# Tiny, tiny air bubbles in clearcoat...



## JasonJ (Aug 20, 2002)

What makes little tiny air bubbles dry in clearcoat? I sprayed my engine block today and it looked sweet..... but now i see tiny air bubbles that dried in the clear. It didnt look like that when i sprayed it, but after drying for several hours i noticed it was covered with tiny white looking bubbles.... you can kinda feel them..... what happened?


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## showandgo (May 16, 2002)

email me a pic or too and will try and help


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## hotstuff5964 (Dec 9, 2004)

moisture yo


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## JasonJ (Aug 20, 2002)

They are really small air bubbles.... kinda looks like someone sprinkled salt in the clear or something.... kinda feels like it too. You gotta be really close to see them.

I was thinking..... its not like this all over the engine.... just on the front and the top on the intake.... the sides and back are still really slick..... i sprayed the clear until the gun ran out completely..... and im sure as i was using up the last of the clear i sprayed it on the front and top. Can spraying the clear until the gun runs out produce bubbles or something? It didnt look like this when i first sprayed it yesterday, unless i just didnt notice it because it was still wet?

I tried to take pics from several different angles to show the air bubbles, its hard to see them, but you can tell theres so many that it kinda gives it a milky appearance.... you can really see them in this first pic on the front of the intake across bottom lip where the clear was thick.... and on the other pics, what looks like microflake.... thats the air bubbles.....

Let me know what you guys think. It really doesnt look that bad, im just picky.... should i just leave it alone, or how would i go about fixing it? I mean, its not like its a flat surface where i can sand down the clear.... and once i get everything on, it will be less noticeable.... but if i can fix it, i would like to.


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## 61 Impala on 3 (Sep 30, 2003)

It was probably caused by a really large sag or run in the clear. I have seen that happen in the clear before in or near runs. 

So you probably didn't have enough flash time between coats 

or the clear was over reduced 

or you did not have enough hardner

Been there before........many times over.

Are you going to try to fix it?


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## JasonJ (Aug 20, 2002)

> _Originally posted by 61 Impala on 3_@Sep 26 2006, 10:53 AM~6246753
> *It was probably caused by a really large sag or run in the clear. I have seen that happen in the clear before in or near runs.
> 
> So you probably didn't have enough flash time between coats
> ...


Well, the part i dont understand is why it only did it on the front and top, and not on the sides and back? I mean, the sides and back look fucking wet man..... if i mixed something wrong wouldnt it be all over? Also, i painted it outside in the driveway, would it have anything to do with the sun? Im no professional painter, so these might be stupid questions. :happysad:

And even though you gotta have your face all up in it to see it... if theres a way to fix it.... yea, i would like to fix it.


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## Big Doe (Feb 4, 2003)

I think its moisture in your air lines. 

Since you made a pass over those areas with no clear, if there was moisture in the line but no paint, then it would atomize the moisture. Forcing the small water droplets into the fresh clear. Thats what most comonly causes the tiny pits in the clear.


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## show-bound (Apr 5, 2004)

DID YOU USE OMNI OR SELECT??

THOSE BUBBLES ARE FROM RUN SAGS....TOO MUCH CLEAR, TOO FAST!

THE ONLY WAY TO FIX IT IS TO SAND DOWN AFFECTED AREAS AND REBASE TO HIDE AND REMAINING BUBBLES THEN RECLEAR OVERALL WET...YOU GOT LESS THAN 24 HRS BEFORE YOU GOT TO RESCUFF EVERYTHING...PER SAY.


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## JasonJ (Aug 20, 2002)

> _Originally posted by show-bound_@Sep 26 2006, 11:16 AM~6246850
> *DID YOU USE OMNI OR SELECT??
> 
> THOSE BUBBLES ARE FROM RUN SAGS....TOO MUCH CLEAR, TOO FAST!
> *


The clear was some 5 year old PPG Del Glo DAU that i had left over and i mixed it with some Omni fast hardner.... 1 part clear, 1 part hardner, and i added maybe an inch of reducer into the mixing cup. This was all shit i just had laying around..... but why is it only on the front and top, and the sides and back show no signs of it whatsoever?


