- Hey YouTube viewers, this is Donnie Smith,
and welcome to this video series
that is designed to help you pass the ASE exam.
Now, this video series
is specifically for the paint refinish.
What we're gonna do is,
we'll go through the task,
and give you the knowledge to pass the test.
What this is not, this is not really
your prep-test type book.
It's not just test questions.
If you want that, there is a link down in the description,
you know, you can get more information about that.
What this is, this basically goes through
all the tasks that you will need to know to pass the test.
(tires squealing)
This task is B:7, which is
applying suitable metal treatment or primer,
in accordance with total product systems.
Every paint system
is going to have their own recommendations,
so, be sure whatever paint,
DuPont, PPG, whatever you're using,
to read their technical data sheets
to see what they recommend.
But there's basically four different methods
that you can use regardless of the system.
The first one we're going to talk about
is Metal Conditioners and Conversion Coatings.
This is an older system that they used to use,
especially with the lacquers.
We didn't have a lot of the primers that we have today,
so we would put these coatings on there,
and then you could spray it with lacquer,
and have good adhesion, corrosion protection, and all that.
Now, what this is,
it's a Metal Conditioner and Conversion Coatings,
and there may still be some shops out there
that prefer this, so we need to mention it.
And it is part of the task list.
The Metal Conditioner is a phosphoric acid
that cleans and etches bare metal.
It improves adhesion before priming.
And the Metal Conditioner has acid in it,
so it has to be neutralized.
The way you apply this,
generally, you mix it or dilute it with water,
and you spray it directly onto the metal surface.
To neutralize the acid, you're gonna rinse it with water,
and then you're gonna dry it,
and then you can follow the next step,
which is apply the Conversion Coating.
The Conversion Coating is a zinc phosphate coating,
that chemically bonds to the metal.
The conversion coating is applied with a spray bottle,
like the Conditioner is.
While you're applying this,
the surface should not dry on its own.
So, you might need to keep reapplying it
to the metal surface for about five minutes.
Then after you've had that applied for about five minutes,
you can go ahead and rinse it off with some water,
and then allow it to dry.
Once dry, the metal forms a coating,
and this coating provides corrosion protection,
and will have good adhesion for the primer
that you're going to apply to it.
This method, it is more time consuming
than the other methods that we're going to talk about,
but it is one of the options out there,
and, like I said, there may still be some shops using it.
And if you use a lot of lacquer primer,
this is probably an option for you to use.
The next primer that can be applied directly to metal,
is Self Etch primer.
This primer has acid in it,
so if you're using Self Etch primer,
there's no need to use the Conversion Coatings,
or any of those.
You'd apply it directly over the metal.
Self Etch primer provides good adhesion
and corrosion protection.
This type of primer comes in 2K,
where you can spray it with a gun.
It also comes in spray cans, aerosol cans.
The next option we're gonna talk about is Epoxy Primer.
Epoxy provides excellent adhesion,
and it provides corrosion protection.
And this mixes up.
You may pay attention to,
some of these epoxies out there have an induction time,
where you have to mix the two products together,
the primer and the catalyst.
Some have an induction time of 10, 15 minutes,
so be sure and read the technical data sheet,
to see if you have an induction time.
That's where you mix them together,
and they're supposed to set for 15 minutes,
before you pour it in the gun and spray it.
It just gives the chemicals the chance
to interact with each other.
There's a lot of them out there,
a lot of the newer products,
doesn't have an induction time on the Epoxy.
But, anytime that you're spraying Epoxy,
be sure and keep that in mind.
The fourth option that I'm gonna talk about
is Direct to Metal primer.
Now, what this is, it's primer that has some acid in it,
but it can also be a surfacer,
so you can spray it directly to the metal.
You don't need the Conversion Coatings,
you don't need Self Etch, you don't need Epoxy.
You apply it directly to the metal,
and then you can block sand this.
It's a surfacer, as well.
It has some acid in it for the metal,
to provide corrosion protection, and things like that.
You apply this directly to the metal,
and allow it to dry the recommended time,
and you can block sand it.
However, this has been confusing to some people,
because not all primer surfaces,
don't assume that they're all Direct to Metal.
There's a lot of primer surfaces out there,
that you have to apply one of those other three options.
It's not Direct to Metal.
So, make sure that before you apply any primer to metal,
make sure it's one of these four options.
It's either a Direct to Metal primer,
a Self Etch primer, Epoxy,
or these Conversion Coatings that we were talking about.
And for best results, it's really best
to follow one paint system,
whether you're using DuPont, PPG, or whatever it is.
And read you technical data sheets,
and follow those technical data sheets.
Wherever you get your paint from, they should have those.
There's a lot of useful information on it.
Every paint line, they're going to vary a little bit.
Some of them may have certain recommendations,
that vary from another paint line.
So, be sure and read those
if you're not real familiar with the products,
and you don't use them every day.
So, here's a quick question for you,
just to get you thinking for the ASE test.
Technician A says that Metal Conditioner
and Conversion Coating should always be applied
before applying Self Etch or Epoxy.
Technician B says all primer surfaces are designed
to be applied over bare metal.
And of course, both of those are wrong.
Neither Technician A or B are right.
A says that Metal Conditioners and Conversion Coatings
should be applied before applying Self Etch primer,
or Epoxy.
No, it's one of those three options
You don't have to do them all.
And there's been a lot of confusion in that.
People think that you have to put Self Etch,
and then Epoxy.
No, it's one of those systems, that you're gonna use.
Either the coatings, the Self Etch, or the Epoxy.
Like we just mentioned,
not all primer surfaces are Direct to Metal,
so make sure, if that's the system that you're gonna use,
a Direct to Metal,
make sure that that primer is designed
to go straight over bare metal.
Here's one more for you.
Technician A says Metal Conditioner
and Conversion Coating is the most common method
used today for providing corrosion protection and adhesion.
Technician B says the specific technical data sheets
should be read for each product used.
And of course, the correct answer is Technician B.
On the first one we said Technician A
says Metal Conditioners and Conversion Coatings
is the most common method used.
It can be used.
It is an approved method that you can use,
but the primers we have today,
not too many people used that method anymore.
And Technician B is talking about
the technical data sheets, and like I said,
if you don't use these products every day,
if you're not real familiar with them,
be sure and read those technical data sheets
for that paint line's specific recommendations.
It is my goal to keep these videos short,
so that's all we're going to cover in this video.
Just give you little chunks at a time,
let you absorb that, and then you can watch the next video.
Down below is a link to the test prep books that I have,
but also,
there a link that will take you to all these videos,
if you want to go through more than one video at a time,
and take you through the entire playlist.
So, be sure and check that out,
to go through the ones that I've already uploaded,
and as they become available,
they'll also be put on this site as well.
Thanks for watching this video.
I hoped this helps and good luck with your ASE exam.