Raptor car painting and other body protection options

From time to time, any car owner needs to paint his car with a raptor. Regardless of what kind of painting is required, and it can be partial or complete, such work is done strictly according to the rules. A carelessly executed coating very soon makes itself felt with chips, scratches and a very sloppy appearance of the car.

The main function of the raptor is to protect the car body from rust , mechanical damage and ultraviolet radiation. For tourism enthusiasts and truck drivers, this issue is especially relevant, because on off-road routes the car is constantly exposed to gravel, water and more. Raptor, like wax, creates a special polyurethane coating that makes the car virtually invulnerable. It is worth noting that the appearance of the body after such treatment acquires a matte, bumpy surface, which some find not very aesthetically pleasing. If you make a choice in favor of the reliability of the car, such a drawback is easier to accept.

DIY raptor painting

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• After stirring, the bottle is screwed to the gun, which, in turn, must be connected to a compressor. You need to adjust the pressure to 2.5–5 atm, depending on the desired texture. Lower pressure will produce a coarser texture, and higher pressure will produce a finer texture.
• The distance and speed of the gun will also affect the texture.
• Adding thinner (up to 10%) will give a smoother finish. For this, it is better to use a special thinner, but a universal acrylic thinner will also work. It is not recommended to use solvents as they will weaken the properties of the coating.
• Experiment with pressure settings and do a test spray on cardboard to find a texture you like.
• Recommended distance is 40–45 cm (up to 150 cm). A closer distance will produce a larger texture.
• You can read about how to make passes with a gun when spraying and about the basic principles of painting in the article “Car painting technology.”
• The time required to spray diluted Raptor is 60 minutes.
• If more than 5 hours have passed since applying the layer, then before applying the next layer you need to sand the surface a little.
• U‑pol recommends applying 2–3 coats of Raptor. More than 3 layers are not recommended.
• Subsequent coats can be applied with a 60 minute drying period between coats.
• Between changing bottles, the gun must be washed for trouble-free spraying. Immediately after use, the gun must also be washed. The gun can be washed with either solvent or acetone.

Let's sum it up

There are dozens of methods for protecting the body from corrosion. But most of them turn out to be irrelevant when it comes to a modern car. It is impossible to use various mastics and bituminous materials without preserving the attractiveness of the body. However, many vehicle owners find options for using a variety of methods and obtain a more or less stable state of the metal in the car. To do this, it is enough to read not only theoretical calculations with advertising of any protection method, but also make sure in the reviews of motorists that this method actually works.

You should not use the simplest methods of protection, such as equipping the body with electrodes. You will simply waste your money and will not be able to protect the body, which will continue to rot at the same rate. You should not take the word of sellers and various publications. All ideas should be checked on author’s blogs and review sites. In this case, you will be able to find effective methods that actually work and protect the body from the spread of rust. What anti-corrosion protection options have you used to preserve the body of your car?

Drying the Raptor coating

Raptor dries touch-free in 1 hour. After 2-3 days you can use it with caution. After 7 days, the surface painted with Raptor is completely ready for use. Drying can be accelerated by increasing the temperature (60 degrees), but complete hardening will also occur no earlier than 7 days.

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It is not recommended to infrared dry the Raptor.

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Paints for coating the bodies of modern cars have excellent characteristics and a glossy appearance. However, on jeeps, pickups, and trucks operating in harsh natural conditions when transporting goods, ordinary paint can very soon become covered with scratches from branches or abrasions from transported goods. As a result, rust appears at the site of the scratches, and the car loses its attractive appearance.

There are many products on the market for repairing car bodies. We suggest you choose products from the U-POL brand, which has more than 60 years of experience in this field. Polyurethane raptor coating and consumables for it from U-POL are specially designed for application as a protective coating on the bodies of pickup trucks, SUVs and trucks.

Paint application area

Raptor U-POL paint is a two-component paint and varnish material (LCM) that creates a protective coating of increased strength. This characteristic makes Raptor very different from conventional car paints.

The material restores even the most worn-out body coating, creating a film resistant to the following damaging factors:

• extreme temperatures, harsh climate;
• rust (corrosion);
• salt;
• mold;
• scratching, friction;
• ultraviolet radiation;
• dirt.

Raptor is also suitable for creating sound insulation, because after applying paint, the insulation characteristics of the car are significantly increased. The scope of application of auto enamel is varied. Its application is indicated on bumpers, plastic body kits of cars, especially SUVs and other off-road vehicles.

