Paint Match - Aug 2007

To answer your question about urethane over gel coat, yes. Here at the 
'Possum Werks we shoot urethane over gel coat all the time, but it depends  on the
application. Gel coat, even the high quality German stuff, yellows faster  and
to a greater degree than urethane.

==============================================

Date:         Sat, 18 Aug 2007 21:31:09 -0500
Reply-To:     "Ximango Owners Group (XOG)" <XIMANGO@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM>
Sender:       "Ximango Owners Group (XOG)" <XIMANGO@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM>
From:         Ted Gordon <tedjgordon@ATT.NET>
Subject:      Paint Match
MIME-Version: 1.0
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Dear All:

I am having a ding repaired. Anyone know the name of a good outer =
surface color match using polyurethane paint?

Ted Gordon
=========================================================================
Date:         Sat, 18 Aug 2007 21:50:23 -0400
Reply-To:     "Ximango Owners Group (XOG)" <XIMANGO@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM>
Sender:       "Ximango Owners Group (XOG)" <XIMANGO@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM>
From:         Bruce Schimmel <bruce@SCHIMMEL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Paint Match
In-Reply-To:  <AFEF9E04DF4B40E1BDA8DE19E5D4BB58@TedPC>
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My a/c has a gel coat. Unlike later a/c, my a/c is not painted in 
polyurethane.

Can you paint over gel coat with polyurethane?

What about get paint custom-mixed?

(see you in September, Ted)

b



On Aug 18, 2007, at 10:31 PM, Ted Gordon wrote:

> Dear All:
>
> I am having a ding repaired. Anyone know the name of a good outer 
> surface color match using polyurethane paint?
>
> Ted Gordon
=========================================================================
Date:         Sun, 19 Aug 2007 08:50:34 EDT
Reply-To:     "Ximango Owners Group (XOG)" <XIMANGO@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM>
Sender:       "Ximango Owners Group (XOG)" <XIMANGO@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM>
From:         John Lawton <Thrmlseekr@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Paint Match
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
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In a message dated 8/18/2007 9:50:41 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
bruce@SCHIMMEL.COM writes:

My a/c has a gel coat. Unlike later a/c, my a/c is not painted  in 
polyurethane.

Can you paint over gel coat with  polyurethane?

What about get paint  custom-mixed?

Hello Bruce and all,
 
To answer your question about urethane over gel coat, yes. Here at the 
'Possum Werks we shoot urethane over gel coat all the time, but it depends  on the
application. Gel coat, even the high quality German stuff, yellows faster  and
to a greater degree than urethane. So, the potential for a small repair to 
show up a few years down the road as a noticeable color blemish is there. Gel 
coat is also considerably more brittle over time than urethane and that is why
 it cracks and crazes. You can slow the progression of the yellowing with WX 
Block or a good hard wax, You can also slow yellowing and crazing with 
periodic sanding and buffing, but you have to know how to sand and know the  right
buffer to use and how to use it or you can ruin your finish.  What we  use
just depends on the application at hand.
 
Urethane stays much more flexible than gel coat and thus isn't subject to 
the crazing and cracking that gel coat almost always winds up with. We generally
 use urethane over gel coat when we are doing a complete refinish and the 
customer doesn't want to take all the gel coat off (IOW, down to or nearly down 
to the underlying cloth).
 
For incidence, we are currently doing a refinish on an ASW-27. The 
Schiecher's all have gel coat finishes. This -27 is a mid '80's vintage and  has
considerable crazing and yellowing. We chose to use urethane over gel  coat in this
incidence because we are trying to cover and fill the crazing that  we weren't
able to sand out. Most single stage urethanes cross link  the paint molecules
with isocyanate. This provides excellent UV  protection for the underlying
glass and resin from UV. The cracks and  crazing expose the underlying cloth and
resin to UV, so it's very important that  it be protected or else stuctural
issues will eventually develop. With this  method the customer will have many
more years use out of his bird without having  to worry whether or not the
underlying cloth and resin are being destroyed by  UV. Not a perfect fix, but it
will give the owner several years of a  beautiful, almost factory quality
finish once we're done.  Unfortunately, the crazing will eventually return,
probably in 7-10  years, but the underlying cloth and resin will be protected until 
then.
 
