3M Paint Defender Spray
07-09-2013, 09:18 AM
#1
3M Paint Defender Spray Looks like this product is just hitting the market, hope I'm not making a redundant thread....couldn't find any other threads about it, just some random posts here & there.
Just wanted to post some thoughts after using it for the first time.
Awesome product, with awesome results........IF applied properly. Absolute complete pain in the @$$ if applied wrong.
At only $26 a can it's a great deal if you do it right.
Take your time to tape/plastic off your car, it will make all the difference as far as not making as many mistakes.
If you're thinking about spraying it on your car in anything other than a windless environment, my condolences. Have fun being as upset as I was about the final result & wasting $26 and the time it takes to remove & start over.
My experience is that spraying more is better. The more you spray the thicker the film will be on the body & FAR easier to remove later. Thin coats & over spray mistakes are a complete nightmare to remove. Thin coats end up drying like a coarse film while a thicker coating dries nice and smooth.
The only success I had in removing a bad application was with ammonia and 3M glass cleaner sprayed on the film and allowed to soak for a bit before scrubbing. Make sure to clean the paint & re-wax immediately after using pure ammonia.
Whatever you do, don't let the product dry on the spray exit point of push nozzle on the top of the can, if it dries it will never spray uniformly again & it will goop all over your car causing big ugly bubbles when dry. Also, my opinion, don't shake the can. I believe if you shake the can the spray comes out less clear. Applying wax prior to spraying is also a must for a final smooth dried coating.
Just wanted to post some thoughts after using it for the first time.
Awesome product, with awesome results........IF applied properly. Absolute complete pain in the @$$ if applied wrong.
At only $26 a can it's a great deal if you do it right.
Take your time to tape/plastic off your car, it will make all the difference as far as not making as many mistakes.
If you're thinking about spraying it on your car in anything other than a windless environment, my condolences. Have fun being as upset as I was about the final result & wasting $26 and the time it takes to remove & start over.
My experience is that spraying more is better. The more you spray the thicker the film will be on the body & FAR easier to remove later. Thin coats & over spray mistakes are a complete nightmare to remove. Thin coats end up drying like a coarse film while a thicker coating dries nice and smooth.
The only success I had in removing a bad application was with ammonia and 3M glass cleaner sprayed on the film and allowed to soak for a bit before scrubbing. Make sure to clean the paint & re-wax immediately after using pure ammonia.
Whatever you do, don't let the product dry on the spray exit point of push nozzle on the top of the can, if it dries it will never spray uniformly again & it will goop all over your car causing big ugly bubbles when dry. Also, my opinion, don't shake the can. I believe if you shake the can the spray comes out less clear. Applying wax prior to spraying is also a must for a final smooth dried coating.
Last edited by lionel_luthor; 07-09-2013 at 11:02 AM.
07-09-2013, 10:54 AM
#2
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Awesome, was hoping someone would throw out some thoughts after actually using it, had a can for awhile just waiting for the last bit of my front clip to get painted before I try it. Thanks for the review, and the tips. Def good to know.
07-09-2013, 12:50 PM
#4
If you apply this stuff properly by taking your time to tape and by trying to be as meticulous and careful as you can with spraying it can look like a million bucks.
The trick is to not allow the spray to build up around the nozzle while spraying because if you do it can start to shoot out like soap suds instead of a fine covering mist and those suds will dry like big bubbles.
That's why I say you shouldn't shake the can up and you should keep the exit point on the nozzle as clean & free of any build up as possible at all times.
I will try to get some photos of good spots and bad spots on my TA later tonight to show how great it can look if done well and how horrible it can look if not done properly.
The trick is to not allow the spray to build up around the nozzle while spraying because if you do it can start to shoot out like soap suds instead of a fine covering mist and those suds will dry like big bubbles.
That's why I say you shouldn't shake the can up and you should keep the exit point on the nozzle as clean & free of any build up as possible at all times.
I will try to get some photos of good spots and bad spots on my TA later tonight to show how great it can look if done well and how horrible it can look if not done properly.
07-09-2013, 03:02 PM
#6
He is right...application and prep is everything with this stuff. I did my wife's prius before her road trip the other week since its a cool dark color and brand new. On a 2500 mile round trip..only what appears to be one chip in the paint but it was a large enough stone it made a slight ding as well so nothing would have stopped it aside from an actual bra.
Very impressed with it so far and hardly noticeable unless pointed out.
Very impressed with it so far and hardly noticeable unless pointed out.
Last edited by LOHRTBT; 07-09-2013 at 03:09 PM.
07-10-2013, 09:40 AM
#7
Well, here's an update after my second go at this.