This material should be used by car enthusiasts who often go outdoors, hunting, or fishing. After painting, the car will not be afraid of curbs, roadsides, or icy surfaces - scratches will no longer appear.

After an accident, it is recommended that all car owners use Raptor. With higher quality, painting costs will be similar. As a result, a durable coating 2–3 mm thick is guaranteed, which will mask all surface defects. To update the appearance of Raptor U-POL is used on ATVs, bicycles, boats, and any equipment for outdoor activities.

Advantages and disadvantages of Raptor

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When applied to a car body, raptor polyurethane coating forms a protective film, which has a number of advantages over conventional car paint, namely:

• high strength of the material;
• resistance to friction;
• resistance to most chemical elements;
• easy to clean;
• does not fade in the sun;
• reliable surface protection against corrosion.

Despite all the positive aspects of the coating, the raptor is not without its drawbacks. The following points can be highlighted from them:

• the coating cannot be varnished, so it will always be matte;
• the surface has the appearance of pebbled leather, which does not always look aesthetically pleasing;
• If the Raptor painting technology is not followed, it may chip.

Why do they paint us with Raptor?

The key to achieving all the properties of the Raptor coating lies in the correct and thorough preparation of the surface. The surface to be painted must be cleaned of dirt and corrosion, thoroughly matted and etched with acid primer. That is why in our car service we approach the preparation process before painting with Raptor so carefully that for some car models we paint the body parts that have been removed. For example, we paint fenders and frames for UAZ separately from the body, and this also applies to the rear sides of a pickup truck.

It is necessary that the Raptor evenly covers the places where the wing and body meet. Also, for all cars, before preparation, external body elements are removed - door handles, headlights, decorative elements and windshields and rear windows.

Packaging and completeness of “Raptor”

Raptor goes on sale in a package containing four bottles of the base material, each 750 grams, and one liter container with a hardener. The kit also includes a special anti-gravel gun, calibrated to work optimally with the raptor.

Bottles with raptor coating are adapted for pistols. Consumers can order raptor sets, either black or cloudy whitish, which can be tinted in any desired color. The set contains instructions that contain technological recommendations and a safety data sheet.

Preparatory work before painting

Painting a car with raptor is not a complicated process and can be done by a car enthusiast, but it requires careful preliminary preparation. If painting will be done over the entire body of the car, then initially you need to remove all the attached parts from the body: bumpers, headlights, corners, mirrors, and so on.

Then traces of rust and peeling paint are removed from the body. It is recommended to prime areas of the body with exposed metal with ACID #8 primer. If necessary, the body is straightened and puttied in places of dents. The surface should be degreased with anti-silicone cleaner S2001.

At the next stage of preparing the body for painting, P80 sandpaper is used to remove the gloss. The surface to be painted with raptor should be matte. All parts of the car that remain on the body and will not be painted should be covered with protective material, using masking tape as fastening.

Procedure for removing paint from a car

Removing a coat of Raptor U-POL paint that has already dried is quite a task. Doing this manually using sandpaper is difficult, ineffective and time-consuming, because the paper immediately gets clogged.

Using an angle grinder is simply dangerous, since the abrasive wheel creates nicks, defects, and chips on the body that will need to be puttied. Only putting a metal brush on a grinder or drill will allow cleaning to be more effective, but large parts often overheat and become deformed.

It is best to use a construction hair dryer, which is used to heat the base, and then remove the material with a special narrow sharp spatula.

Raptor painting technology

After all the preparatory work, you can proceed to painting the body with raptor. The instructions for use recommend mixing the material with the hardener in a ratio of 3:1. In the can where the paint is located, there is a mark at which you should add the hardener - it will be exactly 250 grams.

Close the jar and shake the contents for several minutes to mix the paint and hardener. The company offers hardeners for Raptor with different drying periods, which makes it possible to select the desired drying speed of the coating. And in order to reduce the texture of the applied coating, the company recommends adding 10% S2040 thinner to the bottle with the material and hardener.

We screw the gun onto the paint can, to which the hose from the compressor is connected. You can apply the first layer of raptor to the car body. Painting begins from the roof of the car using even movements. The gun should be kept 40 - 50 centimeters from the surface to be painted. You need to make sure that the layer goes on without overflowing.

The instructions say that thickening the layer leads to a violation of its mechanical strength. To dry the first layer, a temperature of +20 and 30-60 minutes are required. Then you can apply a second layer.

Upon completion of coating the car body with the second layer of raptor, the paint should polymerize within 5-7 days. The car can be used after 12 hours, however, without serious loads on the coating.

