is it me or this new waterborn paint is very hard. from working on it i would compare it to 01 z06 corvette paint. or is it just me. had to do 3 passes with PFW and PC with 105 to remove all defects and finish is as good as after finishing polish. did pass with 203 and orange and dont see any change in surface finish at all, i got within 2-3" off the paint with halogen and led lights and i dont see anything that 105 and PFW usualy leaves behind. i thought this paint should be very soft?
Paint systems as a whole are trending to the harder side. Just because it is water based does not mean it is hard or soft, as solvent systems where both water based can be as well. Also waterborne are not new and have been used for ages in the OEM sector, just new to the repair sector.
germans sure didnt use it much, now with new green environment things they starting to use it as far as i know. but if you know it for fact then id go with your answer
BMW in SC has been using WB paints for some time, euro is starting to get into it more and more. Toyota in 06ish moved the whole line to WB, Also there are not high solid clears that are WB, where that hardness comes into play. PPG started making large strikes in the refinishing (non-oem) back in early 1999-2000. What car where you working on?
I've never had any luck with PFW on a DA machine. The wool fibers just seem to wiggle around and the only cut I would get was form the presure I applied. I only use PFW with rotory or Makita BO6040 (like the Flex) in forced rotation mode.
Water-borne paint utilizing modern paint technology, using water-based high solid/low solvent urethane that for environmental reasons (low volatile organic compounds (VOC) initially produce a less dense (softer) and more porous finish Paint density is dependent upon many variables - Low cross-link densities raise the viscosities of the polymer (soft). Intermediate cross-link densities transform gummy polymers into materials that have elastomeric properties and potentially high strengths. Very high cross-link densities (Hard) can cause materials to become very rigid with a high gloss There are other factors that will have an effect; the composition of the clear coat used (single, duel component, or powder) this generally reflects the trade off the OEM is prepared to accept between scratch resistance and gloss level considered acceptable, oven drying time and its temperature, the relevant age (i.e. how long ago was the paint applied) spot panel repairs (refinish) that are carried out either at the assembly plant or the rail head or port of entry. Less dense (soft) paint could also be caused if it was polished before the paint had time to fully cure Dense paint is very resistant to correction; some paints will correct with a single pass and look incredible, ready for wax even. Others will correct just as easily but leave a hazy appearance that needs to be cleaned up with a less aggressive polish and a soft pad. The best way to detail paint, wither it is hard or soft ; is by using the least aggressive pad / polish combination followed, if necessary by an incrementally more aggressive approach until you find what works
I can probably add something here, I paint cars for a living and actually use waterborne paint. Waterborne is only the basecoat. The primers/sealers and clearcoat is still solvent based. The hardness would not be affected by which system was used on the basecoat level. A lot of the time your lower VOC clearcoats will be harder due to a better isocyanates in them. Since the solvent is taken out they tend to use a better iso mix in them. Also some is just really dependant on what the chemists wanted out of the clear. On the factory level this still holds true but there are also a couple of other factors. Factories use a different resin in them than what bodyshops use. Bodyshops use Acrylic resin based clear while the factory uses Melamine resins. Melamine only cures through heat. Since the plant has to sand and polish like everyone else for dirt reasons, hardness of the clear depends on how clean or dirty the cars where coming out on that particular shift. They will cut the heat some and give them a shorter bake so they polish easier. Since Melamine only cures through high heat it will only cure while in the oven at the factory. Once out it is as cured as it will ever be. It only cures above 300 degrees.
