Dust nibs in factory paint

These base coat or clear coat dust particles create small bulges in the paint surface, under close examination they have a speck of dirt in the centre of the crater



Correction- use a dust nib file, sand or compound with 1200 or finer grit to remove and then polish to restore gloss
 
I don't see too many dust nips in factory paint, but there are several tools out there that can aid in the removal of them.



I actually just hopped in on the group buy for this Festool one...should be here this week and I have a '63 Austin Healey to test it out on this weekend. ;)





Festool Hi-Tech Carbide De Nibber
 
3M's system is used world wide in most assembly plants because it works.

What was never presented in the original post was the normal information needed to address the poster's issue, utilizing some professional experience.

1. What vehicle and what manufacturer?

2. What age of the vehicle, when was it built, in what year?

3 Any evidence of refinish later in the vehicle's life cycle?

4. Electronic paint thickeness gauage readings of the panels.



In my decades of working with vehicle manufacturers, at assembly plants, where the paint system is applied, very, very few dust nibs get through to the final vehicle product, nothing like is presented by the poster.



There is nothing presented that is actually a "factory applied paint system"(clearcoart/base coat).

Grumpy
 
Ron Ketcham said:
In my decades of working with vehicle manufacturers, at assembly plants, where the paint system is applied, very, very few dust nibs get through to the final vehicle product, nothing like is presented by the poster.
Click to expand...

I would totally agree as evidenced by all the spot compounding halograms scattered around some new vehicles if you were to stroll a car dealer's lot on a nice sunny day. I still can't get over their workflow as to why they don't just spend a little more time to finish things out just a little bit longer. Time is money I guess....or someone's selling them some pretty crappy fillers.
 
It's called a production line and 50 seconds to 1 minutes is the allowed time.

Get it on the rail car, the truck, the boat, out the door, and then the dealer has to get it "over the curb".
 
RaskyR1 said:
I don't see too many dust nips in factory paint, but there are several tools out there that can aid in the removal of them.



I actually just hopped in on the group buy for this Festool one...should be here this week and I have a '63 Austin Healey to test it out on this weekend. ;)





Festool Hi-Tech Carbide De Nibber
Click to expand...



Wow, that looks like a pretty nifty little tool!
 
C. Charles Hahn said:
Wow, that looks like a pretty nifty little tool!
Click to expand...



I thought so too...I'll try and put together a review on it once I get a chance to use it. :)





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Ron Ketcham said:
3M's system is used world wide in most assembly plants because it works.

What was never presented in the original post was the normal information needed to address the poster's issue, utilizing some professional experience.

1. What vehicle and what manufacturer?

2. What age of the vehicle, when was it built, in what year?

3 Any evidence of refinish later in the vehicle's life cycle?

4. Electronic paint thickeness gauage readings of the panels.



In my decades of working with vehicle manufacturers, at assembly plants, where the paint system is applied, very, very few dust nibs get through to the final vehicle product, nothing like is presented by the poster.



There is nothing presented that is actually a "factory applied paint system"(clearcoart/base coat).

Grumpy
Click to expand...



OK, here you go:



White 2012 Ram pickup, fresh off the transport, two weeks from factory door to dealer, assembled at Warren, MI, Assembly Plant, custom order, no paint prep by dealer just hand washed. I inspected the truck when it came off the transport and inspected again when I picked up. The truck was inside the dealer's delivery area when I picked up... relatively good lighting in this area, but not as good as my halogens at home. I did not notice the paint nibs until the first detail. Approximately 28 nibs scattered about the truck -- about dozen in the hood -- all very small, no runs to be found, one small crease in paint (probably in paint, not sheet metal)



These nibs are barely noticeable in the daylight. As a matter of fact 99.9 % of normal people would never notice them. I didn't notice them until I got out the clay.



As far as my personal experience, I have taken nibs out of both single stage and clear coat /base coat repaints but not factory paint. I am a little apprehensive about working on the factory paint.



According to the auto body shop a manager at my Dodge dealership, this type of flaw is common in all the models that his shop regularly works with -- Chrysler, Toyota and Lexus. He does not recommend taking them out. I recently had the use of a new 2012 Toyota Camry (250 miles on the odometer) and noticed a couple nibs on the roof, However my wife's 2011 Toyota Tacoma has none.



Any suggestions would be appreciated. Can I live with these blems? Sure, I can. They are far from being "nasty". I just don't like them.
 
Factory nibs in paint can usually not be sanded out. I would certainly take some measurements before nibbing, but some cars,(especially American) can have some pretty large boulders in the paint, and are not worth the risk of damaging.
 
I am the OP and posted my question in this forum because it’s moderator, TOWGT, has been around for a bit and seems to know a lot of technical “stuff”.



I still hope to get a suggestion or two from someone who has actually removed small paint nibs from a new vehicle that has factory fresh waterborne clear coat/ base paint. I know that there are a few folks that are just as “anal” as I am when it comes to their vehicles be it a truck or a Ferrari or Porsche.



Now a request for some general information about the factory paint process. I know that it is now all pretty high tech robotics and all. But even with high tech paint processes, “stuff” happens. I watch the auto ads and see inspectors with white gloves and intense lighting looking at new vehicles as they come off the line. What happens when they notice an “oops” in the paint. I’m quite sure if it’s a big “oops” it is pulled aside and repaired and repainted. But what about the small “oops’s” ... nibs or quarter inch scratch on a door edge. (I’ve had both.) Is there a process for correcting these problems at the factory without a major repaint?



By the way...been checkin' out the expertise of some of the Autopia frequent posters. You guys seem to have "done it all". I do appreciate your suggestions. I've been messin' with detailing for over fifty years but only at the amateur level.
 
[I am the OP and posted my question in this forum because it’s moderator, TOWGT, has been around for a bit and seems to know a lot of technical “stuff”]



Thank you for the compliment (BTW I am not a moderator)



Ron Ketcham has more 'real world' paint experience than most...
 
I moved your thread to the general sub-forum so you could hopefully get more views from more people (pros).



Do you have any pictures you can post?
 
Sorry no pictures. My camera (just a point and shoot) will not pick up the flaws. I spend my all of $$$ on truck, motorcycle and hunting stuff. I do appreciate the help.



Tom
 
I've never dealt with this sort of issue, but it seems very risky to me. If the particle is at all under the clear or even the base coat, it seems any action could break the coat of the clear and possibly even the base and could lead to issues down the road from moisture and dirt.
 
That is a major concern. If I do attempt nib removal, I'm going to be very careful and start with a nib in a very inconspicuous place. I came across this on YouTube.Sand that Nib - YouTube The process looks pretty non-invasive to me. Either this or one of the 1 1/4 hand nib sanders available from 3M. One attempt can't be much worse than dealing with a rock chip.



Tom
 
Am getting a Dynabrade 1 inch denibbing power tool to sort them

Our aussie made cars, especially falcons have plenty of dust nibs. I counted 15 on on hood alone
 
Aren't those produced at Broad Meadows plant?

I was there in the early 90's on the Mercury Capri project, due to excessive paint flaws.

Ford spent a few million USF to upgrade it after our findings.

Sorry to hear, if it is the same plant, that they are back to the same old problem.

Grumpy
 
My Festool arrived today...smaller then I thought it would be but we'll see how it works this weekend. ;)



20120302-_MG_6475.jpg




20120302-_MG_6476.jpg




20120302-_MG_6477.jpg




20120302-_MG_6478.jpg




20120302-_MG_6479.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top