FAQ’s
Some quick answers to common questions
Colour Tubes has been designed for all stone chip and scratch repairs. It is not a substitute for a panel shop. Most stone chips will not be visable from a metre away, combined with our UV clears we can do a very good job.
Why paint in a tube?
We found the best way to use paint in a bottle was with a pipette, no mess or waste. We also found paint in a bottle with air space goes off quickly, if you clean the end of the tube and reseal it after use it will keep indefinitely. Although there is only 3ml in a tube you can use every bit of it. 3ml does a whole lot of stone chips. You can also use it directly from the tube. So it is an almost perfect solution.
Why preclean
Like any painting if you paint over dirt your paint won’t stick. Unless it is a fresh stone chip there is a very good chance it has dirt and polish in it. Pre cleaning with our wipes will clean any residue or dirt off.
It is water based won't it wash off?
Like the paint on your house which is water based once dry our paint will not wash off, strong solvent or thinner will remove it for quite some time. If you use our UV clears over the top you cannot wash it off with anything. We have heard people say touch up paint washes off from other brands, the truth is no paint washes off, it is more likely not pre cleaned properly. The only touch’s up that wash off are the coloured polishes.
Metallic, pearl and solid colours
The truth to all this is on a stone chip repair the only thing that matters is the shade of the colour. In a perfect world we would supply all solid colours of varying shades. This of course would not fly with most people, for this reason we have metallics and even straight pearl flakes. But don’t get hung up if your pearl or 3 layer colour is supplied as a solid colour. It is the result we are looking for, make sure it is dry before judging.
Shelf life
Our paint has an indefinite shelf life, it will never need mixing. In saying that some of the colours can get what we call thixatropic, that is they thicken from standing and not being stirred, it can make them appear to be lumpy. For this reason it is a good idea to knead the tubes before opening, just to return it to a liquid form. This affects very few of our colours.
Is it safe/green/healthy
Our paints all water based, there are no DG requirements on them. Our precleaning wipes are like are strong form of hand sanitiser. The finishing solution has some automotive grade polishing compound in it. The only product that is like a full automotive grade paint with all the nasties that come with that is the Pro Clear, being UV cure clear it is isocyanate free of course.
Takes too long to dry
Our paint being water-borne is very fast to dry, a couple of factors can affect this.
1. Wet weather – super high humidity will dramatically slow the paint dry time
2. No airflow – the paint dries by evaporation, if there is no airflow like in the back corner of the workshop this can also slow things down
The solution to both of the above is a blow drier. A cheap low end blow drier will do wonders. It is not the heat you are seeking but the airflow.
Matte colours
Matte colour cars are increasing in popularity, many cars also have matte black door frames etc. This has been near impossible to touch up till now, our UV cure matte clear dries completely matte in 30 seconds.
Repair is too dull or repair is not level
Our paint being waterborne is not resoftened by adding another layer, it is not required but if you want to build it up you can. You can also fill it level with our range of UV clears. With these clears it is also possible to get matte or gloss finishes
UV cure clears
• Do I need the UV torch – you can either cure the clear with the torch or simply drive it into the sun for a minute or so.
• Can I do it outside – it is possible, shading with your body, even then you will only get a couple of seconds to work it. We strongly suggest it is done inside.
• Should I use the pro clear – only use this clear if you are confident with a block, sandpaper and a buff, this is the only way to finish it. It is like a full automotive grade 2k clear.
• Can I use the blending solution over the matte clear – very carefully, each time you touch it with the solution you will make it shinier.