A Brief Look at Meguiars compounds and polishes

Established in 1901, Meguiars offers a number of car care products like car wash liquids, auto detailing clay, paint cleaners and compounds, pure polishes, cleaners, and car waxes. In over a century of its existence, the company’s products have gained a strong presence in the United States and rest of the world. The company’s history dates back to its humble beginnings as a furniture polishing business, established by Frank Meguiar, Jr. This gradually evolved into automobile polishing and other products and services.

Meguiar’s sons carried on the business and improved the product portfolio as well as sales revenue of the company. Its products were mostly used by car dealers, makers, and retailers. The demand for car wax during car shows led to the introduction of its professional car care lineup. Apart from car exhibitions, the company was very active in various car clubs and provided assistance to them during various events. Car care products made available by the Meguiars can be used for regular car maintenance and washing, surface enhancement, painting and extra gloss addition, and increasing the life of a car body and tires. The company also provides air fresheners and other useful products for car interiors. The Odor Eliminator, for instance, removes foul smell inside the car caused by pets, food items, and other things. This particular product is available in a 473ml bottle.

Meguiars cleaning and polishing materials help in improvement of the shine and glossy finish of a car, which normally goes away after some time. These products offer a sparkling finish without scratching or scrubbing the surface. The company also provides effective and easy-to-use leather cleaners, which are very helpful in cleaning leather upholstery - one of the trickiest things to maintain in a car . It removes tough oil and water-based stains without affecting the natural durability of leather.

Masking Paper for Overspray Prevention

Have you ever wondered how car manufacturers and auto repair workshops perfectly paint a vehicle?

One of the common issues that spoil the look of a car is overspray, which is when paint is accidentally sprayed over areas it's not intended for. When you see overspray in a car, it is safe to assume that an amateur has painted the car.

If you have never painted a car before, you may find it difficult to avoid overspray. However, it is not very difficult to prevent this, especially when you use masking paper or masking plastic.

Masking paper is, quite simply, paper that can be stuck to different parts of the car where you do not want to apply paint. You stick it to the surface using masking tape, and then you can spray paint evenly across the surface of the car, including the part where you have stuck the masking paper. After the paint dries, simply remove the masking paper. You will find that the metal surface underneath is untouched by paint.

Masking paper can prove to be quite useful when you want to apply multiple coats to your car. A particular amount of masking paper is required in every paint job, irrespective of the number of color coatings. The windshield, wipers, and wiper drains, and side and rear windows are areas that should always be covered by masking paper when the car is being painted. Other areas include the tires, headlights, and taillights.

The effectiveness of masking paper depends on a number of factors including size. Masking paper is generally available in various sizes, and you need to choose the size based on   the part of the car you are covering.

Windshields, for instance, require a larger paper than headlights. Another important factor is the type of adhesion. The masking paper should stick strongly enough to prevent the paint from bleeding, which can result in uneven edges.

A Brief Review of Spray Gun Filters by Motor Guard

If you have a conventional spray gun that you want to use for applying primer and paint on your car, you will also need a good air filter like the Motor guard D12. The main purpose of these basic air filters is to ensure that the quality of air being mixed with the paint is good.

Spraying from a gun requires clean and dry air with no traces of oil or water in it. Impure air can cause fisheye and other imperfections in your paint or primer. In some cases, dust may also be sprayed along with the paint, resulting in rough spots of paint on the surface of the vehicle.

Such mistakes can cost a lot of money, but the good thing is that they are easily avoidable. With the help of professional air filters like the Motor Guard D12, you can easily avoid such slips and also at a reasonable price.

These disposable air filters remove all traces of harmful elements like water, dirt, oil, and other air contaminants that can alter the finish quality. The air that enters the filter is swirled for removing the moisture, which is collected in the baffled zone and carried away through a drain.

You also have higher quality and feature-rich air filters like the Motor Guard M30 and M60. Both of these being the same but with different CFM rating. The Motor Guard M60 has a maximum flow of 100 CFM while the M30 can deliver up to 45 CFM (CFM stands for Cubic Feet per minute).

For a spray gun to give good results, it is critical that it gets the right flow of air. If you have a number of spray guns that you use, you may find this kind of air filter more useful than a single use, disposable type. The filter and spray gun need to be in sync with one another. A lower CFM for the air gun means that there is not enough air for the paint to be atomized properly. This results in a textured finish and a smaller fan pattern.

Why are Plastic Tapes Needed for Car Painting?

Tapes are necessary for any paint job, and this is true for car painting as well. In fact, car painting calls for the use of specific types of plastic tapes. Over the years, a number of changes in the auto industry created an impact on the production of plastic tapes. For instance, changes in substrates used on vehicle surfaces and a shift to waterborne paints have changed how these plastic tapes adhere to and are removed from a surface.

Plastic tapes have become especially useful in preventing edge bleed, a problem that was usually not seen with solvent-based base coats.

To ensure that zero edge bleed, you need to carefully and thoroughly clean the surface and apply the plastic tape firmly on it. Most modern plastic tapes are similar in their basic form, but their quality often varies. If you want the best paint job for your car, focus more on the performance of the tape, not on its price.

Top-grade auto plastic tapes are designed to endure collision repair work. This is why it is best that you go for quality tapes that consistently give good results.

When most people buy these tape rolls, they look at three factors: the crispness of the paint line, thickness of the tape, and the ease with which it unwinds. In other words, they look for a tape that sticks quickly to the surface and holds itself throughout.

To ensure that the plastic tape does a good job, you must prepare the car surface well because plastic tapes do not adhere well to wet and dirty surfaces.