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## show-bound (Apr 5, 2004)

> _Originally posted by JasonJ_@Sep 26 2006, 11:22 AM~6246887
> *The clear was some 5 year old PPG Del Glo DAU that i had left over and i mixed it with some Omni fast hardner.... 1 part clear, 1 part hardner, and i added maybe an inch of reducer into the mixing cup. This was all shit i just had laying around..... but why is it only on the front and top, and the sides and back show no signs of it whatsoever?
> *



YOU ARE NOT HAVING A REACTION....WHAT YOU ARE SEEING IS A SAG/ RUN..

WHEN IT COLLECTS TOGETHER LIKE THAT IT GETS MILKY/BUBBLES

LOOKS THAT WAY IN THAT AREA BECUASE TO MUCH CLEAR WAS APPLIED.


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## JasonJ (Aug 20, 2002)

But it looks like that where there is no sag or run... look at the front of the cylinder head in the pic..... the camera flash caught it at the right angle and what looks like miniflake..... thats all air bubbles.... but theres no run there.... same thing on the top of the intake manifold.

But no matter what caused it..... youre saying i have to sand it down within the first 24 hours? Ugggh....


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## show-bound (Apr 5, 2004)

> _Originally posted by JasonJ_@Sep 26 2006, 11:31 AM~6246950
> *But it looks like that where there is no sag or run... look at the front of the cylinder head in the pic..... the camera flash caught it at the right angle and what looks like miniflake..... thats all air bubbles.... but theres no run there.... same thing on the top of the intake manifold.
> 
> But no matter what caused it..... you said i have to sand it down within the first 24 hours? Ugggh....
> *


ALL THE AFFECTED CLEAR HAS TO COME OFF...SPOT BASE IT THEN RECLEAR OVERALL.... 24 SO YOU DONT HALF TO SCUFF UP EVERYTHING AGAIN YOU CAN JUST SHOOT AFTER FIXING MESSED UP PART...

WHICH SIDE WAS FACING THE SUN....BET IT WAS THAT SIDE...

IF SO IT GOT PRETTY HOT/ ATTRACTED THE MOST HEAT....SO THIS AFFECTED THE THE CLEAR BASICLY MAKING IT BUBBLE BLISTER...

RESIN/HEAT =BUBBLES


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## 61 Impala on 3 (Sep 30, 2003)

> _Originally posted by JasonJ_@Sep 26 2006, 11:31 AM~6246950
> *But it looks like that where there is no sag or run... look at the front of the cylinder head in the pic..... the camera flash caught it at the right angle and what looks like miniflake..... thats all air bubbles.... but theres no run there.... same thing on the top of the intake manifold.
> 
> But no matter what caused it..... youre saying i have to sand it down within the first 24 hours? Ugggh....
> *


Welcome to the world of painting.


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## JasonJ (Aug 20, 2002)

> _Originally posted by show-bound+Sep 26 2006, 11:40 AM~6247023-->
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yea, the front and top were getting the sun.... you can tell by the shadows in this pic. Maybe thats what happened? I let it sit just like this for about an hour after i was done before pushing it into the garage.


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## JasonJ (Aug 20, 2002)

Shit, looks like i got some work to do then.... its only at about 20 hours ago right now..... what grit sand paper should i use? Do i sand it wet or dry?


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## show-bound (Apr 5, 2004)

SOMETHING WITH THAT OMNI/ SELECT CHEMS IF IT GETS SAGS FROM TO MUCH CLEAR...THOSE BUBBLE COME UP...I HAVE SEEN THEM FADE AWAY WITH FLASH TIME...HOW EVER I USE SLOW HARDENER...

SOON AS IT STARTS TO SAG ON ME...YOU REALLY HAVE TO SOMETIME DRENCH IT OUT TILL IT DRIPS OR ELSE YOU GET THOSE BUBBLES...

