Heat while polishing?

[imported_Brian_Brice]

Im my opinion, if you are scared of a little heat in the panel then you do not know how to control the heat due to inexperience and also dont fully understand the benefits of heat in the frst place.

I'm not upset by your post, and I am not afraid of heat, but in your opinion I am an inexperienced detailer who doesn't understand the benefits of heat.

The first car I actually corrected was a dark green Expedition. I worked on it over night a few times, bundled up from the single digit temperature.

I used a pc 7336. If heat was such an important element of paint correction, wouldn't the guys in cold weather climate see ill effects from the huge temperature difference between the weather and the heat induced by the pad? What doesn't seem like a good idea is heating up ice cold paint all night then letting it cool.

 

[RED JEWELL SS]

Todd,
just as a thought here, do you agree that the temperature between the pad and paint is what disipates moisture content or lubricating properties,if you agree,then as the temperature increases then more lubricant is needed.
I wonder at this point how conductive the sheet metal is in a given area as far dimensions,it might be interesting to measure that surface temperature at the start of the process and how much it climbs, this could be done real easy with a Fluke meter and wire temperature probe,just tape the probe on the surface for a study....I know you are thinking,"Steve,you are way out there man"...I just like to study things, and re-invent mouse traps !:biggrin:

 

[Mobilejay]

This is a good thread(as long as it doesn't get High School). I thought the reason fiber glass and carbon fiber were a pita to correct was because it didn't generate the heat quick enough like metal. Not to go off topic but can anyone explain why these two materials differ so much from metal panels and why it is that they take so much longer if it is not a heat issue? Todd, you seem to know some things

 

[imported_glfahlc]

This is a good thread(as long as it doesn't get High School). I thought the reason fiber glass and carbon fiber were a pita to correct was because it didn't generate the heat quick enough like metal. Not to go off topic but can anyone explain why these two materials differ so much from metal panels and why it is that they take so much longer if it is not a heat issue? Todd, you seem to know some things

I'D LIKE TO see the answer to this too as i just corrected my 71 vette with single stage paint and thought i had gotten it back to 100% with the xenon light until i pulled it out into the sun and realized it was actually about 90%.

 

[Todd@RUPES]

This is a good thread(as long as it doesn't get High School). I thought the reason fiber glass and carbon fiber were a pita to correct was because it didn't generate the heat quick enough like metal. Not to go off topic but can anyone explain why these two materials differ so much from metal panels and why it is that they take so much longer if it is not a heat issue?

Here I fixed your last sentence

Todd, you seem think you know some things

In general most panels that are fiberglass or composite (to my understanding) can be more difficult to paint because the flex agents added to the paint can act has a hardener. This is why the bumpers of most cars are noticeably harder (to correct) then the metal panels they are attached to.

As far as heat itself goes, you will notice that panels made of carbon fiber, fiberglass, or other composites tend 'warm up' faster then metal panels. This is because the composites don't dissipate heat as quickly and stay warmer longer.

In metal the heat transfers across the panel more readily, reducing the total amount of increase felt across the polishing areas. In composites the heat tends to stay localized and thus feels more intense.

If you take two identical paint systems and apply one to aluminum and one to carbon fiber you will notice that the aluminum panel will tend to feel cooler and the carbon fiber panel will feel warmer.

 

[Puckman]

That makes sense to me in that metal materials radiate heat within the metal and away from the work area faster. Plastics and other synthetic materials stay warm immediately within the work area. Good point about flex agents also. They are added to plastics and other like materials for a reason.

I always thought heat did play a role in "leveling" paint because it made it more malleable or "softer" while you worked it. I can't say I can buy the "reflowing" paint point but I did think it simply made it softer and thus aided correction. Now I'm not sure that has any affect.

I'll never forget an analogy I heard some years ago when it was asked if the waste tires in landfills can be "melted down" and then regenerated into new rubber materials. The chemical answer included an analogy to a cake. You can't simply take a cake and transform it into batter again and bake another cake from it. There are some chemical things that happen to produce things that, once done, can't be reversed. I think paint maybe one of those things. Ever see a car fire? Paint doesn't drip off the paint, it burns away (like the tires).

As always, I ain't no scientist but love to get educated from those that understand the physical dynamics of a certain process.

Excellent discussion. I love the "science" of this stuff and understanding what is actually happening.