S P RING 2009
VOL 3 5 7
DuPont ChromaPremier Pro ™
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Easy to apply. Premium look. No compromises.
New Training Center Opens … pg. 12 Schedule Jobs the Profitable Way – with ProfitNet™… pg. 8 Legendary Custom Paint Artist and DuPont™ Hot Hues™… pg. 11
From Start to Refinish
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DUPONT
REFINISHER SUMMER 2009
V O L 357
NE WS
contents 3
Thoughts from Fred Wissemann
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Refinish Focus
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W. Alan McConachie Managing Editor Robert Tambellini Production Manager Marketing Associates Project Management
Spotlight on Greg Porter’s Body Shop & Porter’s Custom Shop in Greenville, South Carolina
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Lisa Liepold Editor
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Refinisher Rules The EPA Implements a New Rule Affecting Body Shops Products & Productivity ChromaPremier® Pro New Products 2310S™ and 2311S™ A-7480S™ A-5099S™
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For questions and comments about DuPont Refinisher News, contact: Email: W-Alan.McConachie-1@usa.dupont.com Or fax: 1-302-892-5693, attention W. Alan McConachie Copyright © 2009 DuPont. All rights reserved. The DuPont Oval Logo, DuPont™, The miracles of science™, DuPont™ Performance Alliance™, ChromaClear®, ColorNet®, MasterTint®, SprayBase®, ChromaSystem™, ChromaBase®, MultiMix™, Cromax® Pro, ProfitNet™, Hot Hues™, VINdicator™, Acquire RX™ / ChromaVision ® and X-Pert™ are registered trademarks or trademarks of DuPont or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Magazine or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher. Address all communications to: DuPont Refinisher News, BMP 21-1126, Wilmington, DE 19805. Printed in U.S.A.
Visit our web site at: www.pc.dupont.com.
Scheduling with ProfitNet™
Only DuPont provides these automotive refinishing products and services:
Industry News
Acquire RX™ / ChromaVision ® Spectrophotometer n Assurance of Quality™ Body Shop Program n Basemaker® Paint Additives n ChromaBase ® Base/Clear System n ChromaBase ® “4 to 1” Refinishing Products n ChromaClear® Clears n ChromaLusion ® Colors n ChromaOne ® Single-Stage System n ChromaPremier® Base / Clear System n ChromaPremier® Pro Primer / Clear System n ChromaPrime ® Primers n ChromaSeal ® Sealers n ChromaSurfacer™ Undercoats n ChromaSystem™ Refinishing Products n ColorNet ® Color Retrieval & Management n Cromax ® Pro Waterborne Basecoat n DuPont™ Performance Alliance™ Marketing & Best Practices n
ASE Technician of the Year Live Green Expo SkillsUSA Regional Contest
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Color Solutions
11
DuPont™ Hot Hues™
12
Training Excellence
8
ColorNet® Color Proofing
Training in Lionville
11
Chicago Training Center Opens
12
DuPont Refinish
A member of DuPont Performance Coatings
FinalFil™ Glazing Filler n Hot Hues™ Custom Finishes n Imron ® Refinishing Systems n Kwik Klean™ Surface Cleaner n Kwik Prep® Metal Conditioner n MasterTint ® Mixing Color n Plas-Stick ® Flexible Finishing Products n Prep-Sol ® Solvent n ProfitNet™ Shop Management System n Sontara ® Surface Preparation n Ultra Productive Refinishing Products n URO ® Primer-Filler n ValueShade ® Hiding System n VariPrime ® Self-Etching Primer n VINdicator™ Color Matching System n X-Pert™ Exact Pouring System n
Let’s not dwell on the negative By Fred Wissemann, DuPont Refinish Brand Manager
T
here’s certainly no shortage of bad news to dwell on lately.