We also have an LS-4 in the shop for an aileron bellcrank inspection, 
replacement, and lubrication. This required that a 4" hole be cut in the  wing to
get at the bearings we needed to lubricate and or replace. This airplane  also
has a gel coat finish and considerable yellowing has occurred. We  chose to use
gel coat in this incidence because urethane would show the patch  later on
because the urethane stays white and even with a perfect match and a  good
blend, the gel coat will continue to yellow and eventually show the patch.
 
Pigment is how we color match. You can get pigment at any good automotive 
paint store. Using pigment to color match is far more art than  science, but gel
coat is usually very thick compared to paint  and it can also be lightly
sanded some to remove  surface yellowing and help blend in a patch. The very top, 
outermost surface of the gel coat is what yellows and it's a good idea  for
the longevity of the finish to sand the gel coat entirely every 5-7 years to 
remove micro cracks and crazing before they become visible to the  eye.
Eventually, you will get down to the cloth with periodic  sanding and buffing, but by
that time most of your prep work is done for a  refinish. At that point it's
easy to scuff and shoot urethane over the  remaining finish. This is the right
thing to do, but few ever do it except  the hard core racing crowd because
it's very labor intensive and  thus quite expensive. Please note, I'm not trying
to say that everyone  should pick up a sanding block and go after those
yellowing wings. You must know  the proper technique to sand curved surfaces, the
proper blocks  to use, and what grit to use or else you run the risk of
changing the  profile of the surface you are sanding! If you aren't absolutely sure
how  to do it, please leave it alone!
 
We can usually blend in a patch by lightly sanding around the area to be 
patched to remove or fade yellowing. This is done with 600 or 800 grit wet. This 
removes the yellowing to some degree and helps blend in the patch. Further 
blending is done with the buffer and polishing rouge. Again, this is more  art
than science and it's something that you develop an eye for over time. Once 
it's been shot with gel coat, color sanded and buffed, usually you can't  see
one of our patches in sunlight. Most patches will show in fluorescent  light,
though, regardless of how good you match it. Fluorescent light will show  all
flaws where sunlight tends to hide most flaws.
 
The key to a patching paint or gel coat is preparation, preparation,  and
preparation. A common misconception is that paint (or gel  coat) "hides" flaws.
It doesn't. Paint and gel coat both enhance  surface flaws. The surface must be
absolutely smooth before you paint it  or the flaw will jump out at you like
a screaming  monkey. Applying urethane or gel coat to raw fiberglass is also a
 no-no because it's a recipe for pin holes. Ditto if you fail to remove all 
the wax and grease from the surface you are painting before you  shoot.
Working with "hardened" paints and gel coat finishes isn't  difficult, but it does
take patience and a knowledge of how to manipulate the  product. You'll need a
good respirator and a well ventilated shop, too.  Temperature is also key.
Urethanes and gel coats alike both like to be shot  warm, but not hot. We like to
shoot in the 75F-90F range, then apply heat  afterwards. Lower temps and you
will sag and run. Sags and runs  aren't a huge problem with gel coat or
urethane because they can easily be  sanded out, but you try to avoid them because
it's just more work. Shooting  at higher temps make the product kick too
quickly and the paint/gel  coat won't flow out smooth, regardless of how much
reducer you use. You  wind up with "orange peel".  This too can be dealt with too,
but it just  means more sanding. It takes some patience, practice and a good
gun to  get it right.
 
If you'd ever like to see how it's done, feel free to stop by my shop at 
TN89. We generally have anywhere from 1-5 sailplanes in the shop or waiting in 
trailers outside at any given time, but occasionally we run out of  work, so
it's best to check ahead. If you come at the right time I can  teach you more
about paint and finish in one afternoon than you'd ever care to  know. For most
people, once they see what is involved, they prefer to just  leave it with us.
Sanding is the fastest growing spectator sport in the northern  hemisphere!
 
Regards,
 
John Lawton
Whitwell, TN (TN89)
Ximango #135
 
 