Cleaning the surface of a car is not difficult. First, clean it using a light soap and water. This will remove all kinds of water-soluble dirt accumulated on it. Next, clean the surface using a good cleaning agent to get rid of any petroleum-based contaminants like a wax and grease remover.

The Types and Uses of Bonding Adhesives

Bonding adhesives or body panel adhesives can be found in the shelves of every reliable auto repair garage, but have you ever wondered what they do? As the name implies, body panel adhesives are used to quickly and firmly repair and replace body panels like quarter panels, door skins, roofs, and more. You can find body panel adhesives with or without specialized dispensing guns. The former cost just a fraction of the latter, and are preferred by those who repair their cars in their own garage. Here are some common types of adhesives.

Fast set adhesive

This body panel adhesive is great for replacing small and non-structural body panels because they set really quickly, as you may have guessed from the name. Brands like Evercoat Fast Set Adhesive can bond really well with bare steel, aluminum, e-coated, and galvanized steel panels.

Medium Set Adhesive

Of course, this type of body panel adhesive takes a longer time to set, so you can apply it on larger car body parts without worrying about time it'll take to set. They can be used to replace and attach new roofs, door skins, truck bedsides, and utility vehicle sides. However, they still set pretty fast, so replacing structural panels and larger body panels is pretty much impossible. Once again, Evercoat’s Medium Set Adhesive seems to be one of the best of the crop, offering excellent metal-to-metal and metal-to-SMC adhesion.

Multi-Panel Bonding Adhesive

This is a one-to-one epoxy adhesive that can be used to replace non-structural panels like door skins and roofs. Evercoat offers its own multi-panel bonding adhesive, which sticks impressively well with cold rolled steel, e-coats, and aluminum surfaces and comes with a lifetime warranty as well.

Large panel adhesive

This is also a one-to-one epoxy adhesive, except that it is strong enough to be used on larger non-structural panels. Evercoat Maxim’s large panel bonding adhesive once again offers impressive adhesive capacity, backed by the company’s lifetime warranty.

Body Fillers- The Repair Tools Everyone Loves to Hate

Any car that has been driven long enough is likely to have a few dents. Large dents usually need a full body repair at a professional auto repair shop. But you do not need to shell out the same amount of money for smaller dents and gouges. There are easier, more cost-effective ways of getting smaller dents fixed.

This post focuses on one of the main components of car dent repair that is used to fix mall dents-the filler or putty. Most professionals also call it Bondo, a popular trade name in the industry. Incidentally, not many auto repair professionals like to admit that they use body filler quite regularly.

Body fillers are not as bad as many people think them to be. In fact, when used well and in right situations, they can do wonders to a car’s appearance and can offer a fairly long-term solution for dents and gouges at a reasonable price.

Much of the criticism against body fillers is limited to the use of lead, which was used quite regularly as body fillers in past. However, lead was discovered to cause a number of serious health problems and ever since, its use has been discontinued.

Today, all reputed body filler manufacturers use different materials. You can find fillers that use reinforced fiberglass too. Most body fillers and spot glazing putty use a plastic resin that adheres rather well with the metal body of vehicles and lasts long. It can also be sanded easily.

Spot putty may seem similar to common body fillers, but there are a few differences between the two. For one, spot putty is much finer than fillers. Secondly, it is relatively easier to sand than thicker body fillers and does not need any pre-mixing. Spot putty is available in tubes and can be applied directly to the area to be repaired. It also dries faster than other body fillers.

Plastic sheeting- The Basics

Plastic sheeting is a common process used in auto repair shops. It has a purpose similar to that of masking paper, except that it is larger than most masking papers.

Many car owners use plastic sheeting to protect their car when they are keeping it away for a long time.

In auto repair, these sheets are used to protect the car from overspray. This seemingly simple function may not look like much, but it saves hours and even days of work. With plastic sheeting in pace, the overspray does not get over any of the fresh paint, as a result of which you have to do less color sanding and buffing.

You can find a number of plastic sheeting brands in the market today in different measurements. The standard width is 12 feet, though the length may vary. Some of the best brands of plastic sheeting include Fiberglass Evercoat, USC Shark Skin, and Five Star plastic sheeting. Five Star also offers complete wheel maskers.

In addition, plastic sheets are used to protect the car from bad weather, especially rains. Unlike masking paper, plastic sheets are generally bigger and typically cover larger portions of the car. Some plastic sheeting types come with adhesive, but in most cases, you have to rely on masking tape to stick the sheeting to the surface of the vehicle.

If you are using plastic sheeting while painting the car, you should make sure that the sheet does not touch the freshly painted surfaces, else moisture can build up and spoil the look of your car. Additionally, contact between the sheeting and surface could cause paint discoloration and rust. Overall, plastic sheeting is a useful process to keep your car clean and well- maintained.

An Introduction to Mar-hyde primers

Mar-hyde primers are a brand of urethane primers used in vehicle paint jobs. There are various types of primers available for different surfaces like wood, cement, and metal. However, polyester, urethane, and lacquer primers are commonly used in auto repair and painting.

Polyester primer is similar to spray-on body filler. It is generally more porous than urethane primers and sealant. This makes it a better choice when you want to apply primer to an area that may be a problem area. For instance you have a repair area that may be a fresh enamel, but the fresh acrylic enamel wasn’t properly activated. If you try to put on a lacquer, or Urethane primer it will wrinkle the fresh or un catalyzed enamel. The Polyester primer will create a barrier to keep this from happening.
 