Just turn on your television, check your favorite website or blog and it’s easy to fall into a doom and gloom mindset. But I want to dwell on the positive. Sooner or later things will get better and DuPont Refinish is well positioned to help our customers once the industry recovery inevitably arrives. Point 1: Let’s set the record straight about waterborne basecoat. There’s only one area of the US that needs to move to waterborne basecoat and that is part of the state of California. That’s not expected to change over the next three to five years, when some East Coast states (Ozone Transport Commission) and Great Lakes states (Lake Area Directors Consortium) take a closer look at California’s regulations. They may adopt similar VOC limits for their states. It’s uncertain what will transpire for rest of the US - but it’s very possible that waterborne basecoat will not be part of the equation and today’s solventbased basecoats will still have a lot of life left in them. Whatever happens with tougher VOC regulations, DuPont Refinish is ready when you are to make the switch on your terms. Our Cromax® Pro waterborne basecoat offers significant
productivity advantages in addition to significantly reduced VOC emissions. These features may be appealing when you weigh the pros and cons of switching – because it’s the right thing to do for your business, not because you have to. Point 2: We are committed to the continuous improvement of our solvent borne systems. Our new ChromaPremier® Pro line of primers and clearcoats offers the best balance of productivity and appearance you’ll find anywhere. It will save you money in several ways:
Point 3: We understand the importance of helping you reduce costs. We have significantly improved our color performance with field-verified color matches and popular color positions. That makes it easier to select the best ColorNet® formula and minimize trial and error color mixes that cost you money. We’ve also added some great features to ColorNet® to help you manage costs, control inventory, and estimate Cromax® Pro dry times under various shop conditions. As I like to say, “Nobody does more to help you use less.”
For our current customers, I thank • reduced bake cycles and you for your continued loyalty to energy consumption for the DuPont Refinish. You can count clearcoats on DuPont to be a technology leader. We proudly say that we • reduced labor and material costs from better sanding are a Science Company with a long history of innovation. For primers prospective customers – perhaps • super smooth clearcoats that you will read some things in this issue that will make you curious don’t require polishing before about DuPont. If so, I would love delivery to hear from you. Please drop me • common activators and a note at Frederick.G.Wissemann@ simple mix ratios that help usa.dupont.com or call me at minimize inventory costs 302-992-6637. You can use these new primers and clearcoats with ChromaBase®/ChromaPremier® and with Cromax® Pro. That’s what versatility is all about.
Thank you, Fred Wissemann
There’s more to learn about ChromaPremier® Pro in this issue and I encourage you to learn more.
DuPont Refinisher News
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Refinish Focus
South Carolina Shop Blends Quality People With Quality Products There are several ways to determine the success of a body shop. Size, revenue and the number of spray stations are all common indicators. But for Greg Porter’s Body Shop in Greenville, South Carolina, the most telling sign of success is possibly the most accurate – he doesn’t advertise. The truth is, he doesn’t have to. “My business philosophy is pretty simple,” explained owner Greg Porter. “You tell people you’ll fix their car and make sure they’re completely satisfied. It’s old school, but when you do that, you not only have a customer for life, you get people saying good things about your shop.” Without question, a lot of people are saying a lot of good things. Porter routinely paints close to 45 vehicles per week, which is 90 percent repeat business. All the while, Greg and his crew have achieved a kind of legendary status, not only for high quality collision repair, but for award-winning custom hot rod and muscle car work. Of course, they have a not-so-secret weapon— DuPont Refinish products. Chris Jones mixes DuPont Refinish Products.
“We guarantee our jobs for life,” said Porter. “That says a lot about our work and our trust in DuPont. The products give us the confidence to make this guarantee.” The shop’s loyalty is best explained by co-owner Tony Hamby. “Believe it or not, in my 25-year career I’ve never had a problem with a DuPont product. We basically get zero comebacks, although it helps to have what I consider one of the best painters in the business.”
Hamby is referring to paint technician Chris Jones, who is a big fan of DuPont Refinish ChromaPremier® products. “The base is excellent. It goes on real easy and color matching is great—especially with the camera (ChromaVision® Spectrophotometer) and the VINdicator™ tools. The clear is also top quality. I use the 72500S™ and I love it. The system as a whole offers great productivity. It’s the reason we can paint so many cars.”
