All of us at Rondex, join in saying “Thank You” and Wish you all the best this Holiday Season.
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A plastic welder is used to join or repair thermoplastic materials. This tool works by creating temperature high enough to make plastic melt and get molded by the welding bar. There are different types of plastic welders. Some are portable while some are fixed in one place. Some of the different sorts include stick welders, extrusion welders and injection welders. The latest type of them is the airless plastic welder.
The best airless plastic welder is the Mini-Weld Model 6 Airless Plastic Welder by Urethane Supply Company. It can be regarded as cutting-edge technology in the category of plastic welders.
A few of the advantages of Mini-Weld Model 6 Airless Plastic Welder over the 5500HT model are:
i. It is more portable. The temperature and element controls may be removed from the case for increased portability.
ii. Temperature control allows you to adjust the thermostat according to the plastic you wish to weld
iii. It comes with a belt clip which you can utilize to attach it by your waist!
iv. It can be used for all sorts of plastic, even those in nylon radiator tanks!
v. It contains every tool and help that you might require when welding plastic.
vi. It comes with an instructional video that is very easy to understand. Anyone who is keen on learning DIY stuff will be welding away their broken plastic belongings at home
You can save thousands of bucks just by repairing all those plastic belongings that you had to replace because of minor damages. Order Airless Plastic Welder Kit only for $229.99. The kit also includes FiberFlex Flat Repair Stick and a 1-year manufacturer’s limited warranty.
Clearcoats and hardeners tend to become more viscous during the cold season if not stored properly. Paint material should have a temperature of 20 to 25 degrees C for spraying to ensure the best reaction between the clearcoat and the hardener.
Warm conditions are ideal for chemical reactions to run smoothly. It is recommended to heat up a low bake over for drying clearcoat. The same applies to the substrates. Care should be taken that the vehicle body is not too cold before applying the paint. If the substrate is too cold, this will have an adverse impact on the flow and the surface finish. Processing and storage temperature of 20 degrees C is ideal.
If the product appears to be too viscous or the can feels cold to the touch, you should check the temperature of the material prior to mixing. If the product is cold, warm the can up in a warm water bucket or let it sit at proper room temperature until it reaches optimal storage temperature. Adding thinner in order to reduce the viscosity is not the right solution. This is not only bad for the environment and your wallet, but will also cause flaws such as orange peel. Adding more coats to achieve a smooth flow will do even more harm, as excessive coats may lead to blisters and sagging.
Why does rusting occur?
Rusting occurs because of the reaction between unprotected metal and air containing oxygen. Together they start the process of rusting. Once rusting begins, it continues over the entire body of metal.
In cars, one slight scratch can begin the process of rusting and worsen the condition over time.
How can I prevent rusting in my car?
The damage rust does is irreversible. A smart car owner always tries to prevent rust in the first place. There are materials available at autobody paint suppliers such as POR-15® which is an excellent rust preventer. They provide an impenetrable barrier against rust right on top of the metal your car is made up of.
What can I do if rusting has already started?
Once rusting has begun, there are a few steps that can take you to clean metal again. Here they are as follows.
1. Use a tarp to define the area which needs to be worked upon. Secure the borders of the non-workable area otherwise highly visible lines showing drastic color difference will emerge as the paint dries.
2. Remove the paint near the rusted area using a sanding tool. Sanders of 80 grit to 150 grit can be used from beginning till the end of the sanding process. Sand the primer as well if rust has reached it too.
3. Use a metal grinding wheel very carefully to grind off any remaining rust particles or smoothening any remaining pits.
4. To finalize the cleansing procedure remove microscopic particles of rust, wash the area with phosphoric acid available at autobody paint suppliers.