Urethane primers, on the other hand, are used when the to-be-applied-to area. They are generally better than lacquer primers and give you a much greater fill with no shrinking. The Urethane primers offer greater value for money. Although lacquer primers have a lower price tag, their quality is not up to the mark. You are not likely to get good results with lacquer primers without more work to get the same results as Urethane types. Perhaps this explains why most prefer urethane over lacquer .

You'll ask why are lacquer primers different from other primers?

The answer to this question lies in the fact that lacquer primers use a thermoplastic resin, which means that it may become liquid again under certain circumstances. You can scrape out the lacquer primer from a surface where it's already applied and turn it into liquid with enough lacquer thinner. Depending on the type of resin present in the primer, you may even need to reapply the primer.
Urethane primers, on the other hand, are made of thermosetting resin, resulting in a plastic type finish. The coating cannot turn into its original liquid state, and the end result is a strong, chemical resistant, and durable coating. As a result, you get a glossy finish on your car for a longer time without any swelling, shrinkage, cracking, and delaminating. Moreover, the solvents used in forming the base coat are very strong and require a cured and activated undercoat for them to be resisted or repelled.

Why Choose Norton Champagne Abrasives for Your Bodywork?

Sanding is important in bodywork – whether you’re prepping a repaired vehicle for painting, or you’re working on a refinish project. While many shops take the view that “sandpaper is sandpaper”, that’s not true. The results speak for themselves – Norton Champagne sandpaper is the higher quality option for body shops everywhere (and it can be used in almost any other application as well). Billed as “the best sandpaper on the planet"), you might be surprised at just how easily it lives up to the title.

Cut Rate and Temperature Considerations

In the world of automotive bodywork, there are two qualities of paramount importance when it comes to sandpaper. Those are the sandpaper’s cut rate and its temperature handling ability. The faster the sandpaper cuts, the less time you’ll spend sanding overall. The cooler the sandpaper runs, the longer it will last. You’ll find that Norton abrasives give you the best of both worlds, with a faster cut and cooler running temperatures than other options on the market.

In fact, Norton abrasives offer up to 50% faster cut rate in comparison to other products on the market, thanks to its premium, heat-treated grain. The heat-treating does more than just offer a high cut rate, though. It extends the life of the sandpaper by making it more heat resistant overall. Spending less money on sandpaper is certainly a benefit that shops will enjoy.

No Color Transfer

Some sandpaper (even products made especially for the automotive market) have pigments and dyes in them. That can lead to color transfer, which just makes more work for you. Norton auto body sand paper contains no pigments at all, which eliminates the problem of color transfer, and the strong bond between the grit and the paper offers the longest lifespan available.

FEPA P-Graded Grain

Norton Champagne abrasives feature the highest quality, FEPA P-graded grain. This is an important factor, as it ensures the most consistent scratch pattern possible. Uniform scratch patterns help eliminate uneven, deep grooving that causes problems with bodywork, but that’s not an issue with Norton sandpaper.

Easy Removal

Finally, you won’t struggle to get the disc off the sander with Norton Champaign sandpaper. The backing is made with premium B-weight latex, which offers both better performance, and more flexibility, allowing you to remove the disc easily for replacement when it finally wears out (which will take a long, long time).

Fiberglass Evercoat – Innovation and Quality

Dents, dings, gouges and other imperfections on metal and plastic must be repaired correctly. While there are numerous options on the market to take care of these situations, you’ll find the Fiberglass Evercoat products more than up to pretty much any challenge you might be facing. The company offers a wide range of products, and has been a driving force in the automotive industry since the 1960s.

Metal Glaze

Got a job dealing with galvanized metal? Maybe you’re working with steel or aluminum. Perhaps you’re handling SMC or OEM paint. Regardless, you’ll find that Fiberglass Evercoat Metal Glaze products have the qualities you need for the job. It’s designed to fill in pinholes and uneven surfaces, as well as grind marks left from sanding. This two-part glazing and finishing putty system is designed to prevent bleed-through as well as staining (when used under a basecoat, or a clear coat). It’s also one of the easiest putties to sand down smooth and even, ensuring the best results on the job.

Poly-Flex

Not all painting and bodywork revolves around metal. These days, cars are comprised of a significant number of plastic pieces, from bumper covers to door trim and more. The problem is that any repair needs to be able to handle the flexing of plastic as it expands with heat and cold, as well as other factors. While many products on the market lack the ability to handle flexibility issues, that’s not the case with Fiberglass Evercoat 411 Poly-Flex. Available in a 30-ounce pump system, this putty is specifically designed to work with bumpers and other plastic components. Like the metal glaze mentioned above, Poly-Flex goes on smooth and sands easily, and can also be used as a skim coat to protect repaired areas. It can also take care of gouges, dings and scratches from sanding.

Spot-Lite

Fiberglass Evercoat 445 Spot-Lite putty is an interesting product that’s designed to meet a range of different needs. It’s a paste, but works like a pourable putty. It can also be used on sanded OEM paint, on steel and on galvanized metal equally well. It’s easily sanded and cures fast, making it a good choice for any type of spot filling need in your shop.

These are only a handful of the many Fiberglass Evercoat body filler products on offer that can make your shop faster and more productive.