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Date:         Sun, 19 Aug 2007 06:08:12 -0700
Reply-To:     "Ximango Owners Group (XOG)" <XIMANGO@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM>
Sender:       "Ximango Owners Group (XOG)" <XIMANGO@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM>
From:         Roland Martin <roland_martin@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Re: Paint Match
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Ted,=0A=0AYour plane most likely has gelcoat. PU is in use by Aeromot for a=
nly a few years.=0A=0AA good match is #2481 sold by:=0A=0ASimtec Coatings=
=0A16666 Smoketree St.=0AHesperia, CA 92345          =0A760-244-2774=0A=0AT=
hey sell it it quarts; its quite expensive. I have some old stuff, past its=
 shelf life.=0A=0AThe  gelcoat redily available in marine shops has a greyi=
sh tint. It works, but does not look very good.=0A=0ASee you in a few weeks=
=0A =0ARoland Martin =0A7 Spring Lane =0AChadds Ford, PA 19317 USA =0A(610)=
 558 7852=0A=0A=0A----- Original Message ----=0AFrom: Ted Gordon <tedjgordo=
n@ATT.NET>=0ATo: XIMANGO@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM=0ASent: Saturday, August 18, 2=
007 10:31:09 PM=0ASubject: Paint Match=0A=0A=0ADear All:=0A=0AI am having a=
 ding repaired. Anyone know the name of a good outer surface color match us=
ing polyurethane paint?=0A=0ATed Gordon=0A=0A=0A       =0A_________________=
___________________________________________________________________Ready fo=
r the edge of your seat? =0ACheck out tonight's top picks on Yahoo! TV. =0A=
http://tv.yahoo.com/
=========================================================================
Date:         Sun, 19 Aug 2007 09:37:25 EDT
Reply-To:     "Ximango Owners Group (XOG)" <XIMANGO@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM>
Sender:       "Ximango Owners Group (XOG)" <XIMANGO@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM>
From:         John Lawton <Thrmlseekr@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Paint Match
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
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In a message dated 8/19/2007 9:08:24 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 
roland_martin@YAHOO.COM writes:

Your  plane most likely has gelcoat. PU is in use by Aeromot for anly a few 
years.

A good match is #2481 sold by:

Simtec Coatings
16666  Smoketree St.
Hesperia, CA 92345          
760-244-2774

They sell it it quarts; its quite expensive. I have  some old stuff, past its
shelf life.


Hey Roland,
 
Yes, Simtec is where we get our gel coat. It's good stuff as far as  gel coat
goes. Be careful though, gel coat uses MEKP as a kicker. This is  hazardous
stuff! Use a good respirator, ventilate your shop and cover all  exposed skin
if you intend to spray this stuff.
 
For urethane, we prefer De Beers "Berocryl 400". At $260/gallon, plus 
hardener and reducer, it's not cheap, but it is head and shoulders better  than PPG
or that Sherwin-Williams crap. FWIW, we used to use Sikkens urethanes. 
Sikkens is the same paint Mercedes and Porche use, but Sikkens,  with the current
exchange rate to the Euro, and a recent price  increase, just priced themselves
out of our reach at roughly $900/gallon  our cost, plus thinners and reducers.
Sikkens is the best, though, but De  Beers is a close second. It's engineered
by the same folks as who  engineered Sikkens urethanes,  it just costs less
and unlike  Sikkens, it uses the same kicker for the paint and the primer and
the same  reducer for the paint and primer. This saves you some money in the
long  run. IMHO. having shot all four varieties, I'd avoid PPG and 
Sherwin-Williams urethanes. They don't shine as well as De Beers and they don't  cover
near as well. If cost is no object, use Sikkens urethane. Otherwise,  I'd use De
Beers Berocryl 400.

Regards,
 
John Lawton
Whitwell, TN (TN89)
Ximango #135

 



