Best cheap paint depth gauge

After hearing readings of low microns, which I'll admit I didn't know about when I first got into the gig, I've become kinda scared. Does anyone know of a PDG that works well and is relatively cheap. Even if it gets me in the ballpark of if I should be polishing or not.

 

Paint Meter, Paint Gauge, Paint Gage - HighLineMeter.com
That? It may be my next purchase very soon...

 

Thats the one I have. Nice meter.

 

Hmmm...haha to me that's still a plunge. I know there was one for 70 from Harbor Freight. I did a search but I couldn't find a good confirm.

 

Is that the one that all the chaps on Detailing World are using?

 

Similar design but the UK guys use one called a paint detective I believe, maybe it has some different features because it has some extra buttons on it. Anyone care to elaborate?

 

The thing with paint gauges is that you get what you pay for, the cheeper they get the less accurate they are :shrug:

 

True, Carlos. But I personally would really hate to spend a few thousand buck on a paint gauge... Hmmmm....wonder how this one performs... http://www.detailersdomain.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=116

 

ok dont flame me for asking this, but i havent really seen a cheap paint gauge that will tell you the amount of clear and only clear. from what i can tell these gauges are designed to check for body work, namely bondo on the panel. is there a reasonable gauge that will separate the different levels of color and clear? because if not, you are just getting a total reading and the clear could still be very thin and just have a lot of color. which is what body shops tend to do.


Defelsko Positest DFT Combo

DeFelsko PosiTest DFT Combo - Automotive Paint Thickness Gage

Ideal for verifying the thickness of paint on new and pre-owned automobiles, making it easy to identify collision damage and refinish work in all types of weather conditions.

 

If I were to pick one up, and I hope that I do, I'd be getting the Defelsko Positest DFT Combo because it seems to be the most affordable meter that measures in microns, which is a more precise unit of measurement than mils.

 

Digital DFT meters typically display both mils and microns; depending upon the user's preference. Two popular inexpensive and popular paint gauges which read in both mils and microns are the Cen-Tech DFT meter available via Harbor Freight and the High Line DFT meter. However, the Positest DFT Combo is more accurate than the aforementioned competition; with +/-.1 mil as opposed to +/-.5 mil.

 

Thanks for the clarification milab...1 mil = 25.4 microns and paint is usually what, 100-200 microns? Would I be safe wetsanding using the Cent-Tech or Highline to check my work? What's the avg. thickness of a clearcoat?

/makes reminder to search togwt's posts

 

I remember togwt saying the average is 1.5-2 mils

 

This is the one I use now. I had the Deflesko DFT and compared the two when I got my HighLine and they were dead nuts together. After seeing how accurate the Highline was I sold my DFT. Also there are really only two dependable manufacturers out there for Paint Gauges. Those are Deflesko and Elcometer. The key to the Highline is that Elcometer does all their warranty work for Highline as well as distributing the Highline. That tells you that the Highline is high quality if Elcometer will distribute them. All my paperwork that came with my Highline had Elcometer's name all over it.

Another great thing and advantage the Highline has over the DFT is that the DFT came with calibration strips but failed to provide any bare metal to put them on. My Highline came not only with the strips but also a ferrous and non-ferrous bare metal piece to place the calibration strip on to make sure you get an accurate calibration.

And advs1 the thing is you can get a pretty good indication of how thick the clear is by checking the paint thickness on the outside and then checking the thickness on the door jambs if you wanted to see about how thick the clear really is. You know there is not as much clear coat on the door jambs as on the hood. Its just a rough estimate but would get you somewhat in the ball park. Also if you are getting numbers that read in the 100-150 micron range and then you get some on a part of the car that read around 75 you know there has been a good deal of clear removed from that area and would let you know to avoid heavy compounding in that area.

 

There is no uniform standard surrounding paint depth between manufacturers, models, etc. A DFT (dry thickness film) meter is not particularly useful for determining the depth of clear coat; you can utilize obtained measurements to make an educated estimate. Instead, DFT meters are effective at determining the overall consistency of the paint which might indicate problem areas regarding sanding and/or buffing operations (i.e., most measurements on a panel indicate 120-130 microns; however, one portion of the panel is consistently measuring in the 80-90 micron range). DFT meters are also practical for identifying how much clear coat is being removed during sanding and/or buffing operations to avert problems typically encountered when too much clear coat is removed. It is important to understand there will always be risk involved when sanding and/or buffing; albeit proper training and equipment does effectively minimize the potential for such. That being said, I believe the Cen-Tech model is a legitimate DFT meter; however, its downfall is that it only takes measurements on ferrous metals.

 

I'm sold on the Highline, heheh.

 

Great explanation JLs :thumb:

 

@ $200 I might be getting one!!!

 

You can get a better Idea by taking a reading on a panel, then on the jamb or inside the trunk lid. Those areas normally aren't clear coated.

 

Great Info thanks