Body Shop Materials

Objectives
• Select the right repair materials for the job
• Explain the basic purpose of common body shop
materials
• Compare the use of similar shop materials
• Summarize when to use different kinds of body filler
and putty
• Know how to select the right type of primer and paint
 Introduction
• Collision repair materials include various fillers,
primers, sealers, adhesives, sandpapers, etc.
• When consumers look at a vehicle’s paint job
they often see a shiny bright color
• Hidden technology under the surface of the paint
• Professional collision repair and refinishing
technician understands the chemistry and skill
needed to do high-quality repairs
 Refinishing Materials
• Car body is protected and beautified by a
complete finishing system
• Refinishing materials is a general term for the
products used to repaint the vehicle
• New paints last longer but require skill and safety
measures
• The substrate is the steel, aluminum, plastic and
composite materials used in vehicle construction
• Paint beautifies the body and protects the metal
from rust
 Primecoats and Paintcoats
• Basic paint job on a car consists of several coats
of two or more different materials
• Primer has to improve adhesion of the paint and
is the first coat applied
• Paint will not adhere to the substrate without a
primer coat
• Colorcoat is the paint applied over primecoats
– Several light coats
• Basecoat-clearcoat paint systems use clearcoat
over colorcoat
 Paint Types

• General types of paint include enamel/urethane

and waterbase/waterborne
• Enamel finishes are catalyzed – use a hardener
• Once applied these materials dry in two-stages
– Some solvents used to thin or reduce material
must evaporate
– Chemical reaction occurs within the material and
causes it to harden or “cure”
 Paint Types (continued)

• Catalyzed enamels cure with a gloss that does

not require polishing
• Two-stage paints consist of two distinct layers of
paint: basecoat and clearcoat
• Basecoat-clearcoat enamel is the most common
system used to repaint cars and trucks
– Layer of color is applied over the primecoat of
primer or sealer
– Coat of clear is sprayed over the color basecoat
 Paint Types (continued)

• Acrylic urethanes are slightly harder than plain

acrylics
• Waterbase/waterborne paints use water to carry
the pigment
– Help satisfy stricter emissions regulations
– Serve as an excellent barrier coat
 Original Equipment Manufacturer
(OEM) Finishes
• OEM finishes (factory paint jobs) are thermo-
setting high-solids basecoat-clearcoat enamels
or waterbased low-emission paints
• Common finishes are baked in huge ovens
before installing interior and nonmetal parts
• Vehicle manufacturers use several types of
finish materials, coating, application processes
• Most common OEM coating processes include
two-stage, three-stage paint, multistage, single-
stage, powder coat
 Contents of Paint

• Paint’s chemical content includes pigments,

binders, solvents and additives
• Pigments are fine powders that impart color,
opacity, durability to the primer or paint
• Large reflective pigment flakes are added to
metallic color
• High-solids materials are needed to reduce air
pollution or emissions while painting
• Binder holds the pigment particles together, and
helps the color stick to the surface
 Solvents

• Solvent/reducer is the liquid solution that carries

the pigment and binder
• Reducers are composed of one or several
chemicals and provide a transfer medium
• Solvents are volatile and used to thin a paint for
spraying and evaporate as the paint dries
• Thinning and reducing determine the viscosity to
spray out smoothly onto the surface
 Solvents (continued)

• Some water-based paints come premixed and

are not reduced
• Distilled water can be added to water-based
paints to make a thinner solution
• Water used for equipment cleaning contains
hazardous materials and is hazardous waste
– Do not pour down the drain
– Do not combine with other waste solvents
 Additives

• Speed up or slow down drying

• Lower the freezing point of a paint
• Prevent the paint from foaming when shaken
• Control settling of metallic and pigments
• Make the paint more flexible when dry
 Drying and Curing
• Drying changes a coat of paint or other material
from a liquid to a solid state
• Flash time is the first stage of drying when some
of the solvents evaporate
• Retarder is a slow-evaporating solvent or
reducer that is used to slow the drying process
• Accelerator is a fast-evaporating solvent or
reducer for speeding up drying time
– Needed in very cold weather
• Catalyst causes a chemical reaction
 Primers and Sealers

