May 2015 The Paint Spot Newsletter

"April showers bring May flowers". Whoever came up with that must have lived here in Texas. We've had a lot of rain here, and man the flowers are incredible....especially the "Bluebonnets"! For me it's bittersweet though because my mom always made such a big deal about the spring time in Texas. April 28th marked the one year anniversary of her passing, and I can't help but feel that somehow she's responsible for the abundance of flowers this year......good job mom! Ok, so there's much to talk about this month, but first I'd like to share with you a "revelation" that occurred to me recently....... Generally speaking (if you're a Republican anyway) it is said that growing up with both parents (a man and a woman) is better than not. If you're a Democrat, I guess it doesn't matter.......one parent, two men, two women, one human and a farm animal, etc, it's all good according to those dumb asses. Anyway, "generally speaking" I found out that the reason it's better is because it literally doubles the child's odds of having at least one parent that's worth a shit! I don't think it's any big secret that I haven't exactly mastered the art of marriage. Even still, I take my role as dad a lot more serious than some, putting their needs before mine. Because of this I have a low tolerance for parents that don't. Without going into specifics, we know what dads that blow off their parental responsibilities are called, but what would you call the mom that blows her daughters college money, and then mentions it when it's show time? I'm not even going to attempt to dignify this person in question with a term, and you readers know me well enough to know I have no shortage of possibilities! All I can say is, it felt pretty damn good to pick up my daughters feelings in a split second, during her devastating "free fall" when she got the negative news.........that's what a parent is supposed to do! I wonder how it's going to feel living out your life knowing your selfishness won out over your child? Money and possessions never meant much to me, other than "a means to an end", and in the end, it is all for my kids! Now, on to something more productive......... Austin Art Circus: (The 3% party) Ok, this was the coolest event I've ever attended. If most of you are scratching your heads and saying "huh, I never heard of this gig", that's because it was a gathering of the best of the best custom artists (3%'rs) from all over the world. It was not for public consumption, and I was honored to even be allowed to attend. There was a secret website, and I was told not to bring anyone. No autographs, and no "groupies", and no spectators. This was "the" get together for them! The objective, other than having a great time together, was to produce art that could then be sold or auctioned off for charity.....and it was! Every artist in attendance just did whatever they wanted to, on what ever substrate came their way, which included everything from a skateboard to a world war 2 bomb! It lasted three days and ran from 8:00am to well past midnight......it was the marathon art party from hell! Thanks to Rob Churchill for not only endorsing me as an attendee, but also for the exposure to such world class artists. Between that event and "The Airbrush Getaway", I have learned a vast amount of knowledge regarding the "3%" world of "custom", all of which I will gladly share with you all throughout the upcoming issues of this newsletter. Here's your first installment...... FBS Tape: I never knew there was so much to know about tape until I attended the Air brush Getaway. It all came together at the Austin Art Circus, when I got to see it first hand in use. Most of you are probably familiar with the "Autografix" masking tape that we have been selling for a little over a year. Some of you are also aware of the orange fine line "ProBand", that we have also been selling. But, how many of you knew that there are specific sizes and styles for specific types of graphics? I wasn't, and I'm a "Jobber"! The whole purpose of this newsletter is education. I am hell bent on uncovering so called "secrets", stopping users "love affair" with brand names, and getting you all "out of the box" that ill educated jobbers, warehouse distributors, and manufacturers have put you in. When it comes to tape, all we know is 3/4",1 1/2", sometimes 2", and 1/8" & 1/4" fineline. The most common names are: 3M (AKA "God"), American, Norton, and maybe one or two others. Here's the truth: The above mentioned are all general purpose automotive names and popular sizes. They all have two things in common: They get the job done "Generally speaking", and from my perspective.....they are all unprofitable! There's two things we just can't make any measurable profit on, and they are "Tape", and "Masking Paper"! Interestingly enough, both of these items are what goes into the trash can when you've finished your job. For this reason they need to be cost effective as well as high quality. Having the proper tape for the proper application can definitely minimize the amount of dollars you have to throw away at the end of the job, God forbid you have to do it twice because of choosing the wrong one. Here's what you need to know: Autografix 3/4" #48411 - #48010: Masking tape is thinner than most and leaves less of a lip. It also sheers better. (sharp edge & clean finish) K-522 Control Tape: (Paint coverage checker) 3/4". This is one of those inventions that makes you wish you would have thought of it! It's a black and white checkered tape that measures when you've reached the paint "threshold" (full hiding). How many times have you painted a vehicle, it looks great in the booth, and when it gets outside you can see primer spots right through the paint? It's happened to me many times! At that point, it's all about repainting the vehicle! This tape can be applied near the areas of concern. You'll know when you've achieved hiding when you can no longer see the checkered pattern! You'll virtually never repaint a car again for lack of coverage! K-UTG Gold Tape: For masking on difficult surfaces, extremely thin, and flexible. It can also be repositioned without leaving residue (3/4" - 3.0") PT43: Crepe Fineline: Thin, sharp edges for exact color separation, radius, and on uneven surfaces. Performs extremely well on plastic parts and difficult areas to mask. (1/16", 1/8", 1/4", 1/2", 3/4") ProBand Fineline Olive "multi surface tape": Great for bare metal, steel, aluminum, plastic, and fiberglass surfaces. (1/8", 1/4", 1/2") K-TM21 Trim Edge Tape: Perforated and silicone free. Built in plastic insert strip, for applications with flush mounted seals, moldings, around windshields, sunroofs, rear and side glass, and tail lights. (3/8") 2"x 33' ProBand Fineline Green "Soft": Great for "Tight" curves. (1/16", 1/8", 1/4", 1/2") ProBand Fineline Orange "Medium": Great for curves and straight lines. (1/16", 1/8", 1/4", 1/2", 3/4") ProBand Fineline Yellow "Rigid": Great for straight lines! (1/8", 1/4", 1/2", 3/4") I have taken on the full line of these FBS products as well as the supporting literature showing the specific uses. These "tri fold" placards can be put on a wall for reference, and are exactly what enlightened me. Look for them, as we will be handing them out to all the customers.

