Remove overspray without clay?

[thejazzguy]

-Is it possible to remove paint overspray without the use of clay?

I just got my car back after having the roof repainted. The place covered the car in overspray (judging by feel.) They also left the interior very dirty. And there are defects in the paint (dirt under the clear.) So I want to return the car for them to fix the problems.

I'm worried that the paint shop might just try to use compound to remove the overspray if they don't know about clay. They use Autoglym products. (Does Autoglym even make clay?)

[rusty bumper]

Re: Remove overspray without clay?

Originally posted by thejazzguy
-Is it possible to remove paint overspray without the use of clay?

From what I've heard, a rotary buffer/wool pad combo will take it off.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Re: Remove overspray without clay?

Originally posted by Rusty Bumper
From what I've heard, a rotary buffer/wool pad combo will take it off.

In most cases this is true, the problem is that the compound and the fibers that make up the wool pad will instill buffer swirls and more than likely most shops won't take the time to perform the necessary steps to remove the swirls. That's if they even know how and have the correct tools, pads and products.

You should consider your alternatives including getting a some clay and doing it yourself.

[joenj1]

You should consider your alternatives including getting a some clay and doing it yourself.

I had some bodywork done on my car about six months ago and had a lot of overspray on my bumpers, which felt like sandpaper.

Claying removed a black/brown gunk off the bumpers and there was a significant difference after only two passes! Subsequent claying/polishing took the rest off.

I was totally surprised at how effective and easy it is claying a car; saves time and trouble in the long run.

[Buellwinkle]

I also would agree in doing it yourself. You have to figure that if a bodyshop was careless and incompetent in the first place, do you really trust them to handle the situation correctly the second time. I've gone through 3 rounds with a body shop and insurance adjuster in getting it right until I gave up and took it to another body shop to redo the paint right. Take this as a lesson learned to do a better job of qualifying body shops before taking your car there.

On that note, claying the car is not a huge effort. My wife's car was dusted heavily in a neighbors furniture refinishing project and it took me about 2 hours to do a thorough job.

[mirrorfinishman]

Aaron,

It is suprising that everyone is telling you to get some clay and do it yourself.

It is the full responsibility of whoever did the painting to remove the overspray. If you do the work yourself, the paint shop will no longer have any legal obligation to take corrective action. Do yourself a favor and give them a chance to get it right.

[SpoiledMan]

I'm with Frank on this one. He's stating that there is dirt under the clear. He need to go back to the body shop and have them take care of what he just paid for by doing it right.

[Mike Phillips]

In hindsight, I should have read his post more carefully as I didn't immediately pick up on this part...

Originally posted by thejazzguy


And there are defects in the paint (dirt under the clear.)

This is definitely a paint related problem that the body shop should take responsibility for and ownership for the repair.

From the problems you've listed, it sounds like this shop is not quality minded to start with, considering everything you've listed so far that's wrong,

Originally posted by thejazzguy

• * I just got my car back after having the roof repainted. The place covered the car in overspray (judging by feel.)
  
  * They also left the interior very dirty.
  
  * And there are defects in the paint (dirt under the clear.)

Overspray
From the sound of it, they didn't cover the surrounding painted panels to protect them from overspray. I have to wonder that if they didn't cover up the painted panels, did they cover anything, such as the glass, rubber, plastic or vinyl trim, wheels and tires, headlights, etc. If they didn't cover any of these areas than it's highly likely that all these areas have overspray and some of them you cannot use clay to remove the overspray.

Dirty Interior
How did they get the interior dirty? Is it just the driver's seat where someone with dirty clothes sat to move the car around? Regardless, this is unacceptable and cleaning a dirty interior is not only time consuming, it's usually not what most people consider fun.

Dirt under the clear coat
If this is true, that the surface wasn't clean before they started spraying paint, then the best fix is to repaint the entire surface. Claying, Compounding, even wet sanding following by compounding will flatten the surface out giving the feeling that a repair has been made, but if there is dirt throughout the clear and possibly/likely in the basecoat, then the true and best fix is to take the finish back down to metal/primer and repaint the entire area only this time making sure the surface is free of any dirt or dust before spraying.

Also remember, you just paid them to apply paint, if they choose to only compound, wet sand and then compound the are to correct it, well now they're removing[/i][/b] paint that you paid to have on the car. The question becomes,

"How much paint will be left after they're finished with their repair work?"