Everything You Need to Know about the Right Masking Products Required for an Automotive Repair Job

Millions of car owners who have the skills and the patience required to conduct an automotive collision damage repair project on their own choose to embrace a DIY approach, rather than opting for costly, professional services ensuring similar end results. A successful DIY method depends a great deal on the quality of the materials required by your assignment. In this case, if you want to eliminate dents and repaint your car quickly and effortlessly without any help, you will most likely need a few essential items, including sandpaper, quality masking paper, primer, quality paint, and more. Believe it or not, extremely accessible poly coated paper can make the difference between an average painting job and an amazing makeover that actually manages to preserve – and even increase – the resale value of your car. Why is this element so important? 

Purpose: Masking paper is widely used by owners who do not want to over spray their vehicle. It ensures an elevated level of protection for all areas where it is applied, as long as it is placed correctly. Quality masking paper has gradually replaced newspapers and every other ineffective, improvised barrier used in the past by owners who wanted to complete DIY automotive repair projects. The newest products guarantee a superior penetration resistance for surfaces that are not meant to be painted in the first place. All in all, masking paper keeps dust, powerful solvents, and various other factors at a distance, enabling you to attain the desired results in no time.

How to Apply It: Using masking paper is easy. You just have to place it on the surface that you’re trying to conceal and protect, and then secure it with masking tape.

Types of Masking Paper: There are various types of masking papers, tailored to your unique needs and requirements. In terms of size, you can find products with a width ranging from 6 inches to 5 or 7 feet. Hand masking paper is available in different colors, including white, gold, or gray.

When trying to complete an automotive repair process that requires the usage of potent solvents, it is essential to be able to count on premium masking products. Masking plastic, for instance, represents an excellent barrier against powerful solvents, with zero bleed-through incidents that might compromise the final results of your work.

Enhance the Lifespan of Your Vehicle and Improve its Aesthetics with Premium Auto Primers

What car owner wouldn’t like to prolong the lifespan of his or her car, while also increasing its resale value, improving its aesthetics and protecting it from corrosion in the long term? Now this ambitious goal is truly attainable, with just a little bit of help from leading manufacturers bringing us some of the most advanced auto primers, which prove to be effective rust converters. 

How could one get rid of rust once and for all?

Rust can be removed easily using a few simple tools like a small brush, a large brush, a blade, masking tape, sandpaper, a putty knife and/or a screwdriver. The loose chunks of rust are eliminated first, then the rust converter is utilized to prevent further damage. The rust killing chemical substance acts fast, turning the sprayed reddish area into a darker layer and forming an effective barrier against rust.

How can one find the right primer for automotive refinishing work?

With so many choices at hand, finding the right primer can be quite a hassle, especially for someone with zero or little experience in automotive refinishing. The best primer filler should enable the car owner to fill in small imperfections fast and effortlessly, while guaranteeing an optimal protection against rust, due to its advanced formula. Also, a great primer filler, appropriate for different materials, including metal, fiberglass and even wood surfaces, should enhance topcoat adhesion and leave the sprayed surface flat and smooth.

What are the attributes of a first-hand auto primer?

All in all, it is safe to say that the ideal catalyzed primer should display two essential attributes: a superior adhesion and an elevated corrosion resistance. A quality epoxy primer is usually applied on bare metal, while a first-class, easily sandable urethane primer can be layered over the epoxy primer and sanded down, to eliminate all imperfections.

These days, if you want to give your car a much-needed extreme makeover on time and on a budget, you can always count on top-rated products to make your job a whole lot easier, such as a reliable urethane primer, which can easily be applied on almost any kind of surface (fiberglass, iron, aluminum, prepped steel and so on) for any kind of automotive repair work, regardless of its size and complexity. The new generation of 2k primers, including the highly popular Mar-Hyde® Ultimate® 2K Primer Surfacer, deliver the promised results, wowing customers with reduced drying time, remarkable versatility and increased adhesion.

Five Star Xtreme Clear Coats Shine Like OEM Products

Matching the quality and durability of OEM paint jobs requires the right products and the right tools. For auto body painters, matching (and exceeding) OEM specifications in terms of shine, luster and durability is important. It’s what builds your reputation and what keeps customers coming back and recommending your shop to their friends and family. When it comes to protecting a new paint job, the clear coat used is of the utmost importance. Five Star Xtreme Clear Coat offers outstanding results and other benefits that make it the clear choice for professional automotive painters.

Any Temperature

Every automotive painter has experienced days when it was either too hot or too cold to work with the paint. Air conditioning and heating in the shop can help here, but it’s often not enough. There will still be times when you have to put off a job until the ambient temperature changes. That’s not the case with Five Star Xtreme Clear Coat – it uses three different activators, ensuring that it can be applied (correctly) in almost any temperature. For automotive painters, that means no more delays because of hot or cold temps, and better productivity for the shop.

Applying Clear Coat

One of the things that set Five Star Xtreme Clear Coat apart from other clear coat systems on the market is the ease of application. It goes on easily and offers excellent flow and build characteristics in all temperatures and environments. Its excellent gloss , UV protection and DOI also make it stand out from the competition, offering comparable (or better) results than high-end, ultra-expensive clear coat systems. 

 Multiple Uses

Unlike some clear coat systems, Five Star Xtreme Clear Coat can be used either as a spot application or on multiple panels. Combined with that versatility is the system’s 2.1 VOC rating, which means that it complies with every VOC regulation today. It’s tough to find a more versatile paint system.

Finally, you’ll find Five Star Xtreme’s clear coat technology available in a range of products and product sizes. The company offers the Glamour HS Klearkote system, as well as the Xtreme 2.1 Clearcoat. Both systems are available in gallon or quart size, and activators are available in quart and pint sizes.

Five Star Xtreme has built a reputation for providing the highest quality and best results for less than what you’ll pay for paint from big-name companies.