5. Fill up any remaining dents or holes by the use of a body filler.
6. Give the area a finish by the use of sand paper.
7. Apply three coats of primer with an interval of 3 minutes each. Let it dry for around 24 hours.
8. Apply paint and let it cure for approximately 48 hours.
When constructing a building, a lot of stress is paid on laying the foundation correctly. Similarly, when painting a car, after the primer, the most important thing is a quality base coat. A good base coat has multiple benefits such as:
i. Protection of the body – It is the base coat which protects the primer. A good quality base coat merges with the primer more effectively as compared to other bases. The better the base coat, the longer the originality of your primer will be protected.
ii. Color and texture – A good base will give amazing results when it comes to color. Not every black base is as deep as black velvet. Also, a quality base coat gives a smoother texture. This happens because of its ability to dry up quickly and to merge with different layers of base effectively.
iii. Gloss vs. matte – Whether you are going for a glossy or a matte finish, a quality base coat will support additional coats of lacquer or matte finish.
Where can I get quality base coats from?
There are a few brands of base coats that are of high quality such as DuPont, Standox and NoMix by Transtar. If you are in need of base coats, come visit your nearest Rondex location to check out the products we have to offer.
Many say there is nothing like the factory-painted finish but painting your car yourself has its own benefits. All you need to do is get the right equipment from an autobody supplier.
A new coat of paint is needed when the older paint is damaged usually because of peeling off or rusting. You can get new paint for your car at any autobody paint supplier. However, before painting, the rust and peel have to be removed by sanding in order to apply a new coat of paint that will stay. Here are a few points to follow when sanding.
Remove the non-paintable items
The very first step is to remove any chrome or plastic on the body such as lights, markers and trims. Some of them will require a few screws to be removed while others can be snapped off directly.
Masking the non-removed items
Cover non-removable things such as windows, window trims or the bumper with secure masking tape so that none of the paint touches them.
Start sanding
Keep the following points in mind when sanding a car:
- Remove all the rust that is on the body using a scraper. Scrape the rust to the last bit.
- When the rust is gone, sand out the paint. You can choose to sand out either the paint only or the primer and paint both. If you sand out the primer too, you will reach to the level where you can see the bare metal. It is advised to scrape off the primer only if it has been affected by rust or is peeling off.
- There are different types of surfaces on a car’s body – flat, slightly curved, very curved, round, etc. Each surface requires different methods and tools to get sanded.
- You can use different tools to sand different areas of the car. E.g. Dura Standard Block can be used to sand flat surfaces, Dura AF44121 1/3 Radius Block has a curved face block and is used on slightly curved surfaces while AF4411 Dura-Disc is used for rounder surfaces. There is wide range of sanding devices that Dura Blocks have. Find out which ones suit your project best.
- These sanding blocks (Dura) are available at different autobody suppliers.
- Always remember to sand a surface in straight lines only. Circular sanding motions show after the painting has been done.
- After sanding, you may paint your car. You can choose different paint-types for your car at any autobody paint supplier.
Every autumn sends you running errands in preparation for winter. Unpacking winter clothes, setting the fireplace again and preparing your car are the few essential things to do before winter comes. Areas that have very low temperatures, dry winds, snow and the extreme weather can do a lot of damage to your car. It is, therefore, prudent to proactively protect your car rather than reactively repair it after the damage is done. Here are a few tips you can use.
1. The Main Body
Little scratches in car paint let moisture in. This moisture freezes inside, increases in volume and tries to make more space for itself. This makes the paint crack. Once, the cracking at one spot begins, it keeps spreading like termite.
To prevent this from happening, you should first clean the grunge on the paint by using a clay bar such as EasyClay. Then polish the paint to cover up the scratches with a good polish such as Klasse-All-in-One either by hand or an orbital polisher. Lock that polish by wax so that it stays there for a while. If you don’t have any particular wax in mind, try using Optimum Opti-seal.
2. The Tires & Wheels
The ozone, grime, salt and other non friendly elements in the harsh weather can deteriorate the rubber of your cars’ tires. Protect them by spraying any silicone based tire dressing. Silicone acts as a tough barrier between the tire and unfriendly elements in the environment.
Also, clean the wheels with an extra-strength wheel cleaner and then protect them with wax or paint sealant.
3. The Removables
Give a look at the bumpers, trims, mirrors, convertible tops, wipers by giving them the treatment they deserve in order to keep functioning well till spring! Cleanse them, moisturize and polish of required.
4. The Interior
Cold air steals away moisture from the leather. This makes scratching and cracking easier to occur. To prevent damage from taking place, add moisturizers to the leather much before the temperature reaches 50⁰F and stops letting the leather soak in any moisture. Lexol Leather Conditioner and Hide Food are two good options of when it comes to leather moisturizers.
