Application of Ceramic Coating

[popjim52]

Hello everyone, This past weekend I did a spray ceramic coating on my truck. Claybar,prep and then spray ceramic. I would like to do the real ceramic coating, I wasn't sold until I used the spray. So I would like to know how to prep my truck in order to apply ceramic coating ? Any assistance would be greatly apprciated

[tlbullet]

6 minutes ago, popjim52 said:

 

Its the exact same process. I wouldnt skip any steps.  Do it all over again.   Clay, maybe even polish, then use prep coating/IPA.   

   We Only difference is in the method the ceramic coating is applied. 

  The CC is supposed to last years (depending on a variety of factors) as opposed to the spray CC which

is to only last months. 

  I assume people use the spray cc because its easier to apply....but the prep work takes the longest so why not

lock in your hard work for a longer period of time??

 Im half an idiot...rolled to dice And applied the CC to both my vehicles last year.   Watch a few videos and give it a shot!!! I had no issues.   Good luck

[Yo-Yo Ma's Cousin]

Hi Jimi, I'm just going to copy and paste some directions I wrote recently. But I agree with JR. It should be the same process as applying CSC

 

On 5/30/2019 at 6:57 AM, Yo-Yo Ma's Cousin said:

A clay, polish, and surface prep is always recommended. You want the paint to be as perfect and as bare as possible. Maybe look into the Revive Hand Polish as opposed to the more serious polishes. This one is minimally abrasive, and is said to work as a paint cleaner.

 

Reason for that is, if there are any contaminants or imperfections, they will be sealed under the coating. The surface prep is for getting the clay lube/polishing oils/anything else that might be on there off to create the naked paint for the Ceramic Spray Coating to bond to.

 

But also, all of this is up to your discretion, considering your car is new and clay and polish are abrasive, you may not want to polish your car so early. On my vehicle (about 1 year old when I coated) , I skipped the polishing step simply because I didn't have the resources at the time. So my steps were as follows:

1. Strip Wash thoroughly
2. Spray Iron Remover and rinse
3. Clay with DS and rinse
4. Dry
5. Surface prep wipe down with Microfiber towel (important)
6. Coat
7. Wait cure time (Important)
8. Ceramic Boost (optional, adds sacrificial layer to coating and boosts gloss and hydrophobics)

 

I have had great results so far - Hydrophobics are unbelievable, and gloss is crazy - I don't know how, but it really makes paint look great!

 I think I would have used the Revive Hand Polish right before my surface prep if I could go back. That would give my paint even more extra pop, but I'm happy with my results.

 

 

Let us know if you need some more specific directions.

[popjim52]

4 hours ago, Yo-Yo Ma's Cousin said:

So I am clay barring again to remove the Ceramic Spray I put on this weekend? 

 

 

[Yo-Yo Ma's Cousin]

This is tricky. Maybe others can chime in here, but I think the idea is you would want your Traditional Ceramic Coating as the base layer on top of your naked clear coat.

since that’s is much more substantial than the ceramic spray coating. And you want the paint to be make so your coating will bond to the surface. I’m not sure how a CC would do ontop of a CSC, but I don’t think it would work as intended.

 

so in short, i think the answer is yes you want to get rid of your CSC before applying CC. What I am going to do, and what may be a good option for you as well is to let my CSC run it’s course, and then in the fall, I will do a big detail, and strip my CSC and follow all the steps above to apply a CC.

[Rich]

Product free, clean paint will give you the best results when applying the ceramic coat. It's a several day process so don't start it until you have time to do it correctly.  Post up some pics when you have it all done!

[popjim52]

This is my truck right after the Ceramic Spray had sat for 4 hours.

[falcaineer]

You'll want to basically start over. Don't see why clay is needed again since no contamination should be there, but it won't hurt if you do it. Then polish off the Spray Coating, apply Surface Prep, and reapply the traditional coating. Don't skimp!