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DuPont Refinisher News
Greg Porter, Chuck Orr, Jr. and Tony Hamby
Anyone who spends any amount of time at Greg Porter’s Body Shop will understand what really makes it tick – enthusiasm. Those who work there simply enjoy what they do. Case in point, Greg Porter has a deep passion for custom cars. Located on the same piece of property you’ll find Porter’s Custom Shop. While the shop itself is quite a showplace, it’s much more famous for turning out show cars. “People come from other states to get their cars done,” said Porter. “We currently have a one-year backlog for ‘all over’ custom jobs.” One person who never has to wait is Greg himself, who has built a nice collection of classics. In fact, several of his cars have won prestigious awards, which Greg says are the result of a team effort that includes DuPont Refinish. “The Hot Hues products are incredible,” said Porter. “They spray easy and give you a real candy look.” With highly competent employees and quality DuPont Refinish products, it’s a rare occasion when the shop requires support service. But that doesn’t keep their jobber from stopping by. Tony Hamby sees Finish Master representative Chuck Orr, Jr., up to four times per week. Said Hamby, “We seldom have issues, but if there’s a new product or if we just have a question, Chuck is right on it.” Has DuPont Refinish made a difference for Greg Porter’s Body Shop? According to Hamby, it has. “We’re just an independent shop that wants to be the best. To do this, it takes the best employees and the best products. That’s why we use DuPont.”
The EPA implements
A NEW RULE affecting body shops The Environmental Protection Agency’s National Emission Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants, subpart HHHHHH, has direct impact on collision body shops.
The new rule is most concerned with facilities that:
• Use paint stripping formulations containing methylene chloride (MeCl). (DuPont does not sell any MeCl-containing strippers.) • Apply spray coatings to motor vehicles and mobile equipment. • Apply spray coatings to a plastic and/or metal substrate where the coatings contain compounds of chromium (CR), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni) or cadmium (Cd). (See your DuPont rep for a list of DuPont products that contain these target HAPs.)
WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO DO?
The rule has a number of requirements that will affect the way you do business, including training your painters in EPA-approved techniques and maintenance, installing and operating approved filter technology on all spray booths and stations, and using approved types of guns and other equipment.
In other words, if you’re an automotive collision shop, you’re probably affected.
You must file notification to the EPA that your facility is subject to the standards they’ve set, and when you expect to be in compliance. A sample form can be downloaded from www.epa.gov/collisionrepair/ collision_notification.pdf. New sources (as we’ve described above) must send their initial notification within 180 days of startup, and “existing sources” have until January 11, 2010.
If you’re a new shop – that is, if you began your spray operation after September 17, 2007, you must begin complying immediately.
For more information on the rule, visit www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/area/autobodybs.doc.
If you’re what the EPA calls “an existing source” – which means that you’ve been spraying before that date, you have until January 10, 2011 to comply.
A fact sheet on the rule can be downloaded from www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/psmc_fr_fs121407.pdf. You can download a printable brochure summarizing the rule at www.epa.gov/tnn/atw/area/paint_stripb.pdf. Rules vary with each of the 10 regions across the United States. Check the map and contact your Regional EPA air toxics office. Phone numbers are listed in the rules brochure available at the above web address.
DuPont Refinisher News
5
Products & Productivity
New DuPont™ ChromaPremier ® Pro Line Delivers the Best of Both Worlds: High Productivity & High Appearance
The ChromaPremier® Pro products listed in this article meet National Rule VOC requirements.
DuPont Refinish Offers Two Superior Pastes—For Quicker, Easier Results! DuPont™ 2310S™ Plas-Stick® Cleaning Paste Technicians asked for a preparation paste that simplifies repairing unprimed plastic parts. DuPont Refinish delivered with a cleaning paste that eliminates the need to pre-wipe new plastic parts with plastic cleaning solvent. The result is increased productivity and a simpler process. Plastic prep has never been so easy! Compliant to meet National Rule VOC requirements and compliant in all regions in CA.
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DuPont Refinisher News
DuPont™ 2311S™ Sanding Paste DuPont Refinish is meeting the industry’s need for a sanding paste that combines good scuffing with easy cleanup. 2311S™ Sanding Paste delivers the right level abrasive for preparing blends, yellow color that lets you follow your work, ultra-low VOC and excellent results, even with repairs on light metallic colors. Compliant to meet National Rule VOC requirements and compliant in all regions in CA.
