Surface Preparation

Why Do We Need to Prep the Surface?

·         To protect the bare metal

·         To eliminate surface contamination

·         To promote adherence

·         To prevent rust and corrosion

·         To seal the surface

Possible Issues Due to Surface Contamination

When the surface becomes contaminated with things from dust, to oil, to product contamination and everything in between, several types of issues may be created. These issues include:

·         Poor adhesion

·         Blistering

·         Low Gloss

·         Craters/Fisheyes

·         Rusting

·         Bleeding

How Do We Prep the Surface?

·         Wash the car using a body shop friendly soap and water to remove as much dirt, dust, and contaminants as possible.

·         Apply S10 CleanWipe and allow it to remain on the surface for two or more minutes to loosen and float contaminants. Never allow to evaporate on the surface.

·         Using two clean rags, wipe on and immediately dry S20 Wax and Grease Remover. Replace rags regularly.

What is S10 CleanWipe?

S10 is a waterborne surface cleaner designed to remove tree sap, bird droppings, salt, hand oils and other contaminants. S10 can also be used on plastic parts.

Cleaning for raw plastic parts:

• S10 CleanWipe is not only a waterborne surface cleaner, but it is also a special cleaner for plastic and fiberglass parts. S10 CleanWipe also minimizes the static charge from plastic and fiberglass.

S10 can be used on existing finishes, plastic parts, steel, galvanized, and aluminum.

On unprimed plastics, allow the part to dry 20-30 minutes at 70°F before applying the appropriate primer.

**NOTE: Never allow S10 CleanWipe to evaporate on the surface. Always use a fresh rag for washing down, and a fresh rag for wiping dry. Replace rags frequently.

What is S20 Wax and Grease Remover?

S20 is a general-purpose cleaner, suitable for cleaning bare metal, existing finishes, primer surfacer and more.

**NOTE: Do not use S20 Wax and Grease Remover on plastic or fiberglass, use S10 CleanWipe.

Overview of Undercoats

Part of surface preparation includes applying an undercoat. Each type of undercoat has a specific place in the repair process.

·         Surfacer – Filling and build

·         Sealer – Adhesion and EHO

·         Primer/Sealer (GreenTec GTP210) – EHO uniformity and adhesion

·         Primer Surfacer (03362 VOC Rapid Primer) – Build and leveling

·         Primer (9700 Wash Primer and SX01 Adhesion Promoter) – Adhesion and corrosion protection

**NOTE: For large areas of bare metal, it is recommended to first apply a coat of 9700 Wash Primer.

Let's go into a bit more detail about Adhesion Promoter as this is a type of undercoat we promote for surface prep at Lusid.

Adhesion Promoter

In order to promote adhesion to a surface or between layers, we often use an adhesion promoter. At Lusid/General we use our SX01 Adhesion Promoter.

SX01 Adhesion Promoter is based on a polymerized polyolefin resin. It has:

·         High solvent resistance

·         Water resistance

·         Corrosion resistance

·         Excellent adhesion

·         Ready to spray

Suitable surfaces:

·         Steel

·         Galvanized steel

·         Aluminum

·         Stainless steel

·         Raw plastic

·         Glass

·         Tile and acrylics

·         Existing finishes except TPA

Sanding:

·         Steel – 3M P80 followed by P180 grit dry

·         Galvanized steel – 3M P180 grit dry

·         Non-ferrous – Thoroughly clean and degrease

·         Existing finishes – 3M P320 grit dry

Application:

·         Spray one light mist coat

·         Flash for 15 minutes to a maximum of 1 hour before applying undercoat or topcoat at 70°F

·         Dry to sand is not recommended

·         Re-apply another light coat after 1 hour before applying topcoat

**NOTE: Please wear appropriate respiratory protection