Bumpers & Paint

[grahamt7]

Folks, tis like this.........

I've got a nice new fibreglass bumper.......it now has 3 coats of grey undercoat, six coats of acrylic traffy blue (the last coat of which didn't dry very nicely ). It now has 4 coats of 2-pack traffy blue on top and is like a very nice glossy shiny glass . It's had more wet and dry sandings than a well-sanded beach!

How long do I need to let this stuff dry (I've got a web rally on the 23rd!!)before I can properly manhandle it without leaving "fingerprints" in what is soft paint....

Would it help if I leave a heater on low in the garage?

Should I put an acrylic top-coat on it (and if so, any recommended product?)?

[grahamt7]

Who has moved me into Electrical?

[rayofleamington]

oops - sorry Where did you want your bodywork question to be moved to? I'll try to click on bodywork next time.

[grahamt7]

Didn't really want it moved at all (sniff!), but I spose it really should be in Bodywork....hehe.

[rayofleamington]

I spose it really should be in Bodywork

yes, bodywork questions ought really to be in bodywork. Dunno why people post them elsewhere...

[jonathon]

Graham, if painted with 2K and left to dry naturally the paint should cure in a max of 24 hrs. Why so many coats, the problem with too much paint is puddling, the symptoms of which are what your describing, the paint cannot breath enough to dry, and each consective layer re activates the previous one. I'm not sure how you could wet flat a surface which has not dried, as it would just bead up on the flatting paper. Anyway leave the bumper out in the sun and it should dry reasonably quick.Definately do not add any more paint, and are you sure that the paints are compatible, ie etch, primer,acrylic then 2k, here could be your problem.

[grahamt7]

Cheers Jonathon,

These are really quite thin layers of paint. Reason for so many layers is that the last layer of acrylic dried quite badly and looked terrible.

The paint is "dry" as such, but when manhandled it appears that it is still slightly soft and fingerprints are left. But is does wet flat out...making it nice and easy to get another thin coat on top. (Incidentally I find the 2-pack paint much much easier to work with.)

I gues when I get home tonight I'll stick it in the back garden till Saturday.

Any point in lacquering?

[jonathon]

Not really,it'll just add yet more paint and probably set off another reaction. 2K is nice to work with, and you will find that you only need a hanger coat, followed by two more wet coats to give a good depth of paint. You say 'thin coat', how much thinners are you using, shouldn't really exceed 10%.

[grahamt7]

Not thin as in "thinned with thinners", just thin, ie not too much!

The previous bumper just crumbled away....the new one looks better that the rest of the car's paint!