Several weeks ago I received a packet from I-CAR stating that they are changing their curriculum structure for schools.   We’ve already bought the I-CAR curriculum for the school and purchase I-CAR cd’s for the students.  However, according to a letter in this packet I-CAR is going to start charging an annual fee to use their curriculum.  The packet also included an invoice that is due April 30, 2012.  From what I understand after reading the packet, if we do not pay the annual fee this month, we are no longer eligible to use I-CAR curriculum or provide I-CAR points.

My question is about the students that have been using the I-CAR curriculum for the past two years.  Since the invoice is due April 30 and the students graduate in May, are they eligible to claim the I-CAR points they have already tested for?  I could not find where the packet addressed this.  If it did, I missed it and need clarification.

As many schools I’m sure, we do not have an extra $900 this time of year.  In fact, there was no way to budget for this as I did not know about the annual fee until I received the packet earlier this month.  I am assuming the students that have already been using the curriculum can still get their points, but I cannot confirm this with I-CAR to make certain.  I certainly do not want to provide false information to the students.

I wanted to post this and reach out to other collision repair instructors who read the CollisionBlast.  I am hoping one of you may know the answer or have been able to contact I-CAR regarding this matter.  I have sent several e-mails and left voicemails, but have not had any response from I-CAR.

So here is my question once again, the invoice is due April 30.  We are not going to pay the annual fee this budget year.  Are the students graduating next month going to be able to receive the I-CAR points?  If you know the answer to this, please comment below are e-mail Donnie at asmith73@butlercc.edu

We’ve been busy at the collision repair program at Butler trying to complete all of the projects be schools ends in May.  However, we did manage to catch a few clips of what we do in the program.

Click here to view the embedded video.

If you are interested in a career in collision repair now is the time to get enrolled.  Many colleges are enrolling for Fall 2012.  There are many community colleges and technical schools that have excellent collision repair programs to consider.  However, these types of programs fill up fast.

We tried the new PPG DC 2000 Ultra Velocity clear coat to see how it works.  Brandon, a BCC collision repair student, was at the last minute trying to get his Blazer completed before we took our Christmas break.  Lucky for us, out paint suppliers had dropped off a quart of a new fast dry clear coat for us to try.

Click here to view the embedded video.

With little time left we decided to give the new clear coat a try.  The technical data sheet stated that the clear coat should be dry and ready to buff in 20 to 30 minutes without heat.  To apply the clear coat, spray two full wet coats without flash time between coats.  We sprayed the two coats as stated on the TDS, waited 30 minuted and tested a small spot to see if we could really sand and buff the clear.   The small spot sanded and buffed fine.

We allowed it to dry a little longer for handling, then we carefully installed the parts and Brandon drove his Blazer home.

The clear coat is great for one or two parts.  However, it is not designed for larger jobs or completes.  So if you have a last minute part that you need to get painted, then you may want to give this clear coat a try.

Welding automotive structural parts is becoming a bigger concern in the automotive industry, as there are many different types of steel being used to manufacture cars.  The techniques we’ve used for years are not going to work for many of the modern day vehicles. 

 What was once mild steel is now being replaced with hid strength steel, ultra high strength steel, boron, aluminum, and composites.  The problems with welding some of these types of steels is overheating and destroying the strength of the steels, which could result in a unsafe car.

 We’ve been discussing how to weld structural parts, such as lower and upper frame rails in class.  While teaching the class, I found an excellent video discussing MIG brazing.  MIG brazing is one of the solutions and recommendations to welding some of these steels, but only if  performed properly.  MIG brazing may still overheat and destroy the metal if too much heat is used.

 In this video, State Farm is interviewing an I-CAR instructor at SEMA 2011.  By watching the video, you will learn about the concerns of automotive welding.  The car in the video has  color coded parts, which will give you a visual of the different steels used to manufacture a vehicle. 

 As you can see from the video, vehicle designs are changing and the repair methods to repair them are changing as well.  Proper training, such as I-CAR is a must if you plan on working on today’s car.

 The online training I-Car was referring to can be found at www.CollisionBlast.com/I-CarOnlineTraining I-CAR estimates the training to take about 1 hour and you will receive .25 points after successfully passing the MIG brazing test. 

 If you just want to learn the basics to MIG welding and the different types of welds using in auto body welding, I have a Kindle book available at Amazon.  However, this is the basics to welding mild steel.  It does not cover welding structural parts or MIG brazing mentioned in this post.  This book can be found at www.CollisionBlast.com/AutoBodyWelding

Join our newsletter so you will not miss our updates.  Simply look at the upper right side of this website and provide your first name and e-mail address.

