Flash time for white paint, no rainbow seen

[Tyler C]

I recently applied the graphene coating to my vehicle after getting it to virgin clear coat. But I didn't see any rainbow effect after applying on the pearl white paint, even waiting 5 minutes, so I wiped/leveled off the excess and started wiping after a minute or two figuring I could go over it with a second coat if needed. The directions don't give a time estimate for flashing, and since this was my first DIY coating I was less than comfortable with the "wait for the rainbow" instructions. The panel I started with has visible high spots if it catches the sun at the right angle and I will have to polish it down. Will hand applicator be good enough for the polish or will i need a mechanical polisher? Also a time estimate, even if a wide range, would be very helpful on the instructions in case rainbowing isn't occurring. I applied this inside a garage with temps at about 60F using the UV light to ensure coverage, which the coating wasn't very much lighter than the paint itself. I imagine this process is a lot easier with a colored vehicle, any thoughts?

[falcaineer]

First, welcome! Go post an intro so we can all properly welcome you.

 

Seeing the rainbow/flash of coatings on a white car can be difficult, if not impossible. And since the time it takes can vary widely between climates and areas of the country/world - faster in high heat and humidity, slower in cold and low humidity - and also can vary based on the amount applied, among other factors, it's often easier to go by feel vs. time. If you want an estimate, I'd say anywhere between 1-5 minutes, but again, feel is better. Here's the process:

 

After application, once you've waited for a while, maybe a minute or so, you can take a plush towel (borderless grey work great) folded in quarters, and very lightly drag it across the surface. If it slides easily, it's too soon. Continue to do the same relatively often, maybe every 30 seconds. Once the towel starts to grab and the surface is tacky, it's getting close and then time to remove the residue. Do so in the same order you applied it to give the coating as much time to start to cure as much and equally as possible.

 

High spots can be removed in a variety of ways. From least to most aggressive, try in this order:

 

- Reapply the coating to the high spots with the applicator to try and reactivate the coating, and immediately wipe away (don't wait for it to cure/flash)

- Apply Brilliant Glaze to the high spots, and wipe away. You don't need to reapply any coating.

- Apply several drops of (white) Polish to a borderless grey towel, laid flat on the surface, and use your entire hand to lightly rub the high spots until they dissipate. Wipe away the residue, you don't need to reapply the coating.

- Hand applicator and Polish. Depending on how much force you use, it might require reapplying the coating after using Surface Prep.

- Machine polish with white Polish (wipe away surface oils with Surface Prep, reapply coating to the areas as originally)

- Machine polish with blue Compound (wipe away surface oils with Surface Prep, reapply coating to the areas as originally)

[The Guz]

Maybe my thread will help you as to what to look for when coating white paint.  I included a video link that may help.