radtech

I was supposed to pick up my car from the Body shop today, but there was a big problem as the car came back from the Paint shop they discovered that the paint was bubbling. So now they have to redo the whole thing.

What would cause this to happen. It's been in the shop for a month now and I am starting to get pissed because the nice weather is finely here.

BowlofRice

a dusty environment or a dirty paint booth could cause bubbling.

radtech

The guy told me that the previous paint job on the car wasn't prepped correctly, that's why it didn't stick. Shouldn't they have seen this before, like when they were prepping the friggin car.

BowlofRice

well better they did it again then get a poor paint job

radtech

I totally agree. I just hate waiting. Also my mind starts to wander when it comes to other people working on my car, like what actually happened etc. If it's true what he says happened then I'm cool with it. I guess I have no choice but to believe him. It's a good thing it's a reputable place.

MpBradyS2K

Typically bubbling occurs when the base coat doesn't have a sufficient site to adhere to the primer. It's usually a flaw in the primer. This could occur due to over heating the primer when curing it. Either this or the basecoat was cured at too hot of a temperature. This would cause the water (if a water bourne paint was used) to not evaporate out completely leaving popping marks and bubbling.

A dirty paint booth would cause more cratering or seeds rather than bubbling although it is a possibility. Paint is an extremely sensitive material when it comes to defects.

At least you get it re-coated!
Good luck.

radtech

So the bubbling would have nothing to do with the previous paint job done on the car, because this is what the guy is telling me. He's blaming it on another shop. It seems like they won't take responsibiliy in causing the bubbling.

MpBradyS2K

Well if the car has been repainted previously it very well could be the fault of another shop. I'm not all that familiar with shop paint jobs and their procedures for repainting. I am however familiar with Factory ones, considering I work in one.
If they sprayed a new coat of primer and it was not coated and cured properly it could cause the base and clear coats to have insufficient adhereing. This could cause bubbling and or complete removal of the topcoat, I actually did a trial on this today at work....coincidence haha. The topcoat literally peels away.

I guess what I need to know is if the primer was replaced along with topcoat on this job.
If it was it very well could be something they did wrong. If it wasn't, then it still could be something they did wrong with applying and curing the topcoat and or primer, which is more likely, because if it isnt that than it would be a flaw in the Factory primer, which I highly doubt!
The only way this type of flaw occurs is if a conveyor breaks and the bodies are trapped in the oven, overbaking the primer. This eliminates the primer's adhesive capabilities and doesn't allow for adhering sites for the topcoat. And usually there are countermeasures set in place to prevent this. The body is completely sanded down to the ED coat and primered again. Like I said...VERY unlikely.