Last week a big shipment arrived at the collision repair program at Butler Community College.  It was a new vacuum system for the collision repair program.  I know, a vacuum does not sound like much to rave about, but this piece of equipment is going to provide a much cleaner and safer learning environment for the students. 

 The Eurovac vacuum system will be placed in our one of our storage areas and hose drops will be ran and installed at each work station.  This will allow the students to connect an air hose and vacuum line to the tools being used.  With all the sanding of paints and fillers and grinding we do, this is going to eliminate much of the dust and dirt in the shop.  Not only will this provide a cleaner shop, it will also help produce cleaner paint jobs. 

 We’re excited to get this hooked up and start using it and to be teaching green technology.  One of the first steps towards teaching green technology was when we started using Aquabase paint last year ago.  This is a waterborne paint system owned by PPG.  Waterborne paint produces less volatile organic compounds (VOC).  VOC’s is what ends up polluting our environment and is what the EPA is concerned about.

 A greener training facility is awesome, but the color matches waterborne paint has is amazing.  The color matches have been more accurate, which requires less time tinting and/or blending paint.  The Aquabase system also eliminates the need for a paint mixing system that agitates the paint, which saves time. 

 With or without the green factor, it has been a positive experience moving this direction.  Less dust flying around cleaner paint jobs, and better paint matches is what I see beneficial.  A cleaner and safer learning environment is an added bonus for teaching green technology.

Click here to view the embedded video.

In this video, you will see a few of the things the students at Butler are learning how to do.  It is hard to find time to take photos and video clips of every job, but this will give you an idea of what we do.

Students are doing everything from spot jobs to complete paint jobs. We recently replaced a bedside on a Chevy pick-up.  This is the process of removing the bed from the frame, cutting the welded side panel off, and installing a new side panel using adhesives and welding.

We are also learning how to perform smaller repairs and blending paint.  Blending paint is the process of fading the new color into the existing color.  When perfected, this process will produce an invisible repair.

Body repair, plastic repair, welding, priming, blocking, masking, painting and clear coat is a few of the things we are learning on a daily basis in the program.

For more information at the Butler Collision Repair program visit: http://CollisionBlast.com/BCRN

We are discussing color theory in class today. I found this video that does a good job of explaining the color theory process.

The video hits on the things we need to know when tinting automotive paint. By understanding the color wheel, you will be able to mix and match automotive paint much easier.

In this ABRN HOW2 video tutorial, Chandler from Butler Community College demonstrates how to repair small dents using glazing putty.

I visited the 3M lab in St. Paul this summer and they gave me a few tips when using this method to repair small damage.  First of all, this is only for small dents, such as small hail damage.  The second thing they mentioned was not to sand through the clear coat.  If the damage requires sanding through the clear coat, you’re better off just taking it to metal and using body filler.  The reason is because the glaze may soften the paint edge, which may result in lifting the paint slightly.  This problem is confused with shrinkage of the glaze coat many times, as it can produce similar effects. 

Other than that, just watch the video to follow the step-by-step process. 

We were discussing the different types of materials auto manufactures are using to design vehicles.  One of the metals is magnesium.  This metal is lightweight and strong, but extra precautions should be taken when welding around it.  Magnesium will ignite producing an bright explosion and is very difficult to put out once burning.  I have have never seen it, but I have heard of vehicles burning to the ground due to someone welding too close to magnesium.  This is something you do not what to happen to you as a technician.  Check out these videos and I think you will remember to be cautious around magnesium.

Car Fire  - What Happens When Water Hits Magnesium

Click here to view the embedded video.

Dry Ice Experiment – Magnesium Burns 

Click here to view the embedded video.

What Not To Do!!!

Click here to view the embedded video.

We are still discussing vehicle construction in class.  I found a few videos that give good visuals of how and where different steels are used on a vehicle.  The videos are produced by Ford and they promote Ford.  I am not trying to convince you of how well Ford’s are built, but I think you will agree the videos do a good job of demonstrating the steels. 

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Here is another video of how a Chevrolet Corvette aluminum frame rails are formed.  Again, not endorcing Chevrolet, but a good video, check it out!

Click here to view the embedded video.

We are discussing vehicle construction in class and found these videos that demonstrate how some cars are laser welded from the manufacure.  It is amazing how fast these are being welded using these machines.  Take a minute to watch the videos below.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Here is another video of a vehicle being spot welded from the manufacture. 

