car71

Just wondering is there a way to blend clear coat say in the middle of a panel,with out showing a brake or a line after you wet sand and buff.I know the right way is to clear the whole panel. and whats the procedure,i have tried doing it before its a hit or miss for me.

outhouse

I do this all the time with really good results and I'm picky


No tape and I use an airbrush and use 2 normal thick coats with center over the repair area.


Then blend out some thin coats. Light polish afterwards.




I had clearcoat peel off down by my front wheel rocker panel on a black car. Did not even sand down smooth just feathered edges and shot a rattle can thick coat and let dry, then used an orbital with a light polish. Best repair ive done, and you cannot see it. Go figure.


Did the rear of a Ducati tail section that was dropped and that turned out great clear repair was invisible. Hard part was blending the pearl paint that did not exist. Only way you could see it is if I pointed it out.

car71

So that's two wet coats of clear than two light coats,Than buff, no sanding blending edge before you apply clear.how about blending solvent or reducer none used?how does the clear burn it that way?after wet sanding there's no line.Never new it can be done that way.thanks

outhouse

Is the cheap way to make a 10 year old car better looking. But blending in itself is the cheap way.


The Ducati was new, and you could not tell.


Never used blending solvent, and color sanding I do use on a case by case basis.

Daleford

Blend clear on the sides only, not on horizontal areas.
Eventually UV rays will eat up clear blend edges.

DUB

I prep out from the area that I know where my blend will basically end with 1500 grit. I make sure my sanding with 1500 is correct and I get it completely dull but not so much worried about getting all the texture out. I apply my fade out thinner and keep it within my 1500 grit sanded area. I then shoot and blend the paint and then clear it. Making sure I keep my first coat of clear going slightly past where I know my blend ended. Then the next coat of clear..I clear out further but still trying to stay within the 1500 grit prepped area that has the fade out thinner on it. Then I immediately pour out my clear and add some fade-out thinner to it. Roughly 25%-30% of fade out thinner..and I dust this clear on my edge and slightly go out a bit further. The I add more fade out thinner to get it to about 50/50..and do the dust in again. Then I pour that out and use straight fade out thinner and blow in over the edges one last time and NOT trying to pound it. I just dust it a few times till I see that it is completely wet looking and no dry edges and it is 'melting in'..

Come in the next day with 1500 grit...wet sand it and then carefully buff it and I have had great results that way....but if the car is out in the sun....it will show. No way around it.

100%

I would not advise blending clear on a panel that does not have a distinct body feature line where you can hide the blend. Any painter will tell you that if you do not clear coat the entire panel..the edge WILL come back and show itself...as you know.

DUB

outhouse

No doubt, sometimes you can get lucky but I cant argue.



Does mixing reducer and clearcoat making it thinner work out the same???

DUB

NO...the fade-out thinner I use has resin in it and is HOT...meaning that it has serious strength to it. Kinda like really slow dry lacquer thinner way back in the day.

I also understand that this fade-out thinner is not melting or softening the facotry clear coat...but it does bite into it.

I ALWAYS prefer to find a feature line that I can hide the line in. But sometimes there is not one....such as a hood for a 1984-1996 Corvette. They get fully clearcoated.

DUB

outhouse

Thank you


Right now I'm doing lic plate holes in a black C6, while at an angle it still shows everything.


I figure I can throw some personal time into it. If not ill take the skin off and we have a paint/body shop that will shoot the whole thing for $250.





That's what I was worried about.


I had such a good blend on my f fender lower rocker, I got cocky lol.

Roger Walling

All paint manufacturers do not recommend blending, even the ones that sell blending solvents.

Their recommendations when using such solvents is to polish the final edge. DO NOT BUFF!!!

They all say that the edge will fail in time.

If an insurance company demands that you blend, tell them to go pound sand! It is not the manufactures recommend way to repair.

The insurance company may say, "It is the industry standard way to repair"

Total B.S.! Demand that the repair is done according to Manufacturers recommendations for proper refinishing.

Of course, if you happen to drop an anvil, (or even a 1/2" wrench) and chip the paint, go ahead and touch up and blend to save lots of $$, knowing that the blend WILL fail in the future.

outhouse

Very true


The blend line is also often fragile compared to the rest of the paint.



Words of wisdom

DUB

I have to disagree with this 'do not buff' way of thinking that the paint manufactures may state.

On several cars I have the pleasure to work. The paint jobs are slick as glass and there is no way that using my fade-out thinner and clear.... I can shoot it and have it be as slick as sanded and buffed clear. I can get it close...but it is not the same. SO...I do just that....I sand and buff/polish it and many times the 'tell-tale' line I can see is so faint. That there is not much more I can do other than take half the car a part for a small chip repair.

And I can guarantee that the customer is not going to have me rear clear coat the rear clip of their 1970 Corvette becasue they had a rock chip in the quarter panel.

DUB

outhouse

Not arguing as much as trying to learn from you.


But some of my edges are very thin and buffing would clean it down and show a line where the coat is thicker. So I like polishing over cutting.


I would have to agree it depends of the repair, and how one did so.


I would also agree at my skill level of painting, I don't know what I can get away with like you do.

Roger Walling

Dub,

Quote, "....I sand and buff/polish it and many times the 'tell-tale' line I can see is so faint"


You must admit that that line that you see is so thin that when it breaks down due to lack of UV filters the blend will be noticeable.

I admit that there are times that it is totally impractical to completely refinish and a blend is necessary. (with the owners permission) That is why you can never give a firm price on a paint job until it is done.

DUB

100%. This is generally due to when I have to do a blend..I HAVE TO do it because the adjacent panels of the rear clip (or front clip) have damage that is afar away from the actual chip I am fixing and I can not simply clearcoat over the blemishes.

When I start finding additional blemishes is what I call a 'Texas blend'. The area starts off as small as a pea...but grows into the entire rear clip...then doors...then the other clip...and then the t-tops if they are painted.

So as I tell my customers who are paying for it...."I am trying to find the spot on the car that I can stop the painting so I can stop the hemorrhaging of your wallet. In some cases...there is no hope...it must be an all-over paint job.

DUB