 | Richard Smith has been in the Auto Body Industry for 26 years. He is ASE Certified Master Collision Tech, an I-Car Platinum Tech, and an I-Car Instructor. He and His wife own and operate Sharp's Auto Body & Collision Inc. located at 202 North Elm St. in Pittsburg, Kansas. He is a father of 5 children, Ex Military E-6 Staff SGT. and is active in his home Church. The one thing he enjoys doing is educating the public about the safety and proper repair of automobiles, no matter if it is a vehicle that has been in a collision, a small dent, or a complete restoration. The shop is always equipped with a skilled professional to handle your auto needs. |
Automotive Service & Repair
2012-10-03 08:50:14
Remember when?
Q- Have you considered going green in the Auto Body paint?
A- Where'd I go wrong? As a kid growing up, we had the choice of building model cars by either gluing it together or snapping it together. Then painting them with spray paint or brush enamel, or some kids would even use water colors to paint their snap cars together. Me...I was always the glue together and enamel paint type. And growing up around older cars, I never would have thought of today’s technology. Here we are now, snapping plastic bumpers together like snap together models, and using water based paint to paint real vehicles. It’s kind of ironic if you think about it.
So…to answer your question, yes, a water born paint system is one more step in our "going green" process to help protect our environment in the auto body world. Twenty years ago if you would have told me I'd be snapping cars together and painting with water in the professional auto body business, I would have laughed at you. Yet here in todays world that is what is happening.
If you are driving a new car, it may already have water born paint on it. A lot of manufacturers are using water born paint on new vehicles. With the water born paint, we have less hazardous waste, better color match with less product usage. Right now, water born paints are mainly used as the base coat. However, within the next few months a lot of different primers will hit the market that are also water born. Water born "clears" are available, but only to manufacturers at this time.
Next month we will elaborate more on water born paint, as well as its evolution.