Don’t you feel ecstatic upon seeing your perfect reflection on your fabulously polished car? But that head-turning shine can wear off with time. A number of factors work against your car’s mirror-like polish. Some of them are:
- What wax was originally used on your car – synthetic or natural?
- How do you wash your car – automatically or by hand? And what sorts of materials are used during the wash?
- Which locations do you drive at more? The more pollution in the environment, the quicker corrosion will take place.
- How do you protect your car while it is parked?
Wax is one of the most popular ingredients among autobody paint suppliers to restore the lost luster of a car, be it a Lamborghini or a Ferrari. And do you know which wax is known as the queen of waxes?
The queen of all waxes is Carnauba wax, also known as Brazil wax and Palm wax. It is derived from the tree Copernicia prunifera. The hot deserts of Brazil made the Copernicia tree develop a ‘defence mechanism’ for itself by coating a layer of Carnauba Wax. This wax protects the tree from water loss and other unfriendly environmental factors.
There are several characteristics that help Carnauba ‘outshine’ other waxes.
Firstly, it is produced by nature for the purpose of protection. Hence, it is the most durable wax among all others. It is, in fact, used even for ruggedly used objects such as floors! It is in-soluble in most liquids and resistant to high temperature up to 172 degrees Fahrenheit (78 degrees Celsius).
Secondly, Carnauba wax’s mirror-like shine can be surpassed like no other wax or synthetic lacquer. In fact, the thinner the layer of Carnauba wax is, the shinier it appears!
Thirdly, Carnauba wax is less expensive than other synthetic waxes/lacquers. It is not necessary for the best wax in the world to be the most expensive one too!
Just like any other ingredient derived from nature, Carnauba wax is processed. This process makes it even more durable and suitable for cars. This processed product is called Gold Class™ Carnauba Plus Premium Wax. Gold Class™ Carnauba Plus Premium Wax is available at autobody paint suppliers. You can visit any autobody paint supplier and ask for the advantages and disadvantages of Gold Class™ Carnauba Plus Premium Wax against its substitutes and will be convinced it about being the Queen of waxes.
Also, another wax package containing Carnauba wax is Shine On (Hi Def). It uses The World’s First Nano precision Detailing System to cover even the invisible troughs on the paint. This elongates your car’s paint’s life and gives maximum light reflection. The first layer of Shine On is the Seal Protective Coat which protects the paint from damage. The second layer is that of Nano Glaze™. The Nano Glaze Gloss Coat locks and enhances the gloss applied earlier and makes it a secret weapon to dazzle everyone around.
In case you want to go for a synthetic wax, 3M™ Performance Finish Synthetic Wax 39030 should be your choice. It can be applied through a terry cloth wax applicator, a clean, cotton terry cloth towel that is folded or an orbital polisher. Its shine lasts for 6 months. 3M Quick Wax can be used to maintain the gloss of this synthetic wax.
From now until October 31st, every order placed from our Fall flyer will qualify you to win two tickets to the Grey Cup 2011 in Vancouver! Each order qualifies as one entry, the winner will be contacted by phone Oct 31st.
Take a look at our Fall flyer here.
Here we grow again! In September, Rondex Autobody Supplies is opening their new location in Victoria. Come by at 676 Alpha Street to check out our new store.
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"I began in the automotive trade as a bodyman and refinisher in 1963, and have been with C. Penner Auto Body Ltd since 1972. Over the course of those years, I have used various paint products and suppliers and have always been impressed with DuPont products. I remember the day that Ted Greenwood stopped by the shop and introduced himself to me. After getting to know each other a little, he asked me if I would buy DuPont from him. Without hesitation I said yes. Since Rondex opened their doors in 1972 I have enjoyed dealing with Ted, Ron, Dexter and now their boys. We have always appreciated their professional sales people, personnel on the order desk and delivery staff. I’m reaching the age when I’m ready to retire and hand over my business to my son. It is with great pleasure that he will continue to deal with Rondex for many years to come."
Eric Roller
Penner Auto Body