• Plain primer is a thin undercoat designed to

provide adhesion for the paint
– Used when the surface is smooth
• Self-etching primer has acid in it to prepare bare
metal so the primer will adhere
• Epoxy primer is a two-part primer that cures fast
and hard
– Greatly increases body filler adhesion and
corrosion resistance over bare metal
Figure 7-4. Primers are needed for the paint to bond to the substrate securely.
There are many variations such as primer-sealer that increases adhesion and
also blocks out any color or chemical differences of the old paint
 Sealers

• Bleeding or bleedthrough means colors in old

primecoat or paint seep into new paint
• Sealer is a midcoat between the paint and the
primer or old paint to prevent bleeding
• Sealers cannot be used as a primer
• Primer-sealer provides the same protection as
primers but also seals over a sanded old finish
to provide uniform color holdout
 Primer-Surfacers

• Primer-surfacer is a high-solids primer that fills

small imperfections and usually must be sanded
– Often used after filler to help smooth the surface
• Primer-surfacers are used to build up and level
featheredged areas or rough surfaces
• Good primer-surfacer should be ready to sand in
as little as 30 minutes
• Primer-filler is a very thick primer-surfacer
 Use a Complete System!

• Always use a complete refinishing system

• Refinishing system means all materials are
compatible and manufactured by the same
company
• Mixing materials from different manufacturers
can cause problems
– Chemical contents of different systems may not
work well together
Figure 7-7. The mixing room contains all of the ingredients used
by the shop’s painter or refinish technician. The small room has
extra ventilation to remove paint fumes while mixing paint or
primer ingredients. Only mix and use paint materials from the
same manufacturer or paint system.
 Other Paint Materials
• Wax and grease remover is a fast-drying solvent
often used to clean a vehicle
• Flattener is an agent added to paint to lower
gloss or shine
• Flex agent, or elastomer, is an additive that
allows primers and colors to flex or bend
• Rubberized undercoat is a synthetic rubber
material applied as a rust preventive layer
• Corrosion is a chemical reaction of air, moisture,
or corrosive materials on a metal surface
 Body Fillers

• Filler is a material used to fill a damaged area

• Mixing board is the surface used to mix filler
• Light body filler is used as a very thin top coat of
filler for final leveling
• Fiberglass body filler is used where rust repair or
strength are important
• Using too much hardener is a common mistake
– Causes the filler to set before you have time to
spread it, among other problems
Figure 7-8. A body filler is a two-part material that is mixed together and
then applied over small dents in metal body parts. The body filler will heat
up and cure in a few minutes so it can be sanded.
 Glazing Putty/Finishing Fillers

• Glazing putty is for filling small holes or sand

scratches
• Spot putty has more solids than glazing putty
– Should not be used for large surface depressions
• Two-part putty comes with its own hardener
• Some two-part putties can be applied over paint
to reduce sanding time
 Masking Materials

• Overspray is unwanted paint spray mist floating

around the spray gun
• Masking paper is designed to cover body parts
not to be painted
• Masking plastic should not be used next to area
being sprayed
– Paint can drip onto the body surface
• Wheel masks are preshaped to fit over wheels
 Masking Materials (continued)

• Fine-line masking tape is very thin and smooth

– Produces a better paint part edge
• Duct tape protects parts when grinding or sanding
• Masking liquid or coating is usually a sprayable
material for protection from overspray
• Masking liquid washes off with soap and water
 Abrasives

• An abrasive is any material used for cleaning,

sanding, smoothing, or material removal
• Grit refers to a measure of the size of particles
on sandpaper or discs
• Grit numbering system denotes how coarse or
fine an abrasive is
• Very coarse grit (16 to 60) quickly removes paint
and takes it down to bare metal
• Generally start with the finest grit that is practical
 Grinding Discs

