Eliminate mottling with these Spies Hecker tips
The basecoat is applied and as it starts to dry, irregularities slowly become visible. But this problem can be avoided. Kevin Welling, Training Academy Manager for Axalta in the UK and Ireland, uses Permahyd Hi-TEC 480 Basecoat to illustrate practical tips to avoid these unwanted effects when repairing metallic colours.
Top results through good preparation
Before starting the painting process, check the humidity and temperature in the spray booth so that the paint mix can be adjusted to the climate. Detailed information can be found in the Climate Guide of the Technical Data Sheet (TDS). When repairing metallic colours, it is even more important to follow the recommendations for nozzle size and spray pressure, and to apply the paint with a fully depressed trigger so that the pigments can be distributed evenly to form a homogeneous film.
One operation with 1.5 sprays
The Permahyd Hi-TEC 480 Basecoat is first applied in a closed spray booth at a normal distance. Then, the effect pass is applied over the wet paint at a slightly larger distance from the substrate in order to achieve a uniform effect and complete hiding.
Fix irregularities straight away
Immediately after application of the basecoat, the paint film should appear uniform. This shows that the basecoat was not applied too wet. Should any irregularities in the finish become visible, they can be fixed with another effect coat. Welling says, “Make sure you apply this additional effect coat with even more distance, and only if the basecoat is still wet.”
Even better painting with Tips4You videos
Spies Hecker offers refinishers all-round support, simple system solutions and practical tips for the daily challenges in the bodyshop. Most recently these tips are also available on the Spies Hecker YouTube channel – www.youtube.com/spieshecker – and on the brand’s website – www.spieshecker.com/tips4you.
In the videos, which are under 10 minutes long, experienced application technicians demonstrate how to avoid application errors, how to implement techniques perfectly and how to get the most out of Spies Hecker products. The videos are aimed at refinishers at the start of their career as well as those who are experienced but who want to refresh their knowledge or need to solve to a specific problem.