Fusor Adhesive Products Offer Ease of Use and Professional Results

While most consumers assume that automotive bodywork requires mostly replacing panels, professionals know that’s not always the case. In fact, a large number of jobs are actually repairs rather than outright replacements. For both vehicle owners and insurance companies, repairing a damaged body panel makes much more financial sense than replacing the entire thing in most cases, so long as the panel’s salvageable. Of course, you need the right tools when it comes to body repair. This is where the line of Fusor adhesive products comes in.

What Do Fusor Adhesive Products Do?

Actually, it might be a better idea to ask what they don’t do. They’re invaluable solutions when you need metal glue, or need a quality plastic repair adhesive. The company offers a broad range of adhesive types, as well. For instance, the Fusor Repair Adhesive Plastic Body (Heat-Set) 100EZ is an ideal application for plastic repair where the adhesive needs to be heat set in order to bond properly. The Fusor Adhesive for Metal Bonding Medium 108B is the perfect choice for body repairs where a medium-hold metal glue is required. Other options available from Fusor include their slow-set metal glue (for situations where a long set time is required), as well as their self-leveling seam sealer (fast set). 

Why Choose Fusor, Though?

There are tons of different bonding and glue products out there, all of which claim to be the best choice for bodywork. However, that doesn’t make those claims true. In point of fact, there are some rather shoddy products on the market, and the unwary body man can quickly find their work has been compromised. 

One of the things that makes Fusor products a better fit for more shops is their high workability and the professional results that they can generate. For example, Fusor Repair Adhesive Plastic Body (Heat-Set) 100EZ is ideal for repairing plastic bumpers and other plastic body pieces or trim because it’s able to be sanded to a super-smooth finish with a feather edge, and is also flexible. That ensures less prep work before painting can take place, helping you get the job done faster and your customer back on the road sooner.

Fusor adhesive products are ideal for a range of body repair situations, including hoods, fenders, doors, hatches, body panels, decks and more, and any mechanic will appreciate being able to repair plastic, metal, SMC, GTX and fiberglass, not to mention seam sealers with ease. 

Fiberglass Evercoat Body Filler Offers Comprehensive Coverage

Body filler is a vital tool for automotive repair shops. From repairing fenders and hoods to doors, roofs and everything in between, it’s difficult to think of a product in higher demand than body filler. While there are lots of different products on the market, there are some excellent reasons to choose from Fiberglass Evercoat’s filler products. There’s something for just about every application, and you’ll find the same high quality in every formulation

Weight Considerations

When it comes to body repair, the weight of the filler used is of considerable importance. That’s why you’ll find a variety of different weights available in Fiberglass Evercoat’s range of filler products. Their Lite Weight filler is the top seller on the market, but you’ll also find Rage and Rage Gold, Rage Extreme, Z-Grip, Metal-to-Metal and Vette Panel filler formulations. No matter what weight you need, it’s here. 

No Clogs

All of the filler formulations offered by Fiberglass Evercoat are made with non-clogging formulas. That saves you time and hassle, but will also save money as well. With no clogs to mar the process, applying the body filler is fast and easy.

Spreading and Sanding

All body filler must be spread on the area you’re repairing. However, not all Bondo formulations offer easy spreading. Stiff, hard filler is difficult to spread, increasing the time required to finish as well as the chance that something will go wrong. Of course, the harder it is to spread, the longer it will take to sand (uneven spreading means you’ll be wasting sandpaper and labor). Fiberglass Evercoat’s body filler line features excellent spreading ability, and all of them can be sanded down to a featheredge. In a nutshell, that means it’s faster to apply and easier to finish with.

Application Types

There’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to automotive body filler. While one formulation might work well for galvanized metal, it won’t work well for steel or aluminum. It might not work at all with fiberglass or other materials. You’ll find that Fiberglass Evercoat took this into consideration when creating their line of Bondo fillers. There’s an application for pretty much any type of surface you might be working with, from aluminum to OEM paint to galvanized metal and even masonry and wood (with the company’s Glass-Lite formulation). Get the solution to fit your application.

Opt for Durablock Sanding Blocks for Your Next Job

   Sanding is required in a wide range of auto body repair and refinishing processes. Filler must be sanded down, primer must be smoothed out, adhesive has to be sanded, and much more. For auto body repair professionals, having the right sanding tools is incredibly important. While there are many different options on the market, few compare to the utility and versatility of Durablock sanding blocks. Block sanding offers quite a few advantages over plain paper, and these sanding pads really help cut through tough jobs.

Why They Work
 
   Why do so many body shops choose to use Durablock sanding tools? Simply put, they perform when and how you need them to. Not only that, but they’re manufactured from durable, high-density EVA foam to ensure the best grip, good comfort and that the blocks can conform to a variety of different surface types. There are also round, teardrop and specialty blocks designed specifically for surfaces that flat pads or blocks won’t work on.

Choose Your Option

 
    One of the first things you’ll discover about Durablock sanding blocks and pads is that they’re available in a broad range of styles, sizes and configurations. For instance, the Durablock AF4406 is teardrop shaped, allowing you to get into a wide variety of areas where a traditional square-edged block would be next to useless. The Durablock AF4404 is round, with a one-inch diameter, making it the perfect choice for difficult to reach contours and curves where flat pads and paper just won’t do.

   For those who need a lot of capabilities in a single package, the Durablock AF44L 7-piece kit offers a lot of functionality. These are soft blocks, designed for wet or dry use, and there’s a selection of different styles and sizes in the kit to ensure you have what you need to get the job done right. Blocks are included for flat as well as contoured surfaces. 