Perhaps the greatest challenge facing today’s collision repair shops is the ability to increase productivity while delivering a beautiful, durable finish. For many shops, this isn’t simply a goal—it’s mandatory. With this in mind, we’re proud to introduce the DuPont™ ChromaPremier® Pro line-up. This new line has been scientifically formulated for fast, easy application—yet it delivers a premium-quality appearance. DuPont Refinish Brand Manager Fred Wissemann couldn’t be more impressed with the new products. “Regardless of the economic climate, DuPont Refinish continues to invest in new product developments to address our customers’ need for a highly productive system,” said Wissemann. “ChromaPremier® Pro allows shops to move more vehicles through with less labor while offering exceptional quality.”
As the next generation of the ChromaPremier® line, DuPont™ ChromaPremier® Pro was specifically designed to help high-volume shops work more efficiently during each stage of the refinish process. Marcel Blais, Product Manager, DuPont Performance Coatings, commented, “The new line represents the latest resin technology from DuPont Refinish, which provides faster cure times, yet it maintains all the appearance attributes of the traditional ChromaPremier® products.” Having the right technology and materials can be a crucial advantage in today’s collision repair market. Made possible through the innovative science of DuPont, the new DuPont™ ChromaPremier® Pro line includes: 33430S™ Productive Primer Filler – All the quality of a high-build primer with the cure speed of a spot primer. “This outstanding primer filler produces great results in a short period of time,” explained Blais. “It can be applied, sanded and ready to topcoat in just 90 minutes.” 74500S™ Productive Clear Coat – Get a fast, easy premium clear appearance with the drying speed of a productive clear. “The finish is fantastic,” said Blais. “Plus, it offers a ‘quick-time-to-assemble’ quality out of the booth.” 74700S™ Productive Express Clear Coat – Reduce fuel consumption and energy costs and increase booth capacity with faster drying times. Blais explained, “This clear applies beautifully and dries quickly without sacrificing performance needed for high-temperature environments.” The DuPont™ ChromaPremier® Pro line also includes one set of convenient, common activators for primer, sealer and clear coat based on temperature conditions. To help speed up the process so painters can spend less time mixing and more time painting, the new line features easy-to-follow mix ratios of 2:1:1 and 4:1:1. For superior color matching, DuPont Refinish ChromaPremier® Basecoat uses advanced DuPont Refinish color science tools to help ensure a fast, accurate color match on every job. “It’s clear we introduced this line to provide shops with the best of both worlds—high productivity and high appearance,” said Fred Wissemann. “That being said, I encourage shops to experience what ChromaPremier® Pro can do with respect to bottom line performance. I’m confident they’ll be more than pleased with the results.”
Aerosols Deliver Productive Quality. DuPont™ A-5099S™ Satin Black— A Must For Every Shop! With reliable color and uniform application, DuPont Refinish A-5099S™ Satin Black offers technicians a fast-drying general purpose semi-gloss coating that’s ideal for detailing. By featuring the correct sheen of semi-gloss black to match most OEM bumpers and moldings, A-5099S™ Satin Black is a “must have” product for every collision repair shop. Compliant to meet National Rule VOC requirements and compliant in all regions in CA.
DuPont™ A-7480S™ Acrylic Trim & Jamb Clear—An Aerosol With Extraordinary Appearance! Designed for cosmetic repairs, A-7480S™ Acrylic Trim & Jamb Clear is an easy to use, ready to spray coating described by detailers as a high build acrylic clear. It also features outstanding application and appearance qualities for a 1K aerosol. Part of the DuPont Refinish family of products that deliver “Productive Quality,” A-7480S™ offers collision repair shops exceptional versatility and value. Compliant to meet National Rule VOC requirements.
DuPont Refinisher News
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Schedule Jobs the Profitable Way – with ProfitNet
™
The phrase “Time is money” couldn’t ring more true than it does during these tough economic times. With pressure from insurance companies to reduce cycle time on every repair job, collision shops are looking for ways to improve efficiency. For a growing number of shops, the solution is ProfitNet™ – a cutting edge computer management system designed specifically to help improve the success of today’s collision repair centers. Tom McGarry, Information Technology Services, DuPont Software Solutions Group, explained, “Shops are achieving their productivity and profitability goals with ProfitNet™ by simply using the scheduling module and then measuring the cycle time between several activities that occur between a vehicle’s arrival and delivery time.” With ProfitNet™, a job can be scheduled to a specific estimator based on his or her availability. Technicians can be scheduled based on their availability and skill set. The cycle time of parts can be improved by managing them through one screen with full knowledge of projected delivery dates. The bottom line? Better efficiency equals better productivity, which improves profitability and customer satisfaction. John Shoemaker, Collision Center Director for Hampton Chevrolet of Hampton, Virginia is a big fan of the ProfitNet™ system. “When the estimate is complete, the scheduler can determine when the particular job will fit and invite the customer to drop off the vehicle on that day. This allows us to bring in a vehicle at the time we can actually start working on it, as opposed to having it sit in our parking lot. This benefits everyone – the insurance company, the customer and the shop.”