I never even knew there was anything thinner than 1/8" fineline available until "Painter Paul" from K.O. collision brought it up. I didn't really believe it until he gave me a 3M part number. Upon checking with one of my suppliers, I was told that "there's no such animal". Not long after, I saw it with my own eyes at the Austin Art Circus, it was FBS tape!

You see why it's up to us to educate? If we left it up to the suppliers, we wouldn't know anything other that what they knew......and they obviously don't know much! I learned first hand why the professional artists get such clean graphics. Where most of us use 1/8" or 1/4" to do flames and tight curves, these guys use 1/16". How many of you have unmasked a set of flames only to find all the "blow outs" from the frick'n fineline tape lifting? Yeah, that's what I thought!!!!!! Or what about a line that varies in thickness from pulling the fineline tight to get a straight line, only to have the tape suck in and shrink in random spots? You usually don't notice it until it's unmasked! These issues are all due to using the wrong tape for the application. Matrix Lettering & Striping Enamel ( A viable alternative to "One Shot" and "House of Kolor") Ok, I've been hearing about this stuff for a couple years now, but finally got to see it (and use a little) at the Austin Art Circus. While "One Shot" lettering enamel has always been the staple of the industry, it has always been tricky to clear over. For years there really was no choice but to endure its quirky characteristics. Then House Of Kolor came out with their lettering enamel. It was easy to clear over, but what most people don't know, is if you don't clear over it, it will fade! Matrix designed their lettering enamel around the two! It will accept a clear coat with no problem, and it can be applied without clear coating, and without fading! What else would you expect from the company that's known for taking things one step beyond the others? We have a full selection of the new "FX Series" Matrix Lettering & Striping Enamels. Currently, there are 11 colors......and more in the works! Northstar: Ok, I've talked about this paint before, but since it continues to amaze not only me, but the first time users, I think it needs another round. Recently, I was talking to a new Paint Spot customer about the type of work his shop did. In the "Q. & A." discussion he asked me to look at one of the projects. It was an old VW Beetle. "Alex" asked me what I would use to paint that car, and I told him straight away "Northstar". Now let's face it, it's a base coat / clear coat world and nobody is taught or even hears about "single stage"..........unless you're one of our customers or you read this newsletter. I told him that the quality was actually higher than acrylic urethane, and the cost was at least half. Not only that, but the time it takes to paint the vehicle and the quantity needed was less than half. Furthermore, I told him that if it's applied correctly, a professional painter could not tell it apart from high quality base coat / clear coat, unless rubbing compound was used. This all took place last week, and when I looked at the car it was only in the body work stage. Fast forward one week.......it was gone! I asked about it, and that's when Alex gave me the "victory speech" that lead to my writing about it. Usually it takes a couple attempts to get this stuff wired, but not this guy! The car came out "tits", and everything I had told him proved to be true. Alex is a new MPB-LV shop, but swears "Northstar" will be a money maker for him from here on out! Northstar is a "Fleet" paint primarily used for the big rigs, but I can testify to the fact that it doesn't know the difference between a Peterbuilt and a VW. In other words, don't let the word "Fleet" fool you.........there's major money to be made with this paint. The Northstar line is modeled after the Dupont "Imron" line, and if anybody remembers the 70"s and 80"s (kind of a blur to me), you'll remember that if you could afford to have your car painted with Imron, you were the shit! Series that was used: 935 series. Mix Ratio (1st coat) = 3:1:1 (paint, hardener, reducer). 2nd coat = 3:1:2. That's right, one extra part of reducer on second coat. 3rd coat = There isn't one!!!!!!! End users: ask for it by name from your suppliers. Jobbers: If you don't have it, you need to get it! And if you think that PPG, Dupont, Valspar, Sherwin Williams, or any of the other "off brands" will do what Northstar does.....YOU ARE MISTAKEN!!!!!! There are several levels in the Northstar line to choose from. To get these options, it's as simple as changing the binder and the hardener.......there's even a base coat binder! There is a wide variety of solids as well as metallics, and a pretty impressive chip selector system to support it. Since Matrix does not have a fleet paint, Northstar is an essential component to The Paint Spot, as we would not be able to accommodate the "Fleet" market without it. As a matter of fact, when mixing single stage colors in Matrix's "MCU", we use the Northstar 935 series binder (900M for metallic, 935B for solids). Using the Matrix "MXB" binder will net you "miserable" results, and is no match for the quality and performance you'll get with the Northstar binder (sorry Matrix, just being honest, and besides, I've told you many times to get rid of that crap and make something that works).