SO THAT FAST HARDENER AND THE SUN DID NOT HELP....IT STARTED WITH TO HEAVY OF AN APPLICATION...SAG LIKE ON THE LOWER INTAKE AND HEAD...I JUST DRAG MY FINGER ACROSS


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## show-bound (Apr 5, 2004)

> _Originally posted by JasonJ_@Sep 26 2006, 11:51 AM~6247098
> *Shit, looks like i got some work to do then.... its only at about 20 hours ago right now..... what grit sand paper should i use? Do i sand it wet or dry?
> *


YOUR CALL ON THE WET OR DRY BUT SINCE ITS THE ENGINE I WOULD USE DRY...220 WILL GET IT DOWN FAST...FOLLOWED BY 400.....LET IT SIT FOR A BIT HOWEVER...THE HEAVIER AREAS ARE PROB STILL WET...WHEN SANDING WILL GUM UP....


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## JasonJ (Aug 20, 2002)

Cool, thanks for all the tips brother..... ill post back on here and let you know how it went. uffin:


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## skandalouz (Nov 4, 2001)

I agree it was moisture that caused it!


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## 86camaroman (Dec 9, 2005)

i painted a spoiler and trunk one time i had 2k primered the trunk the day before and then i 2k primered the spoiler the same day i was gonna paint both turned out slick then 2 days later the spoiler started to have tiny bubbles like that i think it was from not letting the primer cure enough before i sprayed base and clear on it now i wait at least 12 hours after primer before i base or clear anything


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## jcclark (Jul 17, 2006)

What you have is "solvent pop"
That's what happens when the top dries to fast before the solvents
can flash out and you recoat over it.
Putting a freshly painted panel in the sun worsens the situation.
Most times it's just from recoating to soon before it flashes.
Solution- wait longer between coats, use a slower reducer when
thinning, Don't bake in the sun or under lights untill it dries a while
and also reduce any airflow over the surface when spraying.
Don't pile on the paint real thick. That's why it's usually worse
on horizontal surfaces, you pile more on those.


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## JasonJ (Aug 20, 2002)

Thanks for all of the help and suggestions guys... im in between clearcoats right now.... hopefully it turns out better this time. :burn:


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## skandalouz (Nov 4, 2001)

> _Originally posted by JasonJ_@Sep 26 2006, 12:34 PM~6248280
> *Thanks for all of the help and suggestions guys... im in between clearcoats right now.... hopefully it turns out better this time.  :burn:
> *




Git R DOne


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## JasonJ (Aug 20, 2002)

> _Originally posted by skandalouz_@Sep 26 2006, 02:39 PM~6248317
> *Git R DOne
> *


Please dont say that.... i live in Mississippi, i have to hear that every day. :banghead: 


:roflmao:


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## marathon1218 (Oct 13, 2004)

> _Originally posted by jcclark_@Sep 26 2006, 11:52 AM~6248020
> *What you have is "solvent pop"
> That's what happens when the top dries to fast before the solvents
> can flash out and you recoat over it.
> ...


 There are alot of people riding around lansing where I live with those in their car.... they just act like they dont see them or some thing... :dunno:


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## JasonJ (Aug 20, 2002)

Ahhhhhhh, much better...... thanks again everyone! Now i cant wait to get my serpentine kit on it! :cheesy:


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## show-bound (Apr 5, 2004)

damn that was fast!!!!l looks good!!


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## skandalouz (Nov 4, 2001)

> _Originally posted by JasonJ_@Sep 26 2006, 12:46 PM~6248355
> *Please dont say that.... i live in Mississippi, i have to hear that every day.  :banghead:
> :roflmao:
> *



Haha, so everyone in your area drives a larrymobile and wears a cutoff plaid shirt and eats moonpies like they are going out of style?


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## showandgo (May 16, 2002)

sorry j had to go to work but it looks like you got things worked out. painting sucks


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