DuPont – New Line of Filler Products are a Smooth Success With over 90 years of research and performance excellence in vehicle repair products, DuPont proudly introduces a new line of body fillers. Available only from DuPont Champion Jobbers exclusively, this advanced line includes:
• 311 – Mainstream Lightweight Filler (1 gallon and 3 gallon size) • 313 – Premium Lightweight Filler (1 gallon and 3 gallon size) • 314 – Premium Glaze (24 oz. tube size)
Exceptional Performance Body technicians can count on DuPont lightweight fillers for trouble-free mixing, smooth and easy application and almost effortless sanding. Equally impressive, our fillers fully cure in less than 20 minutes, and specialized adhesion promoters mean they’ll stick to almost anything. “The DuPont premium filler is user-friendly, with excellent performance. It feathers nicely, and sands easily with no pin-holing. More significantly, we were able to eliminate an extra application. This saves both time and money.” – Rick Batchelter, Senior Bodyman, AutoMark Collision Center, Farmington Hills, Michigan
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DuPont Refinisher News
Featuring the same easy-on, easy-off characteristics, the new DuPont premium glaze can quickly and easily take care of minor imperfections. Technicians will also appreciate our formula’s longer than average hang time – for extended workability.
Industry News
DuPont/ASE Name National Technician of the Year Richard Walsh of Green Lake, Wisconsin, has been honored as the DuPont /ASE Refinish Technician of the Year. The award was presented at ASE’s annual Industry Awards Dinner by Scott Diaz, Training Instructor for DuPont and Timothy Zilke, ASE President. Rick Walsh is currently body shop manager at Baird GM in Ripon, Wisconsin. He tells Refinisher News he’s always loved to work on cars. “A ’69 Chevelle I restored has been featured in both Popular Hot Rodding and Super Chevy Magazines.” As for DuPont Refinish products, Rick raves about the versatility of the system. “I can adjust the speed of their clears by the job,” he says. “If you’ve got a job that has to get out fast, it’s dry in two hours.” Rick has 25 years of experience as a technician and has been Baird’s body shop manager for two years.
DuPont Goes “Green” in Duluth
DuPont and Carpaint Sponsor Regional SkillsUSA Competition Twenty-two students from 11 southern Ohio vocational schools met in Centerville, Ohio, to show off their skills in refinishing and collision repair. “Contestants were challenged with both written tests and actual on-the-job situations,” says Les Eder of Carpaint. “Students were given identical panels to work on, each with a scratch in exactly the same area.” Students had four hours to feather out the damage, prime, block, and then refinish and clear coat the panel using DuPont products. Winner in collision repair was Jacob Howald of Springfield-Clark County Career Technical Center, while Ethan Ludwig of Upper Valley Joint Vocational School took home honors in refinishing. “Sponsoring SkillsUSA competitions like this helps ensure that tomorrow’s paint technicians are completely familiar with DuPont products,” says Kurt Smilth, DuPont Brand Specialist. “These competitors get a great feel for our paint and our paint systems.” SkillsUSA is a national organization serving teachers, high school and college students preparing for careers in technical, skilled and service occupations.
DuPont representatives Jim Coyne and Dewey Ledin joined with owners of Arrowhead Auto Body to sponsor a booth at the “Live Green Expo” in Duluth, Minnesota, last September. “When Arrowhead asked if DuPont would help them with Live Green Expo, I said yes immediately,” says Jim Coyne, DuPont Sales Representative. “The shop recently switched to Cromax® Pro waterborne basecoat and I thought it would be an excellent opportunity to promote their launch, along with demonstrating DuPont’s concern for the environment.” “The Expo was a great experience,” says Dewey Ledin, DuPont Brand Specialist. “DuPont is making huge efforts to promote green behavior, and it was fun to share that information with people.” Todd Doyle, owner of Arrowhead Autobody was enthusiastic about the Expo and about Cromax® Pro. “I’m very pleased with our Cormax® Pro launch,” he says. “Our techs are very happy with the new product and to date I can’t find a downside to switching to water.” Arrowhead Autobody is Duluth’s largest collision shop, producing more than 100 vehicles per month. DuPont Refinisher News
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Color Solutions
Want an investment tip?