If the shop didn't apply the paint knowing and taking into consideration they were going to wet sand, cut and buff the paint, they may not have applied enough paint to allow for wet sanding, compounding and polishing, thus even though there might be enough clear coat to allow for this, will there be enough clear coat left behind for the service life of the car and/or the normal guarantee of the paint job. (Most factory finishes if taken care of will last the service life of the car)

My signature line is a quote from an Instructor for the PPG paint company, another thing he once told me is that most paint jobs that fail, fail because there was too little paint, not because there was too much paint.

I'm worried that the paint shop might just try to use compound to remove the overspray if they don't know about clay. They use Autoglym products. (Does Autoglym even make clay?)

The problem you have now is that this shop doesn't sound like a quality minded shop to start with, at least not by the quality of work you have received.

The first thing you should consider is taking photographs of everything that is wrong. Then, take your photographs and at least a friend or two, (strength in numbers, I don't' know how old you are but if you're young, perhaps a parent or two), and go down to the shop and ask to speak with the owner.

Be honest and upfront about the problems his shop has caused and how they fall short of your expectations.

Then see what the owners says. Depending on what he says make you next move, that might be leaving the shop to escalate the problem inside the law.

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by mirrorfinishman
It is the full responsibility of whoever did the painting to remove the overspray.

And fix all the other problems they caused.

If you do the work yourself, the paint shop will no longer have any legal obligation to take corrective action.

Good point. This is why I suggest you do your best to document any and all problems right now with a good camera and perhaps a witness.

Do yourself a favor and give them a chance to get it right.

From the description of the problems already caused by the shop, the quality mindedness of the shop and the shop owner are already in question. Frank's sentence might better read,

Take a chance and give them a second chance to get it right.

[thejazzguy]

Thanks for all of your responses. I just "re-picked" the car up. Here is the story:

The phone call
I outlined the problems to the assistant manager (with whom I had been dealing all along) and he asked me what I would like him to do. I told him to:
*repaint the roof
*detail the interior
*clay the exterior to remove the overspray

The visit
When I visited, I showed him the paint and he said that it was dust that had fallen into the clear and that it could be wetsanded out. (I guess it must not have been under the clear.) I accepted this and went on to show him a section of the paint that I had clayed. He didn't seem convinced but agreed that there was a difference between the sections. I told him that "my car came in looking like this [clayed section] and left looking like this [unclayed]." I also reiterated that the car looked like it had been rushed out the door which he confirmed because he "didn't want to keep it over the weekend."

The aftermath
I picked up the car and the scratch is gone. I hope the bumps in the clear are as well but I have to go to the gas station after dark to make sure (bright lighting.) HOWEVER, they didn't touch the interior or exterior. The overspray is visible on the glass. I'm appaled because they are clearly either incompetent or they just don't care. I'm an enthusiast detailer and I can see how poorly the post-paint process was done. They should be better than that because they have a good reputation and work on cars from Munich primarily.

Overall, this reiterated the fact that money talks. If I had a more expensive car I suspect I would have received better treatment. (I've seen there work on cars from the above-mentioned city.) A disappointing experience.

But at least the skills I've learned from Meguiars Online and perfected over the last couple of years will allow me to correct the problems and restore my Saturn to its former glory (relative of course....It's a Saturn )

[thejazzguy]

Originally posted by Mike Phillips
From the sound of it, they didn't cover the surrounding painted panels to protect them from overspray....some of them you cannot use clay to remove the overspray.

Mike,

What are these areas that you can not use clay on? Does clay work well on glass?

[Mike Phillips]

Hi Arronn,

Sorry to hear of your disappointing experience, I'm sorry to say I think there are a lot of people that get this kind of service and treatment.

Keep us updated.

[AZC5]

Originally posted by thejazzguy
Mike,

What are these areas that you can not use clay on? Does clay work well on glass?

I have used Claybar on glass for removing hard water spots with great results.


AZC5

[rusty bumper]

Originally posted by thejazzguy
Does clay work well on glass?

Clay works well on glass, but overspray can be a toughy to remove sometimes.

You just have to have a little more patience when claying overspray.

[Buellwinkle]

Didn't want to say it but I told you so. When you run into incompentent or shoddy body shops, you can take it there 10 times and sometimes they'll make it better, sometimes they'll make it worse. I'm of the mindset of cut your losses, find another body shop and have them redo it, let the lawyers battle it out later. If you can do it yourself, do it. The body shop will colapse under it's own weight as people stop going there and spread the word about their shoddy work. If you used an insurance company, make sure you know what went on so they can warn others and not recomend that shop.