispell,Mt www.stmariegraphics.com ------------------ Plan on knowing everything before I die and time's running out! Posts: 4223 | From: Kalispell,Mt 59903 | Registered: Mar 2000
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posted
I do these things all the time and honestly feel that clear coat isn't necessary especially for the size you speak of. If you aren't clearing the body panel itself then no matter what clear used, it will always be a tad higher and a crisp edge.
How is the graphic or whatever being applied? If its hand brushed, why clearcoat, as paint additives such as 1-Shot #4007 hardener can give all the gloss you need without using any other additives. Amazing things to me is why one takes on a job they know little about without first doing some experimenting to get the feel.
Once I was standing on a rock overlooking Lake Tahoe and someone yelled, c'mon in the waters fine! When I finally jumped in, it was absolutely the coldest water I've ever felt in my life, within 10 seconds I was back on land.
-------------------- HotLines Joey Madden - pinstriping since 1952 'Perfection, its what I look for and what I live for'
posted
Yeah, but HE didn't jump in the lake, eh Joey??
heh
-------------------- Pierre St.Marie Stmariegraphics Kalispell,Mt www.stmariegraphics.com ------------------ Plan on knowing everything before I die and time's running out! Posts: 4223 | From: Kalispell,Mt 59903 | Registered: Mar 2000
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Boy are you going to get some comments on this one!
Truly define your artwork. Airbrushed,One-Shot,Vinyl?
As Joey said if your doing O-Shot then you don't need clearing.
As Pierre stated if your using vinyl as a base then clear coat with UV's (Automotive,Frog Juice, One-Shot Etc Etc.) still going to have a ridge or edge to the work.
If your Airbrushing then always recommended to clear coat the artwork. Call your local body shop and have them wet sand and clear..It will come out like glass work.
You'll be happy and so will the customer.
Hope this helps.
-------------------- Stephen Deveau RavenGraphics Insinx Digital Displays
Letting Your Imagination Run Wild! Posts: 4327 | From: Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia, Canada | Registered: Jan 2000
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Stephen, if you shoot the pelucid, wait the appropriate time and weed, you don't get a ridge at all.
-------------------- Pierre St.Marie Stmariegraphics Kalispell,Mt www.stmariegraphics.com ------------------ Plan on knowing everything before I die and time's running out! Posts: 4223 | From: Kalispell,Mt 59903 | Registered: Mar 2000
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posted
I'm assuming your brushing or airbrushing directly on the vehicle. If your using basecoats then have to clear it, it's allways best to clear the whole panel. I know you dont want to go that route. Sometimes on small jobs you can tape around the graphic about a 1/16th inch outside of it, clear, and remove tape immediately, to let the clear flow a little. There will still be an edge, that will allways happen. You can wetsand and rub it out after its cured, but dont go too far or you'll be rubbing the artwork. Even then there will still be a slight edge.
posted
Sorry gang, I should have specified. The graphics in question are generaly brushed, or airbrushed, or a combination of the two directly onto the body panel. One Shot has pretty much been my paint of choice since time immemorable, though I've been playing with the HOC urethanes lately (experimenting BEFORE I put them on a job Joey ).
I've never felt a need to clear over small graphics like this in the past, however, I've been reading and hearing some horror stories recently about painted graphics being blown off by folks using pressure washers on their vehicles. Now in my neck of the woods taking the old pressure washer to the bodywork is pretty much status quo, and while I've never actually had a graphic get blown off before, I'd really like to do everything I can to prevent it from happening.
Thanks for the comments
[ March 11, 2002, 10:26 AM: Message edited by: Jonathan Androsky ]
-------------------- Jon Androsky Posts: 438 | From: Williamsport, PA | Registered: Mar 2002
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