Try DuPont ColorNet ™
In this tight economy, you can’t afford to waste product. And you certainly can’t afford to paint a vehicle twice because of mismatched color.
and a nearby jobber who did a great job mixing the formulas we phoned in to him. After two weeks, they just loved our color matching.”
That’s why the smart investment is the ColorNet® system.
Richard Fey, District Sales Manager for FinishMaster in Houston, Texas, is equally excited about the system. “In the last 10 working days we’ve painted around 240 cars with only two minor color issues which were fixed immediately. My entire team is literally in a state of awe over the system.”
Collision shops that rely on ColorNet® Color Proofing understand that simple fan decks just aren’t reliable, and can often lead to costly mistakes. There are too many variations in paint manufacturers’ formulas, differences in equipment from one OEM plant to another and too many chances to over pour (even a single gram in tint one way or the other can make a big difference in the final outcome). ColorNet® works with other DuPont color tools to make it fast and easy to create a blendable match. The system starts with VINdicator™, to retrieve the vehicle’s color formula. Then the painter captures a sample of the paint by using either an Acquire RX™ or ChromaVision® camera. The samples appear side-by-side on the computer screen. The advanced system tools let the painter view blending options -- and see how closely the formula matches the actual color before they do any mixing. “The ColorNet® software actually tints for the painter,” says Dan Benton, DPC Color Marketing Manager. “So there’s a real savings of time and a more accurate blend.” So accurate, in fact, that you don’t even need a mixing machine, according to Kent Wilson, DuPont Brand Specialist. “We did a two week demo using ChromaPremier® at an independent body shop in Lapeer, Michigan,” he says. “They thought we were joking when we showed up at the demo with no mixing machine. We just had a ChromaVIsion® camera, Color Proofing
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DuPont Refinisher News
The final step in the system is the ease and accuracy of X-Pert™ color pouring. X-Pert™ delivers an exact pour every time, saving material and money that’s wasted on overpours. And research shows that some 60% of manual pours have some degree of error – tough to swallow in a tough economy. “The X-Pert™ system can pay for itself,” says Dan Benton. “A customer in Chicago with five collision centers actually saved almost twice as many dollars as their investment in the ColorNet® system.” What do collision shops themselves say about the ColorNet® system? Take it from Jeff Emmons, Body Shop Manager at Jeffrey Acura, Honda, Buick, Nissan in Roseville, Michigan. “We’re using a lot less material now that we’ve switched to the ColorNet® system and Dupont™ Cromax® Pro. Our painters used to apply three to four coats -- now they’re using about one and a half.” And Jeff says their savings don’t end there. “We spend less time in the booth, and use less fuel in heating. “The ColorNet® Color Proofing system seems almost too good to be true,” Jeff says. But he’s quick to add, “It is true.” For a sound investment in today’s economy, it pays to take stock of ColorNet® Color Proofing.
Training Excellence
Legendary Custom Paint Artist Puts
Hot Hues in a Class by Itself ™
With an ultra-vivid, high performance line of basecoat colors, candy colors and pin striping products, DuPont™ Hot Hues™ is one of the hottest brands in the custom paint industry. With four Top Gun/Hot Hues™ awards, numerous “how-to” articles in trade magazines and legendary status as a custom airbrush artist, Paul Quinn is also among the industry’s hottest names. On April 7th & 8th, DuPont put these two icons together at the Lionville Training Center in Pennsylvania—offering a glimpse into the world of a top custom painter using Hot Hues™ Custom Finishes. Inviting Paul Quinn to instruct a course that featured Hot Hues™ made perfect sense. “I really enjoy working with Hot Hues™ products because they’re user-friendly and very flexible as far as what you can do with them,” explained Quinn. “This plays an important role in regard to teaching this art form.” During the two-day course, Quinn taught basic elements of custom airbrushing and pin striping by using a variety of hands-on exercises and techniques. His students included jobbers, body shop mangers, painters and custom painting enthusiasts who simply wanted to take their hobby to the next level.