   While Durablock sanding tools won’t replace your discs, wheels and pads, they do an excellent job of making tough sanding an easier prospect, especially for areas where wheels and pads can’t reach. You’ll be surprised at just how much time they can eliminate from frustrating sanding jobs. And because all block sanding tools are designed to be used by hand, there’s no need to purchase additional power equipment (cost savings are always important for automotive body shops).

How to Find the Best Sandpaper for Your Car Bodywork

If you think it’s time to increase the resale value of your vehicle, or to simply work on its aesthetics, a well-done paint job can help you attain your end goal quickly and effortlessly. However, you should know that this assignment is often very complex and labor-intensive, and it requires only 5-star products – like for instance premium paint, a quality primer, and the adequate type of sandpaper. In case you want to conduct a DIY project, it is crucial to know how to identify the best type of sandpaper, enabling you to obtain flawless, durable results in record time.

Why should I sand down my vehicle before painting it?

Recent studies indicate that specialists working in the paint department usually spend one third of their time trying to sand a specific area and prep it for the new coat of paint. Excellent sandpaper introduced by a reputable manufacturer will help you save time and money, while allowing you to take pride in outstanding results. Quality sandpaper will allow you to correct all imperfections, eliminate stains, and obtain an appealing, professional finish that will make your car look like new. Norton abrasives eliminate the first layers of paint, increasing the adherence of the new coat of paint and favoring long-lasting, positive effects. Most car owners are puzzled when it comes to deciding what grid of top-quality sandpaper they should use before repainting their vehicles. Experts advise us to start by using a 80-grit sandpaper in order to eliminate rust and handle deep scars and leaving a scratch that can be easily filled by using any good filling primer. After completing this phase, one should opt for 120 or 180 grit sandpaper for effective rust-stain removal. Later on, use a 320-grit sandpaper to complete the job and leave it smooth and clean before applying a good quality primer.

Opt for a superior product offering numerous benefits in the long term

When using a top-rated product, such as the popular Norton discs, you should expect to profit from numerous important benefits, including:
-Increased durability
-Elevated flexibility
-Increased performance
-Decreased finishing costs
-Cooler/quicker cut displaying an increased longevity
-Enhanced grain adhesion
-Fast, flexible, trouble-free removal correlated with an enhanced tear resistance
- Extreme versatility (Norton sandpaper is recommended for any type of automotive refinishing work, without requiring the presence of special abrasives)

Make the Most of Surface Care Products

Designed to Enhance the Aesthetics of Your Vehicle

   These days, car owners who want to keep their vehicles in excellent condition for a long period of time count on an effective beauty routine based on a new generation of surface care products, introduced to the market by leading providers who are well-known for their technological breakthroughs and achievements. From the common car wash shampoo and conditioner to the professional detailing clay and ultimate wax, all these compounds play an important part, guaranteeing an increased level of protection against contaminants and risk factors and a one-of-a-kind glow for any automobile.

   Professional detailing clay is designed to remove even the most persistent contaminants. This product can be utilized before polishing your car, to obtain an appealing, long-lasting glow.

Meguiars M3401 Final Inspection is as useful as a magnifying glass, for car owners trying to evaluate the final results of a recent painting job or to spot minor defects that always become visible after applying the wipe-off auto detailer introduced by Meguiars, a leading company delivering a generous selection of first-class surface care products. Use this ingenious solution to obtain the distinctive shine of a much-appreciated show car.

   Car waxes come in a great variety of colors, combinations and forms (paste or liquid). All professional car waxes have one thing in common: they enhance the beauty of any automobile almost instantly, making the color seem more intense and ensuring a unique glow and a superior gloss protection due to a formula based on wax, polymers and silicone. The Ultimate wax from Meguiars wows users with a superior protection, elevated reflectivity, hassle-free, fast application and removal, enabling them to give their cars a truly remarkable extreme makeover without investing a fortune in the process.

   Paint cleaners are based on different formulas, with more or less pronounced abrasive properties, used to eliminate a long list of defects, like for instance, water spots, while also lubricating the entire surface in order to avoid scratching.

   Pure polishes bring back the initial clarity and unique brilliance that made you fall in love with your car in the first place. The highly effective polish introduced by Meguiars is suitable for various types of surfaces, including plastic and fiberglass. If you are looking for that smooth touch adding real value to your car, Ultimate Polish, the superior product launched by Meguiars, is the perfect alternative at hand. It will help you get rid of fine swirls, while giving you the chance to generate the envy of all the other drivers with the glossy reflections of your vehicle.

Things That You Should Consider before Investing in a Hand Sander for 5-star Car Restoration

When it comes to repainting your car with the aim to upgrade its aesthetics and eliminate all flaws at the same time (rust stains, dents, and so on), you will definitely want to use the most of professional products designed to favor long-lasting, professional results involving minimal expenses, reduced prep time, and minimal effort. It goes without saying that a high-quality hand sander plays an important part in this equation, mostly because the appropriate sanding techniques will always ensure the superior adhesion of the fresh coats of paint – and thus a professional finish on time and on a budget.

We often hear that prepping a vehicle for paint is half science, half art. One thing’s for sure: A great job depends a great deal on a sanding block and on the right blocking techniques to polish the entire surface and prepare it for the extreme makeover.