I just want to update some best practices as this attempt turned out fantastic
I needed about 1.5 cans to coat my entire front end, hood and the fronts of both side mirrors
-Completely clean your car where ever you plan to spray this stuff (wash, clean the paint, polish, de-swirl, wax), make it shine & shimmer as much as possible because once it's on what's underneath isn't going to change in appearance
-Make sure to put a coat of the synthetic wax that comes with the product on the areas you are going to spray (helps with easier peel removal down the road)
-Be absolutely meticulous about plastic & taping your ride to prevent overspray (THIS IS A MAJOR THING)
-DO NOT spray anywhere that there is wind, I did this in my closed garage with a mask on so I didn't inhale the stuff
-DO NOT shake the can of spray prior to spraying, if you do it will make it come out like suds instead of mist - You DO NOT want that
-DO NOT let the product dry on the nozzle, if you stop spraying quickly wipe the nozzle with a rag or paper towel and make sure it's free & clear of any residue
-You don't need the tape/plastic kit that 3M sells, it's way cheaper to buy that stuff at a hardware store by yourself
-You don't need the $7 trigger that is sold alongside of the spray
-More spray is FAR better than less, you want a thick coating to prevent the outcome from ending up looking & feeling like the skin of an orange with tiny pimples/texture all over + a thicker coat will peel off in one large piece or several larger pieces instead of in tiny spots which is a major pain in the ***
-My car is black (photos below) and the correct amount of coating ended up looking purple when I had finished spraying everywhere and it was still wet
-WHILE THE SPRAY IS STILL WET remove your tape & plastic VERY VERY carefully (if you let it dry you will likely peel off some of the coating when you remove the tape & plastic)
-If you smudge an area accidentally, just liberally spray more while it's still wet to the point where it's fully coated again
-If you accidentally spray some on an area you don't want, scrubbing it with a bug sponge and pure ammonia will get it right off if it's still wet (make sure to wash/wipe the area right away to prevent the ammonia from eating the paint)
-There will likely be a cloud in the air of wherever you're doing this when you're done because of how much you've been spraying - it will probably end up looking like dust on areas of your car where you may not have taped or put plastic (like the roof or rear end) - no worries, the stuff will wipe off with some decent elbow grease & a polishing towel (or if it's bad enough the ammonia thing from above)
-If you really screw up & don't put a thick enough coat on you can get it off, it took me about 2 hours with a more coarse sponge and ammonia to get the thin film off - but like I've said, it's a BITCH
-Don't worry about it dripping down somewhere while wet because of being too thick, if it does once it dries you can just peel off any accidental drips/dots
Here are some comparison pictures
Font end/head light cover with nasty spots/dots:
Complete redo, front end while still wet:
Front end after sitting overnight:
To the right of the seam between the hood & quarter panel is covered with the spray, to the left is not:
I just want to update some best practices as this attempt turned out fantastic
I needed about 1.5 cans to coat my entire front end, hood and the fronts of both side mirrors
-Completely clean your car where ever you plan to spray this stuff (wash, clean the paint, polish, de-swirl, wax), make it shine & shimmer as much as possible because once it's on what's underneath isn't going to change in appearance
-Make sure to put a coat of the synthetic wax that comes with the product on the areas you are going to spray (helps with easier peel removal down the road)
-Be absolutely meticulous about plastic & taping your ride to prevent overspray (THIS IS A MAJOR THING)
-DO NOT spray anywhere that there is wind, I did this in my closed garage with a mask on so I didn't inhale the stuff
-DO NOT shake the can of spray prior to spraying, if you do it will make it come out like suds instead of mist - You DO NOT want that
-DO NOT let the product dry on the nozzle, if you stop spraying quickly wipe the nozzle with a rag or paper towel and make sure it's free & clear of any residue
-You don't need the tape/plastic kit that 3M sells, it's way cheaper to buy that stuff at a hardware store by yourself
-You don't need the $7 trigger that is sold alongside of the spray
-More spray is FAR better than less, you want a thick coating to prevent the outcome from ending up looking & feeling like the skin of an orange with tiny pimples/texture all over + a thicker coat will peel off in one large piece or several larger pieces instead of in tiny spots which is a major pain in the ***
-My car is black (photos below) and the correct amount of coating ended up looking purple when I had finished spraying everywhere and it was still wet
-WHILE THE SPRAY IS STILL WET remove your tape & plastic VERY VERY carefully (if you let it dry you will likely peel off some of the coating when you remove the tape & plastic)
-If you smudge an area accidentally, just liberally spray more while it's still wet to the point where it's fully coated again
-If you accidentally spray some on an area you don't want, scrubbing it with a bug sponge and pure ammonia will get it right off if it's still wet (make sure to wash/wipe the area right away to prevent the ammonia from eating the paint)
-There will likely be a cloud in the air of wherever you're doing this when you're done because of how much you've been spraying - it will probably end up looking like dust on areas of your car where you may not have taped or put plastic (like the roof or rear end) - no worries, the stuff will wipe off with some decent elbow grease & a polishing towel (or if it's bad enough the ammonia thing from above)
-If you really screw up & don't put a thick enough coat on you can get it off, it took me about 2 hours with a more coarse sponge and ammonia to get the thin film off - but like I've said, it's a BITCH
-Don't worry about it dripping down somewhere while wet because of being too thick, if it does once it dries you can just peel off any accidental drips/dots
Here are some comparison pictures
Font end/head light cover with nasty spots/dots:
Complete redo, front end while still wet:
Front end after sitting overnight:
To the right of the seam between the hood & quarter panel is covered with the spray, to the left is not:
Last edited by lionel_luthor; 07-10-2013 at 11:01 AM.
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07-10-2013, 10:21 AM
#8
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Nice write up, I'm going to try this myself. This will work well on rock prone ground effects.
Is this a similar consistancy to PlastiDip? Is sounds like its a very similar applicaiton process.
Is this a similar consistancy to PlastiDip? Is sounds like its a very similar applicaiton process.
07-10-2013, 10:51 AM
#9
It is a very similar application to PlastiDip, but not entirely the same. I haven't done much with PlastiDip, but in my experience this stuff is a bit more difficult to use properly. Also, I think PlastiDip peels off far easier in thinner coatings. This stuff when done properly kind of feels like a Zagg Invisi Shield for a smart phone, but perfectly transparent.
Last edited by lionel_luthor; 07-10-2013 at 11:05 AM.
