[lazybones]

hi,
just a quick question about blending clear, i'm in the process of doing a spot repair and should be ready to clear it this evening.
once i've shot the clear how long do i wait before using the blending agent?
should i leave it for a while to harden or do it almost immediately while the clear is still tacky?

andy

[milo]

Not all clears act the same , thats why they are different ... it's a tough question you got going there without a hint of what your using. For the most part you'll need to clear the whole panel or up to a sharp body line with thought out creative masking etc..

It is not going to "melt in" or blend in the middle of a panel at any rate..

[lazybones]

Originally Posted by milo

Not all clears act the same , thats why they are different ... it's a tough question you got going there without a hint of what your using. For the most part you'll need to clear the whole panel or up to a sharp body line with thought out creative masking etc..

It is not going to "melt in" or blend in the middle of a panel at any rate..

thanks Milo
i tested it the other day on an old silver panel using Upol fade out thinners, i sprayed almost immediately after the clear went on and it seemed to do a pretty good job. i couldnt see or feel a difference anyway, the silver may have hidden any lines though.
i found that cutting the required shape in masking paper and placing it about 1/8th" above the surface diffused the edges of the clear nicely making it easier to blend
this time its for real on a dark paintjob, unfortunately i dont have a tech sheet for the clear so i guess i'll just have to wing it.

[milo]

check this one for masking ideas
http://www.a2zautoforums.com/showthread.php?t=3832

[lazybones]

nice write up there Milo thanks
i wasnt sure about how to do reverse masking but those pics have shown the way
also the 3 stage bridged masking is cool, its funny because the repair i'm doing is in almost exactly the same place as in your write up, on the rear quarter that is. so i was unsure how far out to bring the clear.
i may still use the fade out thinners aswell though as they seemed to give a good result
will let you know how i get on
cheers

[baddbob]

Whenever you do a clear blend make sure you let it cure up well before doing any sanding of buffing-the thin edge of that clear is fragile and if you rush the process you'll definately damage it.

[lazybones]

Originally Posted by baddbob

Whenever you do a clear blend make sure you let it cure up well before doing any sanding of buffing-the thin edge of that clear is fragile and if you rush the process you'll definately damage it.

i have a few other small repairs to do around the car, once theyre all finished i'll attack it with the polisher, should be good n dry by then judging by how long its taken me to do this one, sometime in 2009 maybe