• Grinding discs are round very coarse abrasives

used for initial removal of paint, plastic, metal
• Some are thick and do not need a backing plate
• Disc backing plate is mounted on grinder spindle
• Grinding disc size is measured across outside
diameter
• Most common sizes are 7 and 9 inches
– 175 and 225 mm
Figure 7-11. Various abrasives or grinding-sanding materials are used to
remove the old paint and to sand the body filler and paint before
refinishing. Here the body technician is using a very coarse grinding wheel
to remove paint before application of the body filler.
 Sandpapers

• Sandpaper is a heavy paper coated with an

abrasive grit
• Sanding sheets are square and can be cut to fit
sanding blocks
• Dry sandpaper is designed for use without water
• Wet sandpaper uses water to flush away
sanding debris
• Wet sandpaper blocks sand paint before
compounding or buffing
 Scuff Pads

• Scuff pads are tough synthetic pads used to

clean and lightly scratch surface paints and
parts
• Handy for scuffing irregular surfaces
– Door jambs, inside of the hood and deck lids, etc.
• Scuffing cleans and lightly scuffs these areas so
the paint, primer or sealer will stick
 Compounds

• Compounding involves using and abrasive paste

material to smooth and bring out the paint gloss
• A hand compound is applied by hand
• Machine compound is applied with an electric air
polisher and will not cut as fast
• Rubbing compound is the coarsest type of hand
compound and will remove paint or clear
• Hand glazes are for final smoothing and shining
of the paint, and are applied by hand like a wax
 Adhesives

• Adhesives bond parts to one another

• Weatherstrip adhesive holds rubber seals and
similar parts in place
• Plastic adhesives or emblem adhesive is used to
install emblems and trim onto painted surfaces
• Adhesive release agent is a chemical that
dissolves most types of adhesives
Figure 7-15. Here the detail technician is using a high-speed buffer to
polish the paint surface. On new paint, it will increase smoothness
and gloss. On old paint, it will remove the oxidized or dulled paint
surface and uncover the bright, original color again.
 Epoxies

• Epoxy is a two-part glue used to hold various

parts together
• Two ingredients are mixed in equal parts
• Mixture cures through a chemical reaction
• Always use the type of epoxy suggested by the
vehicle manufacturer
 Sealers
• Sealers prevent water and air leaks between
parts
• Seam sealers make a leakproof joint between
body panels
• Tube sealers are applied from a tube or with a
caulking gun
• Silicone sealers are not paintable and should not
be used in auto body repair
• Ribbon sealers must be worked onto the parts
with your fingers
 Hazardous Materials
• Hazardous material is any substance that can
harm people or the environment
• Material safety data sheets (MSDS) detail
chemical composition and safety information
• Employers must know the general uses,
protective equipment, accident or spill
procedures for safe handling
• Right-to-know laws give information and
stipulations for working with hazardous materials
• General intent of the law is for employers to
provide employees with a safe working place
 Hazardous Materials (continued)
• Irritants can affect your lungs, skin and eyes and
could affect your health
• Toxins are poisonous substances
– Neurotoxins affect your nervous system
– Liver toxins damage your liver
– Reproductive toxins can cause birth defects
– Blood toxins damage your red blood cells
• Corrosives burn your eyes and skin
• Carcinogens cause cancer
• Allergens cause allergic reactions
 Waste Disposal and Recycling
• Many shops use full-service haulers to test and
remove hazardous waste from the property
• Hauler takes care of paperwork and deals with
government agencies
• Some shops recycle materials so that it can be
reused to clean spraying equipment
• Solvent recycling machine removes impurities
from solvent
• Impurities are filtered out and stored in a plastic
bag for proper disposal
 Summary

• Collision repair materials include fillers, primers,

sealers, adhesives, sandpapers, etc.
• Substrate is the metal, aluminum, plastic or
composite used in the vehicle construction
• Two types of paint: enamel and water-base
• Filler is used to level a damaged area
• Masking materials protect body parts from
overspray
• Sealers prevent water and air leaks between
parts