How Thin Is Too Thin? - [RUPES Replies Episode 028]

Paint correction technology has advanced a lot in recent years. We are faster than ever before at removing defects, but this means we have the capability to remove paint faster as well. At the same time, new cars are arriving with less and less clear coat applied, creating a lot of potential issues for technicians. How do you know when it is safe to correct paint? How thin is too thin for clear coat restoration? In this episode of RUPES Replies we talk about the GO vs. NO-GO decision for correction.
#rupesreplies #rupes #clearcoat #paintgauge #paintcorrection #bigfootpolishingsystems #autodetailing #dapolishing #buffing #compound #polish
For more information: www.rupes.com/contact-us/
subscribe to the channel: kzbin.info...
___________________________
RUPES WORLD
RUPES Corporate: www.rupes.com/
RUPES USA: rupesusa.com/
RUPES News: www.rupes.com/news/
RUPES Events: www.rupes.com/events/
RUPES Distributors: distributor.rupes.com/
RUPES BigFoot center: bigfootcentre.rupes.com/
RUPES Marketing center: download.rupes.com/
__________________________
RUPES SOCIAL
Facebook:
Global / rupestools
North America / rupesusa
Instagram:
Global / bigfootrupes
North America / rupesusa
Linkedin:
Global / rupes-s-p-a-
North America / rupesusa
Twitter: / rupesspa

[@paulborg9609]

Thank you. At last someone was more specific with the right approx. number. Please keep these coming as I learn more on these few mins episodes than spending hours watching tutorials.

[@RUPES]

That’s a big compliment! Thank you so much and we promise to keep it coming as long as people are watching and getting value from them!

[@detailersgarage]

@@RUPES Always great information for you. Miss Dylan, he was awesome. You should re-start this series. I know many of us are missing them.

[@euricogomes9904]

Thanks Dylan,always learning with your information,keep help us with your tutorial videos. ❤rupes🇮🇹

[@matthewsavidge6248]

Absolutely brilliant as ever , that is the clearest response to that question I’ve ever heard, a clear number as a guide , simple, thanks yet again 👍🏻

[@RUPES]

Thanks. Happy it is helpful

[@ByronTrzeciak]

Perfect! Really great information, I've been wondering this for ages and I've just got the paint guage so now with some tests on different cars and this video, I'm starting to get the bigger picture.

[@RUPES]

Glad it was helpful!

[@preston0752]

Absolutely amazing information! You're always my go-to for reliable and trustable knowledge!!

[@RUPES]

Thank you for the compliment! We appreciate it.

[@jaykid007]

Great video guys! Just bought a decently priced meter and was glad to get these tips. Keep em coming

[@RUPES]

Great! Thanks for watching

[@DetailerPauloAssuncao]

Excellent post! Covers a lot of relevant info.

[@RUPES]

Glad it was helpful!

[@detailmax]

Thank you for the video! Always helpful.

[@RUPES]

Thanks for watching.

[@kwills80]

Thank you this video answer a lot of questions for me

[@Dzastfakenrajd]

On spot as always Dylan ;)

[@N.P.DETAILINGUK]

Thanks for the video real good as usual!

[@RUPES]

Thank you for watching.

[@morganmcmurry9872]

This is super helpful as always guys!! :)

[@RUPES]

Thanks for watching!

[@peterleoni4762]

Excellent information, thank you. Wondering if correcting paint down to a minimum of about 3 mils would a couple of coats of ceramic coating help persevere remaining clear from UV and other environmental elements? Thanks again for all the Rupes tutorials on KZbin Peter Leoni

[@RUPES]

Good question and probably one better posed to a coating manufacturer. Coatings vary wildly in their composition and the amount of possible film build they produce. Some are more scratch and abrasion resistant than others. Some are more chemical resistant than others. Certainly having ANY protection to serve as a sacrificial barrier over a thin clearcoat surface is a good idea, but you can't make assumptions based on an entire product category because of how much variation there can be.

