[Cottonyzf]

I'm using Glasurit base over SPI epoxy primer with universal clear over the base. I washed the car and used a PPG wax and grease remover, waited around 45 minutes, then tacked the car off. As soon as the base hit the car little bumps formed immediately. It looks like solvent pop, but I didn't think it could happen that fast. The temp was mid to high 70s and I used the slow activator.
So my first question is does this sound like solvent pop to you guys or something else?

Next....being the genius I am I decided to go ahead and finish painting the car thinking I could just wetsand out the imperfections. I topped the base off with SPI Universal clear and the clear went on fine. Then came the wetsanding.........this actually worked fine until I started running into some of the "bubbles" that went all the way to primer. Now this is my car and just going to be a driver, but I still wanted to do a good job on it.
Is it possible to repair these tiny dots of primer? Maybe mix up some paint and use a dabber or something to touch the dots, then wetsand them and clear the car again?
I also thought of just leaving the tiny dots and laying down another coat or two of clear. I hate to do this, but they really won't be noticeable unless you're very close to the car.
I don't have enough base to cover the car again and the glasurit is so expensive that's really my last option.

Any thought on this? thanks.

[302 Z28]

When you tacked the car did you wipe like you were trying to dry it or did just glide the tack cloth over the surface with no pressure? Wiping a tack cloth can transfer the carrier of the cloth to the surface causing what you have explained. Could not possibly be solvent pop with the first coat of base, has to be a contaminate on the surface.

Vince

[jcclark]

I'll bet that it was small fish eyes and the wax and grease remover
just redistributed it all over.
It's a common problem with wax and grease remover.
You have to rely on the clean towels to wipe it up while it's still
wet. It takes a lot, otherwise you just move the contaminates around.
Some cars have some pretty strong silicones or other contaminates
in the newer paint protectants that are sold.
Some can be real difficult to remove, maybe you got something
on there that needs a stronger cleaner?
I usually wash mine with Dawn dish detergent before sanding,
then again after sanding the primer. So far that has worked better
for me than wax and grease remover.
Wax and grease remover has to be used right or else it'll create
more problems than it solves. You have to be very thorough in
removing it, more so than applying it.

[Cottonyzf]

I probably put more pressure when using the tack cloth than I should. Next time I'll use very little pressure with it.

Also I did use dawn when washing the car....guess I should have stopped there and not used the W&G remover. I plan to do a test panel in the next few days without using the w&g remover to see if I get the same results.

[jcclark]

If you washed with Dawn first, then I don't believe the Wax & Grease remover
can be blamed. It should have been clean after that..
It still sounds like you got a contamination problem.
It's very unlikely the tack rag caused it.
They just don't do that.
Sometimes it can be real hard to find the source.
Even a compressor can cause a problem after it warms up,
or a different hose, or etc.
But something got you, and it can happen to anyone, anytime.
Good luck.

[Cottonyzf]

Originally Posted by jcclark

If you washed with Dawn first, then I don't believe the Wax & Grease remover
can be blamed. It should have been clean after that..
It still sounds like you got a contamination problem.
It's very unlikely the tack rag caused it.
They just don't do that.
Sometimes it can be real hard to find the source.
Even a compressor can cause a problem after it warms up,
or a different hose, or etc.
But something got you, and it can happen to anyone, anytime.
Good luck.

I finished wetsanding last night. I plan to wash the car tonight and touch up a few of the real bad spots, then wet sand those areas and hopefully hit it with two more coats of clear Saturday morning. I hope this works!

[Cottonyzf]

Well, I've pretty much narrowed it down to the base or reducer.
I shot three different test panels tonight and they all did the same thing....small bubbles in the base right away. I even tried a different gun. I used the same compressor and lines, but recently shot HOK and PPG shopline bases without any issues. Oh well. I guess the lesson learned here is to do a test panel before shooting the whole car, which I guess should really be a no brainer.
I'd take the rest of my base back to the jobber to see if they shoot it and get the same results, but they're about 90 miles away and I'd have to take off work to go. Plus I've already painted the car, so the damage is done if the material is in fact the problem.
Has this ever happened to any of you guys before? Bad material causing issues like this?

[milo]

Is the compressor in the same room as what you are painting?

[Cottonyzf]

Originally Posted by milo

Is the compressor in the same room as what you are painting?

It is. It's behind the hanging palstic, but in the same room. It didn't kick on while I was spraying tonight if that matters.

[freethinker52]

could be water

[milo]

Originally Posted by Cottonyzf

It is. It's behind the hanging palstic, but in the same room. It didn't kick on while I was spraying tonight if that matters.

We have seen the same symptoms your having fixed by removing the compressor or placing a hose on their breather to the outside..

Compressors fling oil into the air( little mist you can't see)...even the oil-less ones and can't be near what your trying to keep oil free..

did your paint come out better with the compressor not kicking on during tonights batch?

[Cottonyzf]

Originally Posted by milo

We have seen the same symptoms your having fixed by removing the compressor or placing a hose on their breather to the outside..

Compressors fling oil into the air( little mist you can't see)...even the oil-less ones and can't be near what your trying to keep oil free..

did your paint come out better with the compressor not kicking on during tonights batch?

It's an oiled compressor....80 gallon Ingersoll. Now that I think about it this make a lot of sense. The paint came out better, but there were still bubbles, just not as many. The worst parts of the car were the roof, trunk, and hood, which would be were the oil is falling the most. Wonder why it didn't really effect the clear though?
I'll re-route the breather hose for now. I plan on building a booth eventually, so might not need to move the compressor.

[BarryK]

What reducer are you using in the base?

[Cottonyzf]

Originally Posted by BarryK

What reducer are you using in the base?

I'm using the Glasurit slow reducer.

[BarryK]

Ok, it was a long shot but being a Glasuit fan, I do know a lot of the cheap reducers do not work well, you may have "one" bad pigment in the mix, it is something real minor.