More durable? ss/clear or bc/clear

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PostPosted: Sat Dec 09, 2017 8:16 am
What do you think is more durable? clear over single stage urethane or clear over base coat?



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PostPosted: Sat Dec 09, 2017 12:42 pm
i'm not sure what you mean durable weathering or chipping but here are my ideas on this. as far as the clear it's kind of a toss up both are going to perform near the same as far as weathering or last a long time. for the abrasion part I'd go with the activated B/C with the thought that the S/S is going to be twice the millage or more than the B/C therefore more apt to chip. but I really think where're trying to spilt hairs here.
I think there is really no reason to clear coat a solid color S/S, I've done it before and there really doesn't seem to be a difference in looks and durability.
now I do like to clear a S/S metallic color . some metallic colors just don't have the gloss they should and this can be from the color, the type of paint or the application. the clear coat brings the gloss out.
Jay D.
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PostPosted: Sat Dec 09, 2017 1:43 pm
I guess I mean more chip resistant. I will be painting some motorcycle parts like gas caps, tank emblems and air cleaner cover in black.



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PostPosted: Sat Dec 09, 2017 6:16 pm
I think the B/C system would be my pick. this way you can keep the film build down, to much is usually more prone to chipping. more so than the chipping problem I would make sure that your getting good adhesion to your metal. you could shoot a coat of epoxy reduced to use as a sealer. then after the required flash time hit it with the base then clear, all wet to wet as its called. this is to properly prepped bare steel I assume and activated base coat. it probably won't get any better unless its powder coated.
Jay D.
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PostPosted: Sat Dec 09, 2017 6:20 pm
I think something to think about is....it is not IF you are going to get chips but WHEN you get chips. Everything that flies down a highway will chip eventually. I find base/clear easier to do touch-up on compared to most of the single stage stuff. Being able to separately do color, then lay in and build clear (even do a little color/clear blending) can give me almost invisible repairs. Don't get me wrong, I can work on single stage and it looks okay but I can finesse base/clear much better.
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 11, 2017 7:31 am
Black epoxy, black basecoat, clear. Nothing worse that getting a chip and seeing the grey primer underneath. Sticks out like a sore thumb.

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PostPosted: Mon Dec 11, 2017 8:56 am
hashed this out on another forum already,

when i do bikes a solid color i usually try to use SS then clear over that, cut it down and put all my graphics on.
i dont know that it makes a stronger paint job but it saves me having to spot in burn through's.

"in theory" you would think it would make it stronger but on the mil thickness side of things it could make it fail to ? never had one fail but i have had basecoat jobs fail do to clear delaminating but have never had that issue with SS.

my clear delaminating problem is usually me trying to put someone elses clear over HoK products, yep... use hardener in basecoat should be fine though.

either way yes it will work
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 11, 2017 12:12 pm
as said before your just spiting hairs one way is just as good as the other. now repair ability may have its good and bad sometimes.
Dave, good idea on the s/s as a base for graphics or the like. I have several airbrushes and lots of leftover B/C colors. I've always wanted to play with them, now that i'm retired its getting close to, time. using the S/S as a base will eliminate a step or two and give you some meat to work on.
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 11, 2017 1:32 pm
Paint half a panel with base coat only, the other half with a SS urethane,
Let sit out in the weather and you'll quickly see which one is more durable.
as far as basecoat, it's not durable at all, the urethane clear gives it it's durability.
So think about it, urethane color is by far more durable, afterall, it's
basically the same as clear coat, and the clear is what gives the durability.
No comparison.
JC.

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PostPosted: Tue Dec 12, 2017 12:19 pm
I think what we were trying to get across was comparing S/S to B/C that's S/S to base coat cleared and complete. I think if you did your comparison that way they would be nearly equal.
Jay D.
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