ASE B2 Painting & Refinishing flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Featheredge

Tapering the edge of an existing finish to zero thickness over a gradual distance so the new coating can bridge it without a visible ridge.

Etch primer

A primer containing an acid that promotes adhesion to bare metal such as aluminum and galvanized steel; applied in a thin coat before topcoat.

Epoxy primer

A two-component primer that provides corrosion protection and strong adhesion on bare steel and aluminum; must be topcoated within the recoat window.

Prep solvent

A cleaning solvent used before sanding to remove wax, grease, and silicone; sanding before cleaning drives contamination into scratches.

Tack cloth

A resin-impregnated cloth used after sanding and just before coating to remove loose dust; it does not remove oils or grease.

Abrasive grit progression

Using successively finer grits so each step removes the scratch pattern of the previous grit, ending with the finish required by the topcoat.

Fluid tip size

The nozzle diameter controlling material flow; small tips suit basecoat and clearcoat, large tips suit primers and high-build products.

Gun distance

The recommended 6-8 inch (15-20 cm) distance held perpendicular to the surface; arcing or tilting causes uneven film and dry spray.

Fifty percent overlap

Overlapping each spray pass by half its width so film build stays uniform and metallic orientation does not stripe.

Dynamic air pressure

Air pressure measured with the gun trigger pulled; static readings overstate pressure and cause incorrect atomization settings.

Spray pattern test

Spraying onto paper to check the pattern; a split or crescent shape indicates a clogged air cap hole or damaged tip.

Triggering technique

Starting the pass off the panel and releasing the trigger before leaving it, preventing heavy deposits at panel edges.

Mix ratio by volume

The proportion of components specified on the product data sheet; incorrect ratios cause slow cure, soft film, or poor gloss.

Pot life

The working time after mixing a two-component product before it gels and must be discarded; measured from the moment of mixing.

Induction time

The waiting period after mixing some epoxies and primers before spraying, allowing the chemical reaction to begin properly.

Variant color

An alternate formula for the same vehicle color code used when the original formula does not match the panel under test lighting.

Reducer versus thinner

Reducer is the specified solvent for a coating; thinner is used only when the data sheet permits it for that product.

Spray-out card

A test panel sprayed with the mixed color and compared to the vehicle under the same light source to verify the match.

Downdraft booth

A booth that moves air vertically from ceiling filter to floor exhaust, carrying overspray downward and away from the wet film.

Filter pressure differential

The pressure drop across intake and exhaust filters; a rising differential signals loaded filters and reduced booth airflow.

Booth balance

The relationship of intake to exhaust airflow; excessive negative pressure draws contaminants in, insufficient airflow leaves overspray in the work zone.

Grounding in the booth

Bonding the vehicle and equipment to earth to prevent static sparks that could ignite flammable solvent vapors in the booth.

Bake schedule

The manufacturer's specified time and temperature for curing; following it avoids solvent pop and loss of gloss.

Flash time

The interval between coats that allows solvent to escape; spraying too soon traps solvent and causes runs or solvent pop.

Sealer

A coating applied before basecoat to isolate the substrate, unify color, improve adhesion, and prevent bleed-through.

Wet-on-wet application

Applying the next coat before the previous one fully cures, within the manufacturer's stated recoat window.

Dry film thickness

The thickness of the cured coating measured with a gauge; 1 mil equals one thousandth of an inch or 25.4 micrometers.

Basecoat hiding

Applying basecoat until the underlying primer or sealer is no longer visible, or to the film build the data sheet specifies.

Runs and sags

Downward flow of excess material caused by too much paint, too slow a reducer, or too close a gun distance; corrected by sanding and polishing.

Solvent pop

Small craters formed when trapped solvent escapes during baking, caused by short flash time or excessive film build.

Fish eyes

Circular craters in the finish caused by silicone or oil contamination on the surface or in the air supply; require cleaning and repainting.

Orange peel

A textured surface resembling citrus skin caused by poor atomization, wrong reducer, or too-fast drying; corrected by wet sanding and polishing.