Is it possible to galvanize the body yourself?

When a galvanized body[/anchor] or some parts are produced, the car is completely immersed in a galvanic bath. This is a process that there is no way you can do at home or in the garage. But you can use the so-called cold galvanizing of the body using various elements. This is a process during which a zinc solution is sprayed onto the surface of the part and forms a base for further paint application. The effectiveness of this method depends on the performer, and the process is as follows:

• the transport is prepared, all old paint is removed, the soil is completely removed and a complete wash is performed, then all manifestations of rust are removed;
• the next step is high-quality puttying of irregularities, since after galvanizing it will be impossible to fix anything, the body is leveled;
• Next comes the stage of galvanizing itself; for this, a pre-purchased solution containing zinc and several other important elements is used;
• After the solution has dried, a primer is applied within 24 hours, and after a few hours you can directly paint the body to give it an aesthetic appearance.

Such simple processes allow you to protect the body, but the quality of protection will not be too great. The problem is that galvanizing only has real power when done galvanically, so it is better to use this method. For this you will need a bathtub the size of a car, as well as some important and expensive materials to fill it. As a result, galvanizing will cost more than purchasing a new car with a good galvanized body. So it is much better to use more democratic processing methods.

Connecting various electrodes and other devices

Recently, motorists have been offered a simply magnificent range of anti-corrosion products. Among the magical means that you simply need to attach to the body from the inside and leave in contact with the metal, you can highlight a certain electromechanical device that reduces the risks of corrosive effects and even stops the development of corrosion foci that have already begun. This magical remedy does not work at all, as has already been proven by hundreds of tests and inspections.

The fact is that electromechanical protection of the body requires factory preparation, and the effect should be on each part separately, and not on the entire body as a whole. Therefore, such a simple opportunity that looks so attractive is just a deception that you can safely forget about. This method can only help in the rich imagination of the buyer.

Painting a car in the desired color

In order to paint the body of a raptor car in the desired color, you need to purchase a kit from the U-POL company with a cloudy-whitish material, which is intended for tinting. You can also purchase ready-made color pigments from U-POL. To purchase, you should contact the company's representative office - they will give recommendations on how to mix the pigment and raptor and how it should be applied to the surface of the body.

Next, you need to mix raptor with the hardener in a 3:1 ratio and add up to 10% of the base pigment to the finished mixture. If you have difficulty selecting the right color, you can contact a colorist and use the selection system to determine the right component.

In the case when the color of the car is light, and the owner wants to preserve it, you need to take into account that the raptor itself is milky in color - this can give a peculiar shade.

Where can I buy?

The paint can be purchased online. There is a large selection of goods here and everyone will choose the option they need. You can also buy it at specialized automotive stores. You just need to always look at the expiration date.

You can also buy a raptor in Moscow at a good car store. Many paint shops also sell this paint. But their cost can be significantly higher than in the simplest car shop.

In the video you can see the possible colors of Raptor paint, as well as the result of applying this coating.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HV4-6JMvxXA

Safety precautions when working with raptor

Painting the body of a car with a raptor should take place while observing personal protective measures. The passport that comes with the product itself indicates the main types of danger the raptor poses to humans:

• the material is flammable;
• irritates eyes;
• open contact with the material leads to dry skin and causes it to crack;
• vapors may cause drowsiness and clouding of consciousness.

Therefore, you need to work with a raptor in protective clothing and gloves, goggles and a respirator. The room where the work will be performed must be equipped with exhaust ventilation and fire safety equipment.

Advantages of painting a car with raptor

• Painting as a process does not require special qualifications of the performer.
• The coating is not afraid of moisture, salt, extreme temperatures, and does not fade in the sun.
• Protects the coating from rust.
• Reduces noise and vibration levels.
• Has high adhesion to body metal.
• Does not require meticulous preparation of the surface for painting.
• It can be applied not only with a spray gun, but also with a regular roller or brush.
• Painting can be done outside the garage, even outside, at a temperature of +20. An awning is desirable - it can protect from rain.
• Preparing for painting does not take much time.
• The coating retains its protective properties for a long time.
• There is no need to coat the raptor with an additional layer of varnish.

Disadvantages of painting a car with raptor

• Relatively long time for complete polymerization of the coating (according to the instructions, up to 21 days).
• The coating has the appearance of an orange peel.

Those car owners who decide to cover the body of their car with raptor are not embarrassed by these shortcomings, but the advantages leave them in full confidence that their car is reliably protected for many years of operation in the harshest conditions.

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