That UV curing light I mocked turned out to save my ass on a pearl paint job

Tbh I thought those UV curing lights were just a gimmick for hobbyists. Then last Thursday a customer's pearl white Mercedes hood had a run and I needed it dry in 20 minutes before clear. I grabbed my buddy's $120 light from his van and that thing cured the whole panel in 6 minutes flat. Has anyone else had a cheap tool they laughed at actually save you on a tight deadline?

2 comments

2 Comments

spencer_thomas427d ago

You ever had one of those lights just not live up to the hype though? I borrowed a similar cheap UV light from a buddy for a touch up on a dark blue fender, and it took almost twice as long as he claimed. Plus it left this weird hot spot that made the paint a little cloudy in the center. In my experience, those budget units can be super inconsistent, so I'd be careful about trusting one completely for a high end pearl job.

cooper.nathan27d ago

Bro, I feel like you're making this way more complicated than it needs to be. A cheap UV light doing its job well enough for a quick touch up is still a win in my book. Yeah, maybe it took a little longer and had a hot spot, but did it actually ruin the paint or just leave a bit of haze you could buff out? For a high end pearl job, sure, you might want something nicer, but for most of us just trying to fix a scratch or a fender, who's really gonna notice a tiny cloudy spot unless they're really looking for it? Seems like you're expecting pro results from a budget tool, which is kinda setting yourself up for disappointment from the start.