In the automotive sector, one could easily find countless brands and models of hand sanders, all displaying different product specifications. In this context, the overwhelming diversity could easily puzzle car owners who might be interested in sanding and prepping their cars for paint on their own. You should know that all hand sanders generally serve the same purpose: They are recommended for flawless end shaping, and all of them manage to smooth out the entire surface, eliminating tool marks and rough edges. You might be wondering: What actually separates the best hand sander from its main competitors currently available on the market?

 
1) Increased durability: If you are determined to make a smart investment that will pay for itself over a short period of time, do not settle for cheap, imported hand sanders. Opt for American-made products with real guarantees, like the ones brought to you by Hutchins, a reputable provider displaying real productivity and performance improvements.

2) Competitive prices: Opt for hand sanders launched by leaders in professional sanding technology. This way, you will make the most of first-class, innovative products with a best-price guarantee.

3) Versatility: This is an essential attribute for any hand sander that should actually be considered a top pick by any car owner looking forward to conducting a DIY project. Hand sanders should be able to provide excellent results on various materials, and on surfaces displaying different shapes. While it might not be hard to find a tool adequate for large surfaces, the key is to identify the hand sanders that are also suitable for tighter, less-accessible areas and appropriate for dry/wet sanding.

4) Portability: It is always advisable to invest in a first-class small hand sander that is lightweight. This way, you will be able to carry it around with you and use it whenever and wherever you might need it.

House of Kolor Paint Offers Myriad Shimmering Possibilities

Custom paint jobs are just the touch to set off that beautiful ride. Whether it’s a muscle car from yesteryear, a supercar from today or a home-built tuner, giving it a custom paint job is one of the most important customizations available. Of course, getting the right paint job is tough to do, particularly if the car needs to stand out from the crowd. That’s where House of Kolor paint products comes in. You’ll find these innovative products add more than just a little shimmer to your customers’ cars.

Building from the Bottom Up

While most automotive paint systems use a primer and then a top coat, you’ll find that it’s a little different with House of Kolor. The company’s line of Shimrin Basecoat products is the logical place to start building up the unique paint job your customers want. You’ll find a broad range of color options in the basecoat category, including gold, silver, grey, Stratto Blue, Lapis Blue, Nova Orange, Planet Green, Pavo Purple, Cinder Red, black, Meteor Maroon, Zenith Gold and white.
  
The interesting thing about these basecoats is that unlike black or grey primer, they’re colored, and they’re designed to add iridescent shimmer and sparkle to the finished paint job. The basecoat system works hand in hand with House of Kolor Kandys and House of Kolor Urethane Kandys. Apply your customer’s choice of Kandys to the Shimrin Basecoat, and you get a unique fusion of the two. Different Kandys react differently with each House of Kolor basecoat paint, giving you the ability to explore an incredible range of color and effect options.

Additional House of Kolor Paint Products

Of course, no automotive paint job ends with the top coat. It needs to be protected and sealed against the elements. That’s true with OEM paint, but doubly true for custom paint jobs. Thankfully, House of Kolor offers a range of other products, including House of Kolor Klears and House of Kolor reducers and hardeners to ensure that every paint job has the protection it needs to look great for years to come. There are also undercoat products available – primer sealers to offer the best possible results.

House of Kolor paints can provide the unique look, style and shimmer that your auto body shop customers demand, and the range of paint systems ensures that every customer will find something they love.

Find the Right Masking Tape for a Cost-Effective, Successful Auto Painting Job

If you want to enhance the resale value of your car in a simple, cost-effective manner, repainting it would be a great option. While professional services completed by an auto repair shop in your area could end up costing you thousands of dollars, a DIY approach could favor similar results and still trigger important financial savings. The key is to count on first-rate elements, including premium masking products. Once you decide to start working on this project, make sure that you have enough masking tape to get the job done. 

What is masking tape and why is this product so important?

Believe it or not, masking tape can and will influence the end result of your paint job. This essential pressure-sensitive tape, also known as “painters tape” or sticky tape, is widely used by auto painters to wrap and protect areas that should not be covered in paint. This particular type of tape has a special adhesive, allowing users to apply it easily, without impacting the recently painted surface in any way. Masking tape was introduced in 1925 in an attempt to simplify the work and eliminate the frustration of auto painters who were forced to apply tape with extremely strong adhesive that always ended up peeling off the coat of paint, compromising their efforts, or not being able to easily re-position the tape.  

How is masking tape used by auto painters? 

These days, special masking tape is applied by auto painters who want to elimitate a fine line, marking the borders of an area where the body paint should not reach. In this context, it goes without saying that both professionals and amateurs could profit from flexible masking products, like for instance Orange Mask tape launched by Intertape, tailored to the particularities of any surface. This 5-star American tape can be used on a wide range of materials (including rubber and plastic), can be easily applied in layers and cut by anyone, and ensures a superior adhesion in both cold and hot environments. Last but not least, plastic tape with special adhesive demarcating precise areas that should not be painted should leave zero or a very minimum amount of adhesive residue, and should never lower the quality of the auto painting job. This is the case of AM (AquaMask) tape, widely known for its superior bleed-through protection, UV resistance, lack of residues, and innovative adhesive based on rubber, which provides excellent results without impacting the surface in any way.

How to Eliminate Painting Failures by Using Quality Paint Gun Filters and Filter Kits

In an attempt to minimize expenses and profit from substantial financial savings, millions of car owners decide to conduct DIY automotive refinishing projects. The success of such a time and cost-effective operation depends a great deal on the quality of the tools, materials and equipment utilized in the process. If you are determined to repaint your car on your own, you should know how to avoid the most dreadful nightmare of professional painters: the feared “fisheye,” a common problem represented by one and almost always more  dots compromising the aesthetics of a freshly painted surface.  This issue is usually triggered by contaminants or any other type of impurities located on area covered in fresh paint.