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Date:         Sun, 19 Aug 2007 07:33:21 -0700
Reply-To:     "Ximango Owners Group (XOG)" <XIMANGO@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM>
Sender:       "Ximango Owners Group (XOG)" <XIMANGO@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM>
From:         Roland Martin <roland_martin@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Re: Paint Match
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
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My gelcoat can must be really old. Simtec moved. I just looked into their w=
ebsite and found a new address:=0A=0ASimtec Coatings=0A1006 W Grove Ave=0AO=
range, CA 92865=0APhone: 714-974-7011=0AFax: 714-974-7012 =0AE-mail: Simtec=
coatinc@aol.com=0Ahttp://www.simteccoatings.com/=0A =0AI agree with Johns c=
omments, especially about safety precautions regarding MEPK. Do'nt get it o=
n your skin.=0A=0ABut dont be scared. For a ding you do not need to spray i=
t. You probably mix only a few ounces of gelcoat wit several drops of MEPK.=
 For small quatities dosage is not critical. I always overdose a bit. This =
makes the stuff work faster.=0A=0ATemperatures must be above 70F to work wi=
th gelcoat. Avoid temp above 85F. Pot life becomes short.=0A=0ATo prepare a=
 ding, surround the defect >1/2" with tape. I use electrical tape. Sand wit=
h 320. clean with acetone. Mix Gelcoat+MEPK. On a horizontal surface brush =
the mix thick enough that you have something to sand off. 1 mm is alot to s=
and. =0A=0AOn vertical surfaces I use some ridgid plastic film (about the r=
idgidity of photographic film). I grease it lightly and tape it over the fr=
esh Gelcoat. This prevents the Gelcoat ooozing out of the repair area. You =
will end with a layer as thick as the tape you used for masking the area. T=
his makes sanding easier.=0A=0ALet the gelcoat cure completely. 24 hrs at r=
oom temp. You may accelerate with a hair dryer. Dont make it too hot.  That=
s not good for the fiberglass. Keep it below 100F at the surface.=0A=0AWet =
sand 320 on a hard, straight block with the tape still in place to get the =
approzimate contour. Then remove the tape and continue 400, then 600 wet sa=
nding. Some people go on 800, 1000, 1200, ... =0A=0AIf you got an air bubbl=
e in the gel, or if you sand too much - just start over=0A=0APolish with a =
compound, then wax with a silicone free wax.=0A=0AThe procedure does not re=
quire painting skills. Sanding is essential to get a straight, smooth surfa=
ce. If it is not perfect the first time, just do it over. You'll get practi=
ce.=0A=0AGood luck,=0A=0ARoland.=0A=0A=0A----- Original Message ----=0AFrom=
: John Lawton <Thrmlseekr@AOL.COM>=0ATo: XIMANGO@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM=0ASent=
: Sunday, August 19, 2007 9:37:25 AM=0ASubject: Re: Paint Match=0A=0A=0AIn =
a message dated 8/19/2007 9:08:24 AM Eastern Daylight Time,  =0Aroland_mart=
in@YAHOO.COM writes:=0A=0AYour  plane most likely has gelcoat. PU is in use=
 by Aeromot for anly a few  =0Ayears.=0A=0AA good match is #2481 sold by:=
=0A=0ASimtec Coatings=0A16666  Smoketree St.=0AHesperia, CA 92345          =
 =0A760-244-2774=0A=0AThey sell it it quarts; its quite expensive. I have  =
some old stuff, past its =0Ashelf life.=0A=0A=0AHey Roland,=0A=0AYes, Simte=
c is where we get our gel coat. It's good stuff as far as  gel coat =0Agoes=
. Be careful though, gel coat uses MEKP as a kicker. This is  hazardous =0A=
stuff! Use a good respirator, ventilate your shop and cover all  exposed sk=
in =0Aif you intend to spray this stuff.=0A=0AFor urethane, we prefer De Be=
ers "Berocryl 400". At $260/gallon, plus  =0Ahardener and reducer, it's not=
 cheap, but it is head and shoulders better  than PPG =0Aor that Sherwin-Wi=
lliams crap. FWIW, we used to use Sikkens urethanes.  =0ASikkens is the sam=
e paint Mercedes and Porche use, but Sikkens,  with the current =0Aexchange=
 rate to the Euro, and a recent price  increase, just priced themselves =0A=
out of our reach at roughly $900/gallon  our cost, plus thinners and reduce=
rs. =0ASikkens is the best, though, but De  Beers is a close second. It's e=
ngineered =0Aby the same folks as who  engineered Sikkens urethanes,  it ju=
st costs less =0Aand unlike  Sikkens, it uses the same kicker for the paint=
 and the primer and =0Athe same  reducer for the paint and primer. This sav=
es you some money in the =0Along  run. IMHO. having shot all four varieties=
, I'd avoid PPG and  =0ASherwin-Williams urethanes. They don't shine as wel=
l as De Beers and they don't  cover =0Anear as well. If cost is no object, =
use Sikkens urethane. Otherwise,  I'd use De =0ABeers Berocryl 400.=0A=0ARe=
gards,=0A=0AJohn Lawton =0AWhitwell, TN (TN89)=0AXimango #135=0A=0A=0A=0A=
=0A=0A************************************** Get a sneak peek of the all-ne=
w AOL at =0Ahttp://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour=0A=0A=0A       =0A__=
___________________________________________________________________________=
_______=0AMoody friends. Drama queens. Your life? Nope! - their life, your =
story. Play Sims Stories at Yahoo! Games.=0Ahttp://sims.yahoo.com/ 
=========================================================================
Date:         Sun, 19 Aug 2007 14:28:56 -0500
Reply-To:     "Ximango Owners Group (XOG)" <XIMANGO@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM>
Sender:       "Ximango Owners Group (XOG)" <XIMANGO@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM>
From:         Ted Gordon <tedjgordon@ATT.NET>
Subject:      Re: Paint Match
In-Reply-To:  <ca1.193cbb35.33f9a195@aol.com>
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              reply-type=original
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Dear Roland and John:

Thanks for the info on finishes. Good stuff. One question: Roland is their
2481 an off white finish or is it brilliant white? The Web site you
mentioned says their 2400 series is a "super high gloss topcoat". Sounds
good.

