james caruso
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if you haven’t already read this recent thread.
http://www.refinishnetwork.com/discussion-forum/refinish/dynatone-anyone-have-experience-here.html
i did a quick explanation of some of the spi clears. most people flock to the universal clear but read the thread. you will really have to make the decision on which is best for you. i always clear, block with 400 then reclear and lately i have been doing round 1 with euro then the second round with the ms. it works out great.
as for the fast hardener thing…not necessarily. a clear that flashes off fast enough to not be sticky will generally be slightly less prone to having dust stick to it. your area still needs to be clean though. if you are in a dirty area it wont make a bit of difference. the advantage you gain by a clear that is tack free really quick is minimal. also you have to take into consideration what you are spraying. on an overall you will need a clear that flashes slow otherwise by the time you make it all the way around you will be having dry spray issues. on an overall you almost always want a slow activator. most of spi’s clears are designed for the home guy who doesn’t have alot of airflow. euro on the other hand is great in a booth with flow because it stays wet longer. it was more desgined for the body shop rather than the restoration crowd.
that would be good choice for you then. mix ratio is 1:1 so remember 1 gallon of clear and 4 quarts of activator.
well any fresh clear will do that. it can take months for a clear to fully polymerize and reach its full hardness and scratch resistance. what clear is best for you will depend on what you find important and you spraying style. softer clears buff, scratch and swirl easy but chip alot less. hard clears will chip alot more but scratch less and be more difficult to buff. me personally, i would rather buff out some swirls than fix chips. spi’s ms, universal and hs clears are softer while the euro is much harder. the first 3 are the same clear with different solvent systems so they all spray differently. universal tacks off quick making it harder to run and better for a beginner. ms clear is slower to tack off and a thinner consistancy. hs clear is slow as well with a little bit higher solid content so its much thicker. euro is same resin as well but cat is different. it cures out much faster and harder, stays tacky longer, viscosity is controlled by how much you reduce it but also buffs alot harder. i personally like the ms, euro and universal…in that order. many times if i am clearing twice i will do the inital round with euro, sand smooth with 400 then flow coat with the ms clear. universal clear is their #1 selling clear and what most people use. it is good if your spraying conditions aren’t that good like if you are spraying at home and if you dont have that much time behind a gun.
you should really look at spi.
http://www.southernpolyurethanes.com
about the best clear out there and way underpriced for what it is. you just call them to order, shipping is free right to your door. its the only thing i have used in the past 7-8 years or so. everything in my gallery is spi primers and clears.
http://www.xtremekreations.com/gallery.html
:welc
i’m not familiar with the pricing on that base and clear but that doesn’t seem bad at all. you would figure that being somewhat remote the prices of materials would be crazy. they are crazy here and you can find stuff on every corner.
thats funny!! i dont know exactly where you are but all the islands i have been to the cars are so beat up i didn’t even think there was bodyshops. most look like they have been beat to hell for 30 years then when completely trashed the hood gets taken off and used for a roof on a house!! keep up the good work there. looks like so nice metal work. we complain about paint prices here. i bet they are pretty killer where you are.
i think their scruff pad (the 3/4″ thick one) and the odd shaped ones are great. for their flat blocks, forget it. i think they are crap. you can block anything flat with those. 3m makes the best blocks and sanding boards imo.
totally agree with bk on the kirker clear. i dont think you can get anything more bargain basement than that stuff. i tried it some years back, once was enough for me.
oh boy!! the kid who works for me has let his hair grow for like a year without cutting it. it literally looks like he has a mop on his head. i really wish he would cut it. i dont get alot of walk in customers but i really dont like to bring him to bike shows. to be honest it really just annoys the crap out of me. i dont know how he can see!!
[b]bondomerchant wrote:[/b]
[quote][b]jim c wrote:[/b]
[quote]ha!!! yeah your probably right but did you ever notice how the collision shops say they dont make any money like the custom and resto guys and the resto and custom guys say they dont make any money like the collision shops? figure that out!![/quote]
you bike painters make all the easy money after all how hard can 2 fenders an a tank be 😛 😛 :lol1 :lol1[/quote]:rofl
ha!!! yeah your probably right but did you ever notice how the collision shops say they dont make any money like the custom and resto guys and the resto and custom guys say they dont make any money like the collision shops? figure that out!!
1200-1500 for a full fairing bike with a trunk, trailer and some bodywork to boot. boy you just wait!! your going to make like $5 a hour. you’ll have as much time in that as a car.
ding is right about on the money. for a tank and 2 fenders, one color, sanded and buffed finish i would usually charge $800 but then again thats all i do. i am set up for it and do it everyday so i really bang easy stuff like that out. just like guys who always work on cars are probably much faster than i am. if it was a candy job or something like that then it would be more. always, always, always put a sanded and buffed finish on a tank and fenders. the first one you let go without it you will be cutting your throat and you will go nowhere with this. it’ll be over before you start. as for money, using all my own materials i would charge the dealer $800 and let him tack on another $200 for himself. its very difficult, as a delaer to make much money on custom paintwork. it will probably be just enough to make it worth his while but certainly wont be enough the pay the bills. we all know flawless paintwork takes alot of time so you need to make “x” amount of $$ for what you are doing which wont leave alot of room for him to tack on a bunch of cash. if he does he will be priced out of the market. han is right also, if you plan to sell these things then solid colors wont do anything for you. you need to set your stuff apart from what the average bodyshop can do. start with some simple graphics. 2 tone some of them seperated by a stripe or something. make sure everything is pinstriped. paint a nice harley logo back on it. burry all the graphics. first thing a harley owner will do is touch the tank and see if he can feel a stripe.