Painting techniques have evolved a great deal. These days, when painters use effective HVLP (high volume, low pressure) spray guns, it seems logical to invest in a few simple measures of precaution designed to reduce and even annihilate painting flaws, like the common fish eye, for instance. This is now possible due to the new generation of disposable paint gun filters, brought to us by leading manufacturers, like Motor Guard for instance, a giant corporation commercializing a wide range of flawless automotive collision damage repair solutions for more than 3 decades.  How can a paint gun filter improve the end result of an automotive painting job? The answer is simple: this ingenious product improves the air flow, removing even the tiniest contaminants and supplying the spray gun with pure, clean, contaminant-free air.

The products introduced by Motor Guard are based on a truly revolutionary filtration method and guarantee spectacular results for any automotive painting assignment. Motor guard M30 compressed air filter has a max flow of 45 CMF, a maximum pressure of 125 psi and a removal rating of .01 Micron, which basically means that it manages to eliminate all contaminants as tiny as 0.1 microns, ensuring a superior protection from impure, damaging air and prolonging the lifespan of your air tool, safeguarding its most important components from major contaminants.

If you are really worried about contaminants, Motor Guard M60 compressed air filter is a top alternative that you should definitely consider.  This ideal system comes along with 3 filters and prevents a wide range of painting failures triggered by contaminants, also allowing users to extend the lifespan of their air tool. It manages to retain the smallest particles one could ever imagine, below .01 micron, ensuring an ideal filter density.

With its remarkable filtration systems based on technological breakthroughs, the products ensured by Motor Guard, like, for instance, the D-12-1 disposable filter, the M-30/M45 kit or M-60/ M100 kit, are an excellent investment for those who are interested in obtaining flawless results for all their auto painting projects.

Use Plastic Sheets to Take Pride in the Perfect Auto Paint Job

Are you looking for effective, accessible DIY auto collision damage repair solutions?

  In this case, a well-planned DIY project involving top-quality materials could easily be considered the best answer to your problem. These days, one could easily find a generous selection of top-rated masking products on the market, meeting the expectations of professional automotive painting experts. From masking paper, masking tape, car covers, liquid masking, to a wide range of accessories serving a similar purpose, everything you might require in order to complete this task quickly and with minimum effort is just a few clicks away.

The undeniable advantages of high-quality automotive masking before starting a painting job

Plastic sheeting plays an important part in this equation, allowing car owners to witness spectacular results on time and on a budget, while preventing overspray to get where it's not supposed to be. If you want to upgrade the aesthetics of your car by repainting it – and protect your investment at the same time – inexpensive Plastic Sheeting, and car covers are an indispensable ally, stopping you from spraying areas that aren’t meant to be painted.

Over a relatively short period of time, painting techniques have evolved a great deal. Car owners have finally learned how to save time and money by simply replacing common paper and/or cloths used as a barrier against dust and overspray. People who have already tested this method agree on the fact that plastic sheeting is one of the most convenient, time-effective solutions, which involves a reduced amount of paper and tape. Clear plastic sheeting guarantees flawless results and prevents dust from hiding in less-accessible outer edges. Masking plastic, available in rolls, is ideal for large surfaces that require superior protection, enabling the owner to cover his or her car in record time, ultimately preventing paint bleed-through in a successful manner.

How to identify the best plastic sheeting ;

Depending on your needs and requirements, you could easily find blue or clear plastic sheeting with a width ranging from 1-2 feet up to 15-20 feet. Quality plastic sheeting should ensure
- Decreased masking time
- Minimized material costs
- An increased level of protection for the covered surfaces during the painting process

How to Get Rid of Dents and Improve the Looks of Your Car with Body Filler

Numerous car owners are forced to deal with dents and various other imperfections that are minor and do not justify the effort of opting for professional services offered by an auto repair shop. Even so, the flaws are out there, and can become a real obsession for those who would do just about anything to keep their cars shining like a new penny. Undoubtedly, a time- and cost-effective DIY project involving a premium fiberglass filler is the best solution to this problem, requiring only a few basic elements (sandpaper, quality body filler, a flexible and rigid plastic spreader, primer, and of course, lots of patience and determination).

The process could be easily completed in a few hours by simply following a few simple steps.

First Step: Prepare the area using sandpaper. This way, you will remove the old layers of paint and smooth out the entire surface, preparing it for the next phase. In most cases, 180-grit sandpaper is an ideal choice. If you are dealing with multiple dents, it is advisable to mark them properly.

Second Step: Mix your body filler with the creme hardener, according to the instructions written on the automotive filler can. After obtaining the final mix, make sure to use it as soon as possible (in less than 5 minutes), as its lifespan is limited.

Third Step: Apply the Bondo filler on the damaged surface. Make sure that you cover the affected area properly, and don’t hesitate to spread some filler in the proximity of the affected spot. This way, the end result will be flawless and uniform.

Fourth Step: Use a sanding block to obtain a smooth surface. In case you’ve missed a spot, just repeat the first three steps until you attain the desired results.

Fifth Step: Carefully apply spot putty using a plastic spreader, then sand down the affected area until you finally obtain a perfectly flat area without any flaws. As soon as all of these steps are completed, your job is half done and you can start applying the primer.

It is essential to count on first-class body filler, such as Marson Platinum filler, to ensure quality, durable, waterproof repairs for areas with holes and other imperfections (smaller than half an inch in size).