Saw a 1967 Mustang get painted at a small shop in Peoria and watched them use a heat lamp trick I'd never seen

Stopped into a buddy's shop on my way back from a drop-off last Tuesday. He was laying down a single stage on an old fastback. Right after the last coat, he hit it with a heat lamp from about 3 feet away for maybe 90 seconds. Said it lets the solvents flash off quicker so you can sand and buff same day. I've always just let things sit overnight. Has anyone else tried this or is it just for certain paints?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_diana1mo ago

That heat lamp trick works best with single stage urethanes and certain fast hardeners. Your mileage may vary depending on the brand and temp of the shop that day. I tried it once on a metallic basecoat and it caused a slight mottling in the metal flake because the solvents flashed off too quick on the edges. If you're doing a solid color single stage on a non-metallic car, it's probably fine. Just make sure you keep the lamp moving so you don't cook one spot. Let it cool down naturally for 10 minutes before you try to touch it.

jakejones1mo ago

Wait, so that microfilm thing - is that what happened with my buddy's Toyota? He used a lamp on a repaint and the clear started lifting around the antenna mount six months later. @the_diana, you ever seen that happen with single stage?

uma_williams1mo ago

Have you thought about what this does to the clear coat's long-term adhesion? I had a buddy who did this on a show car, looked perfect for three months, then the clear started peeling off in sheets right where the lamp was hottest. It seemed like the fast flash-off created this microfilm that looked bonded but really wasn't. The fix is a good three day wait before you even think about wet sanding or buffing, maybe even longer if your humidity is over 50%. I'd rather just let it cure naturally for a week in a heated booth than risk a do-over six months down the road, especially on a job where the customer is paying for a warranty.