Best
Ted



----- Original Message -----
From: "John Lawton" <Thrmlseekr@AOL.COM>
To: <XIMANGO@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM>
Sent: Sunday, August 19, 2007 8:37 AM
Subject: Re: Paint Match


> In a message dated 8/19/2007 9:08:24 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
> roland_martin@YAHOO.COM writes:
>
> Your  plane most likely has gelcoat. PU is in use by Aeromot for anly a
> few
> years.
>
> A good match is #2481 sold by:
>
> Simtec Coatings
> 16666  Smoketree St.
> Hesperia, CA 92345
> 760-244-2774
>
> They sell it it quarts; its quite expensive. I have  some old stuff, past
> its
> shelf life.
>
>
> Hey Roland,
>
> Yes, Simtec is where we get our gel coat. It's good stuff as far as  gel
> coat
> goes. Be careful though, gel coat uses MEKP as a kicker. This is
> hazardous
> stuff! Use a good respirator, ventilate your shop and cover all  exposed
> skin
> if you intend to spray this stuff.
>
> For urethane, we prefer De Beers "Berocryl 400". At $260/gallon, plus
> hardener and reducer, it's not cheap, but it is head and shoulders better
> than PPG
> or that Sherwin-Williams crap. FWIW, we used to use Sikkens urethanes.
> Sikkens is the same paint Mercedes and Porche use, but Sikkens,  with the
> current
> exchange rate to the Euro, and a recent price  increase, just priced
> themselves
> out of our reach at roughly $900/gallon  our cost, plus thinners and
> reducers.
> Sikkens is the best, though, but De  Beers is a close second. It's
> engineered
> by the same folks as who  engineered Sikkens urethanes,  it just costs
> less
> and unlike  Sikkens, it uses the same kicker for the paint and the primer
> and
> the same  reducer for the paint and primer. This saves you some money in
> the
> long  run. IMHO. having shot all four varieties, I'd avoid PPG and
> Sherwin-Williams urethanes. They don't shine as well as De Beers and they
> don't  cover
> near as well. If cost is no object, use Sikkens urethane. Otherwise,  I'd
> use De
> Beers Berocryl 400.
>
> Regards,
>
> John Lawton
> Whitwell, TN (TN89)
> Ximango #135
>
>
>
>
>
> ************************************** Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL
> at
> http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour
=========================================================================
Date:         Sun, 19 Aug 2007 12:56:15 -0700
Reply-To:     "Ximango Owners Group (XOG)" <XIMANGO@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM>
Sender:       "Ximango Owners Group (XOG)" <XIMANGO@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM>
From:         Roland Martin <roland_martin@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Re: Paint Match
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

