How long does it take for paint to dry?

[3G]

hey guys, im getting my car painted tomorrow first thing in the morning. How long does it take for the paint to dry, the guy told me it should be dry by 5-6 pm to drive it home then park it in the heated garage over night, is this true?

[Jed Bouscal]

Well he's the expert! If it's not dry and something happens on the way home he's on the hook for it right? I'm assuming they're going to sand it and polish it before giving it to you, so if it's dry enough to do those things, it's dry enough to drive.

[adam c]

could always grab a bag of chips and some beer and watch it and time it?

[JRSC00LUDE]

Are you getting your car painted at Maaco? I'm no expert but that doesn't seem like very sound advice to me.

[teggypimp95]

I believe they dont polish or sand your car when you get it painted? You can even wax your car for 2 weeks after you get it painted becuase the clear coat will not be hard enough yet.

[tom_9109]

they will not sand or polish it. its new paint. some body shops have a bake cycle and the paint is dry within 2 hours of being done. they guy isn't bullshitting you.

[Jed Bouscal]

Wow I'm surprised they don't wet-sand and polish it.

[tom_9109]

why is that suprising?/ shouldn't freshly sprayed clear coat be somewhat smooth and swirl free? they would do something to it if the was a flaw but it should roll out of the paint booth as good or better than the factory.

[gofastmerc]

Bodyshops can spray a car and pull it out of the booth after a half hour of baking, and start reassembling it after it cools down completely. Defiantly be able to take it home same day, leave it in the rain, whatever.

Sand and polish every car? You guys watch too much TV...

[teggypimp95]

Yeah no cars in any body shops are sanded or power polished after its been painted. It will be smooth with no swirls. But if you are very very very picky and its a show car or something, you can bring your car back to the body shop a few weeks later and pay them to wet sand it. To remove the "orange peel" look.

[slick2404]

Originally posted by adam c
could always grab a bag of chips and some beer and watch it and time it?

[7thgenvic]

I would leave it there to bake!

[Dayclone]

Can't they use ultraviolet lighting to dry the paint faster?

Steve

[Cword]

These days paint doesn't "dry" it "cures"

Paints that dry by evaporation are not likely to be used in most commercial applications. Instead expect a catalyzed paint to be used which cures chemically and is much more predictable than old style drying paints.

The cure time is controlled by the painter when he mixes his paint and hardeners prior to application.

[sneek]

Originally posted by teggypimp95
Yeah no cars in any body shops are sanded or power polished after its been painted. It will be smooth with no swirls. But if you are very very very picky and its a show car or something, you can bring your car back to the body shop a few weeks later and pay them to wet sand it. To remove the "orange peel" look.

I know some higher end paint shops wet sand 2 hours after it is sprayed. I read somewhere that it can be done within 45 mins, but I'm not 100% sure.

[3G]

Originally posted by sneek



I know some higher end paint shops wet sand 2 hours after it is sprayed. I read somewhere that it can be done within 45 mins, but I'm not 100% sure.

A friend of mine who works @ continental did the body work for me at home, then recommended I take it to Atlantic to get it sprayed because his body shop wont take anything in older than 5 years

[Sharpie]

Originally posted by 3G


A friend of mine who works @ continental did the body work for me at home, then recommended I take it to Atlantic to get it sprayed because his body shop wont take anything in older than 5 years

WTF they wont take anything in older than 5 years? That makes no sense, they would lose so much business. I call

[gofastmerc]

Originally posted by Sharpie

WTF they wont take anything in older than 5 years? That makes no sense, they would lose so much business. I call

Like bodyshops are looking for buisness right now.

[tom_9109]

wet sanding is what people do to get that show quality mirror shine but it takes countless hours and you must be very skilled and its not even remotely required for a family 4 door sedan.

[Whitetiger]

Originally posted by teggypimp95
Yeah no cars in any body shops are sanded or power polished after its been painted. It will be smooth with no swirls. But if you are very very very picky and its a show car or something, you can bring your car back to the body shop a few weeks later and pay them to wet sand it. To remove the "orange peel" look.

All cars that are painted has certain degree of "dirt spec" on the panels, you just can NOT control little dirt nips on the panel... not talking about TV shows where they wet sand the cars to a glass mirror finish, but a proper bodyshop do wet sand and polish out these little "dirt nips", and any clear coat runs/thickness after each paint job; that's the job of the bodyshop detailer/prepper.