[@matthewgibb2640]

Another great video as usual. 3.5 - 4.25 microns is a range with a rotary, compound and a wool pad that ive seen people get between paint types and user variables. Same to even more with microfibre and my DA prior to rupes bigfoot existing. but again due to so many variables as dylan said, results vary. I just did a few panels of my black 86 GTS on the weekend. honey spider pad and Rupes DA fine then UNO pure - Good correction, very little paint removed, super rich colour.

[@RUPES]

Thanks, as always, for your comments Matthew.

[@matthewgibb2640]

@@RUPES i enjoy this series even though i only turn machines on for testing and training purposes these days for a company in usa. I give rupes credit for what they have done. I remember well the days of being in the industry and all alone with no one willing to share information and manufacturers not doing anything educational. Heres our new rotary, good luck was all they did back in the 90s

[@gunsnsails]

YAHTZEE!!!I needed this info.

[@RUPES]

Glad it was helpful. Thank you for watching and commenting.

[@N.P.DETAILINGUK]

You think you could to a video on replacing those motor brushes? On the DA machine? That be a good one 👍

[@ScottHD]

DVK = Epic beard is epic. Great video guys!

[@RUPES]

Thanks for watching!

[@bbdetailing9123]

Good video. Thanks

[@RUPES]

Glad you liked it!

[@MikesAutoDetailing]

Awesome video

[@RUPES]

Thanks!

[@brianrussell7691]

Quick question on selection of a good paint gauge. What are the aspects or criteria we should look for? You mention accuracy. What’s a reasonable accuracy variance? I understand that paint gauges that read both metal and non metal surfaces are more expensive. Many car parts these days are non-metal, thinking bumpers and fenders, What’s the cost differential vs benefit of getting a good picture of the paint thickness? In other words, how can we be smart consumers when buying a paint gauge? Thanks!

[@RUPES]

Thanks for posting your questions Brian. We do not endorse any one specific meter and there are so many options on the market, in varying capabilities, price ranges, and feature levels it is difficult to even make blanket statements about what is "best" for anyone. In terms of variance, it varies (HAHA!). As the price goes up the accuracy tends to as well. Pay close attention to the variance level for whatever meters you're looking at and determine the cost vs. accuracy sweet-spot for you. Even if you buy a very inexpensive meter that has a wider range in variance, thats fine, just know in your head what that potential margin of error is and consider it when making decisions. For the cost differential vs. benefit of getting a good picture of the paint thickness - again it depends on your situation. If you're using it as a professional and sanding/polishing on numerous cars every day consider the risk/reward. What is the cost to repaint a vehicle if you mis-judge paint thickness on a customer car? The chances of an incident increase with the volume of cars you touch, right? For an end user, just maintaining their own cars maybe not as much of a risk/reward proposition there because they're familiar with the car and will only be accountable to themselves is something goes wrong. I know that is a lot of non-answers, but there is so much variability in this that it isn't the same for every person. Good luck on your research of meters! -Dylan vK

[@brianrussell7691]

@@RUPES Thanks Dylan. Yes, i understand Rupes cannot endorse a particular brand. I’m not a detail pro. Just a guy with a few cars that likes keeping them well maintained and help a few friends and relatives with their cars too. I like and have a few Rupes polishers; LHR-15 Mk III, the Nano and have the LHR-75E on order. It seems the marketplace has a batch of low end paint gauges from $25-50, $80-130 range then from $200-500 with some $800-$1,400++. A lot of offerings to sort out. I appreciate your feedback. Any folks out there with recommendations, please advise. Stay healthy and happy holidays! Keep the good videos coming.

[@saeedasghar7038]

What steps do you take to up the level of cut if your not getting the result you want on test areas. Would you go Polish pad and polish Heavy polish pad polish Cutting pad and polish Or would it be cutting pad compound etc...

[@RUPES]

Adjust the combination of products or your technique for something more aggressive then test again. Changing only 1 aspect at a time so you know which adjustment is providing the improvement. This video covers the specifics of the test spot and product adjustment kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZouaapJnnZeGr6M

[@anthonylerew]

Best pads and techniques to polish single stage paint?