learned on day two. So I want to stay fresh. But it’s also about staying fresh with the products, which is what I like about DuPont. Plus, the fact that Paul Quinn uses Hot Hues™ says a lot. You know he’ll only use what works best.” When Quinn isn’t teaching the occasional class, he’s hard at work running Design Brilliance, a custom painting company he started 20 years ago. While the majority of his work is vehicle related, which includes truck lettering in addition to car and motorcycle jobs, he creates a fair amount of custom artwork. “I do a lot of murals and basically anything a person might want airbrushed. It’s always something different.” One thing that hasn’t changed for Quinn is his brand of paint. “I’ve always used DuPont products. I’m loyal to Hot Hues™ because they have phenomenal colors and the stability is great, meaning there are never issues with failures in midprocess. This is important to those who do this for a living.” Not all of Quinn’s students aspired to use their training in the professional ranks. Michael Burton, who works as a corrections officer for the State of Maryland, sees air brushing as a hobby. “Right now it’s something I do in my leisure time. But when I retire in 12 years, I hope to make it a second career,” explained Burton. “I’m definitely a beginner, but this class has really elevated my confidence. I’ve learned to do things I couldn’t imagine doing a week ago. It’s just amazing. I have a great deal of appreciation for DuPont. There was never an issue with me being an amateur. Their concern is teaching this art form to anyone who has the passion.”
“The course provided exactly what I needed,” said Gregory Thorn, store manager for Mattos Pro Finishes of Temple Hills, Maryland. “There are quite a few custom shops in my area and I sell a lot of Hot Hues™ colors and candies. For this reason, I wanted to increase my knowledge of the air brushing and pin striping art forms. Now, instead of asking someone else to answer a customer question, I can pretty much handle it myself. In fact, one of my course projects, my ‘Window to the Universe,’ is going up in the store – with great pride!” For Gary Huss, a body shop manager for Fitzgerald Auto Mall in Rockville, Maryland, the training served as a refresher course. He commented, “Although I’m a manager, I do some custom work now and then as needed. Every year, new designs, colors and techniques hit the streets, like the ‘real flames’ we
Toward the end of the class, Paul Quinn gave his students the following words of wisdom: “The work you can do with air brushing or pin striping is basically limited to your imagination.” When asked to expand on this statement, Quinn replied, “Certain aspects of custom painting can be achieved by simply knowing your products and using them to master certain techniques. And this is the beauty of Hot Hues™. I’m talking about a variety of colors that are not your standard automotive colors, or candy colors which allow you to do things like transparent techniques—creating ‘real fire’ by layering. It’s similar to an artist who does oil paintings. He doesn’t paint with one brush, he paints with many. The same is true with Hot Hues™. More than just a line of products, it provides the artist with a set of tools. And what more could you want from a line of paint?”
DuPont Refinisher News
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Training Excellence New DuPont Training Center Opens The new DuPont Refinish Systems Training Center opened in January, and its trainers haven’t had a chance to come up for air since then. “We’ve been running at capacity and even above capacity,” says David Helms, Senior Training Instructor at the facility. “Painters have come to us from as far away as Utah, Connecticut and Florida.” The Center, located not far from Chicago, in Itasca, Illinois, features three classrooms and 12,000 feet of shop training area. Equipment includes two down draft paint booths, two prep decks and four mixing rooms. “Class size is usually 16 students,” David says. “But, as I say, on occasion they’ve been larger. Training can run two to three days, depending on the curriculum.”
Student painters have come from the far west because the DuPont Pomona, California Training Center specializes in waterborne instruction. If a painter in Utah wants to learn the DuPont solvent-based system, he has to travel east. “We teach both waterborne and solvent systems,” David says. “With a ratio of about 60-40 in favor of waterborne. There’s a real thirst for that training.” For information on enrolling your painters in a class at DuPont’s Itasca Center, telephone 630-250-3200. The Itasca Center brings the total to five DuPont Training Centers. Besides Itasca and Pomona, the others are located in Plymouth, Michigan; Atlanta, Georgia and Lionville, Pennsylvania.
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