2481 is pure white.=0A =0ARoland Martin =0A7 Spring Lane =0AChadds Ford, PA=
 19317 USA =0A(610) 558 7852=0A=0A=0A----- Original Message ----=0AFrom: Te=
d Gordon <tedjgordon@ATT.NET>=0ATo: XIMANGO@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM=0ASent: Sun=
day, August 19, 2007 3:28:56 PM=0ASubject: Re: Paint Match=0A=0A=0ADear Rol=
and and John:=0A=0AThanks for the info on finishes. Good stuff. One questio=
n: Roland is their =0A2481 an off white finish or is it brilliant white? Th=
e Web site you =0Amentioned says their 2400 series is a "super high gloss t=
opcoat". Sounds =0Agood.=0A=0ABest=0ATed=0A=0A=0A=0A----- Original Message =
----- =0AFrom: "John Lawton" <Thrmlseekr@AOL.COM>=0ATo: <XIMANGO@HOME.EASE.=
LSOFT.COM>=0ASent: Sunday, August 19, 2007 8:37 AM=0ASubject: Re: Paint Mat=
ch=0A=0A=0A> In a message dated 8/19/2007 9:08:24 AM Eastern Daylight Time,=
=0A> roland_martin@YAHOO.COM writes:=0A>=0A> Your  plane most likely has ge=
lcoat. PU is in use by Aeromot for anly a =0A> few=0A> years.=0A>=0A> A goo=
d match is #2481 sold by:=0A>=0A> Simtec Coatings=0A> 16666  Smoketree St.=
=0A> Hesperia, CA 92345=0A> 760-244-2774=0A>=0A> They sell it it quarts; it=
s quite expensive. I have  some old stuff, past =0A> its=0A> shelf life.=0A=
>=0A>=0A> Hey Roland,=0A>=0A> Yes, Simtec is where we get our gel coat. It'=
s good stuff as far as  gel =0A> coat=0A> goes. Be careful though, gel coat=
 uses MEKP as a kicker. This is =0A> hazardous=0A> stuff! Use a good respir=
ator, ventilate your shop and cover all  exposed =0A> skin=0A> if you inten=
d to spray this stuff.=0A>=0A> For urethane, we prefer De Beers "Berocryl 4=
00". At $260/gallon, plus=0A> hardener and reducer, it's not cheap, but it =
is head and shoulders better =0A> than PPG=0A> or that Sherwin-Williams cra=
p. FWIW, we used to use Sikkens urethanes.=0A> Sikkens is the same paint Me=
rcedes and Porche use, but Sikkens,  with the =0A> current=0A> exchange rat=
e to the Euro, and a recent price  increase, just priced =0A> themselves=0A=
> out of our reach at roughly $900/gallon  our cost, plus thinners and =0A>=
 reducers.=0A> Sikkens is the best, though, but De  Beers is a close second=
. It's =0A> engineered=0A> by the same folks as who  engineered Sikkens ure=
thanes,  it just costs =0A> less=0A> and unlike  Sikkens, it uses the same =
kicker for the paint and the primer =0A> and=0A> the same  reducer for the =
paint and primer. This saves you some money in =0A> the=0A> long  run. IMHO=
. having shot all four varieties, I'd avoid PPG and=0A> Sherwin-Williams ur=
ethanes. They don't shine as well as De Beers and they =0A> don't  cover=0A=
> near as well. If cost is no object, use Sikkens urethane. Otherwise,  I'd=
 =0A> use De=0A> Beers Berocryl 400.=0A>=0A> Regards,=0A>=0A> John Lawton=
=0A> Whitwell, TN (TN89)=0A> Ximango #135=0A>=0A>=0A>=0A>=0A>=0A> *********=
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=========================================================================
Date:         Mon, 20 Aug 2007 07:33:16 EDT
Reply-To:     "Ximango Owners Group (XOG)" <XIMANGO@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM>
Sender:       "Ximango Owners Group (XOG)" <XIMANGO@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM>
From:         John Lawton <Thrmlseekr@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Paint Match
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
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In a message dated 8/19/2007 10:33:28 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 
roland_martin@YAHOO.COM writes:

The  procedure does not require painting skills. Sanding is essential to get
a  straight, smooth surface. If it is not perfect the first time, just do it 
over. You'll get practice.
 
Hello Roland and all,
 
Well, I've never seen it done that way, but I suppose it would work. The 
only thing I would add would be to sand at alternating 90 degree angles, 45 
degree to the curve if there is one, up through 800 grit. Then, we switch  to 1500
sanding 45 degrees to the previous sanding. This will remove any  scratches
left by the 600 and 800. If you really want a mirror, go to 2000, but  you
might find you make your patch shinier than the rest of the area and that  will
make it stand out. For an invisible repair it's important to not only  match
color, but match the shine, too. We usually stop at  1500 because 800 will buff
out to a very shiny surface, but sometimes  you can see 800 scratches in the
right light. The 1500 at a 45 degree  angle to the other sanding will remove any
residual scratches left from  previous grits used.
 
Another ingredient I would add is the Klingspor paper we use. We've  tried
them all and this sandpaper puts the rest to shame, even  the pricey 3M stuff.
It's made in Germany and is available from  the importer over in Hickory, NC.
It cuts faster and lasts longer than  anything else we've tried. It comes in
25' rolls and is sticky backed, so it  sticks to the sanding block, even when
wet. It's great stuff and I highly  recommend it. It's actually reasonably
priced, too. _www.klingspor.com_ (http://www.klingspor.com)  Once you've tried 
this paper, you won't use anything else.
 
Anyway, hope it helps!

Regards,
 
John Lawton
Whitwell, TN (TN89)
Ximango #135