[@carcarerijen]

hi rupes, so if i get this strait you mean if i have 4 mills on a car, it would mean i have 2.7 mills to work with? ( i devide the 4:3 ) clear coat - base coat - primer .

[@Luisitofc1]

One thing that is very controversial is the Decon step before paint correction. What is the best way or the Rupes way of doing the Decon process?

[@RUPES]

Should be no controversy - as long as the step or steps address the contamination it isn’t up for debate. A surface must be clean before polishing, but how you get there each time will be unique based on the specific car and level/type of contamination. Mechanical and/or chemical may be required.

[@ChristiannTyler]

What would be considered too thin for removing orange peel? I bought a Infiniti that has heavy texture it takes so much away from the finish.

[@fernandofabregas450]

What brand and model is this paint meter or gauge ? I am finding a lot of mixed reviews on all of them. Which one would you recommend?

[@nickv9955]

What’s the best way to maintain paint that is at 3 mils or lower? Example a fine polish or just leave it alone.

[@RUPES]

Protect it and leave it alone if at all possible. If any polishing is done it should be the finest possible solution you have available and only done to enhance gloss, not to correct defects. Anytime we are correcting the surface we are removing material, and on an already thin surface removal of material can be detrimental to the life of the paint. In the case of extremely thin paint a product heavy in fillers, like a a non-abrasive glaze or wax, can be the best option to enhance the appearance and at least provide temporary improvement of the look.

[@tsukuyomi8420]

@RUPES i have a question about sets when buying a polisher there are some options DLX,BOX,BAS....

[@RUPES]

Yes, each of those are kits and they come bundled with accessories and different configurations. Check with a distributor in your area, not all kits are available in all regions.

[@jonathandempsey1172]

Is there any sort of paint hardness chart anywhere? Maybe one based on vehicle manufacturer?

[@RUPES]

Paint hardness cannot be cataloged for several reasons and frankly shouldn't be for a long list of others. The test spot is really the place to start so you have diagnosis specific to the exact vehicle in the exact situation in which you are working kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZouaapJnnZeGr6M Reasons you cannot catalog paint hardness: 1) OEM paint changes, frequently! Supply chain issues, QC issues, raw material shortages, or cost savings. Every OEM has the ability to change paint manufacturers and types in a matter of hours at any point. This means that 2 cars sprayed in the same factory on the same day in the same color could have 2 completely different clear coats used if a changeover happened. While there are certainly patterns there is no way of knowing until you do a test spot. This also makes a list useless, because it is always changing. 2) Repairs are a reality, even on new cars off the lot. Aftermarket paint is applied very differently and cured very differently than factory applied paint and thus it will behave differently, so over the course of a correction the paint can (and likely will based on statistics) change on some panels. 3) Modern cars are not all painted in the same place. As manufacturers have become more sophisticated they rely on suppliers of components to do some finishing. The mirror caps might be painted in one factory, the bumpers in another. The hood painted by a different part of the factory than the body and doors. The colors will match, but the application and curing process will vary based on substrate or processes and thus the behavior can be different.

[@jonathandempsey1172]

@@RUPES I appreciate your time!

[@perfectshave85]

Does 'mils' mean millimeters? Or is it a completely different metric?

[@johnlopez3001]

Mil = 1 millimeter, 0.001" 1 Thousand of a inch. I just spent a couple hours researching for a paint coating thickness gauge and have a headache to prove it. Good luck

[@perfectshave85]

@@johnlopez3001 thank you.

[@garyseeseverything8615]

1 paint correction every 5 years max! Thin clear coat burns out in the sun!

[@validatedcustomer604]

All these products are meant to make the detailers job easier and faster yet detailers want to charge $100 an hour because they have the lates tool 😅😅😅😅. We dont care what tool you use we care about results and you cant buy experience👍

[@anonymousonlineuser6543]

I save you all time. The answer is : It is too thin when you are at 0.80