Click here to view the embedded video.

This type of welding does not use any filler material when welded, which does not add any weight to the vehicle.  In the collision repair industry, we use a smaller version of a spot welding machine to reporduce these spot welds, or drill 8mm hole to produce a plug weld using a MIG welding machine.  This is the process of drilling the 8mm hole, placing the two pieces (or more) of metal being welded together, claming the metal secure, and filling in the hole with the MIG welder.  This fuses the two pieces of metal together.  Once welded, the plug weld can be ground smooth and prepared for paint. 

3M Perfect-it Denibbing

by Donnie

The First Day Brings Signs of a Great School Year

Classes started today at Butler Community College.  I was well pleased with the new students I met in the collision repair program.  I believe I am going to have a productive group of students this year.  It is going to be interesting to see what talents and abilities discovered while they are in the collision repair program.

More Signs It’s Going To Be A Great Year 

A box was delivered to us today.  Inside the box was 3M’s new Perfect-It Denibbing System.  I would like to give 3M a big thanks for providing our school with their new and innovative system.  The new denibbing system total changes the way the collision repair industry buffs vehicle finishes.  We have not had the opportunity to try it yet, but we’ll let you know how it works and how we like it soon.

I appreciate companies like 3M that help support education and the technicians of tomorrow.  It’s companies like this that help produce the champions in the collision repair industry.

Enthusiastic students and new equipment is a great way to start the school year off with.  Check back as we’ll keep you posted on how the rest of the year progresses.

To read more posts by Butler’s Collision Repair Program visit http://CollisionBlast.com/BCRN 

Below is a video that demonstrates how the denib system works.  3M Denibbing System Brochure

Click here to view the embedded video.

Regular Butler classes start August 22, so enjoy the last few weeks of summer break.  However, classes have already started for some of us.  I teach a college orientation class before school starts to allow the technical student to get that out of the way before regular session start.  I am teaching that his week, I have in-service next week…then it’s time to kick the new school year off. 

The collision repair program will start off with a full class, which is a good sign we’re off to a good start.  I met a few of the students in orientation class yesterday.  I would like to welcome the rest of you to Butler and to the collision repair program. 

There have been a lot of questions from students about tools this year.  If you have already purchased them, that is fine, if not, we will cover that during the first few days of class.  It is not necessary necessary to have them the first day of class.  I was also asked about textbooks.  We do not require you to purchase a textbook.  We use I-CAR CD’s, which is included in your tuition.  The same with shirts, this fee is included in your tuition as well. 

If you have any other questions before school starts, feel free to contact me at asmith73@butlercc.edu

Enjoy the rest of your summer break and I will see you all in a few weeks.

Visit our class blog at http://CollisionBlast.com/BCRN

Click here to view the embedded video.

In this video tutorial we are going to show you how to paint stripes on a car. This is basically a two-tone with a stripe in the middle. There are several different ways to achieve this, but this is one of the easier ways in my opinion.

The thing you must be careful when using this method is colors that are going to be painted on top of the color underneath. If the top colors are translucent (colors with little pigment or color) will not hide the underlying color. You may still be able to see a hint of the base color. Paints with high metallic, such as silvers, blues, etc. are the colors to be concerned about.

On this car in the video, the color red was a high hiding color, so we painted straight over the dark purple. However, the top color being silver, we mixed a high pigment color the same shade as the sealer a sprayed a coat where the overspray from the other colors on the car. This eliminated the issue of the silver not completely hiding or covering the darker colors underneath.

I wanted to expand on that issue. The rest is explained in the video.

Troy Trepanier

Troy Trepainer

I had the opportunity to meet and take this photo with Troy Trepanier.  Troy is the owner of a well known and famous custom car  design/fabrication shop called, “Rad Rides By Troy.”

We are going to learn more about how Troy and a few others got started in this industry, and how their collision repair training led them to a career pathway in welding/fabricating.

Jessi Combs

Jessi attended WyoTech’s collision repair program.  While there she participated in an Overhalin’ show with Chip Foose and his A Team.  After completing her training, Jessi became the well know host on on the television show, “Extreme 4×4″ on PowerBlock.  Jessi has also appeared on Myth Busters.  Jessi used her skills to weld and fabricate custom 4×4′s, which she does a great job.

Bryan Fuller

Bryan Fuller has a lot of history in the hotrod industry.  After attending a collision repair trade school, he has became a well known fabricator.  Bryan has worked for Chip Foose, appeared on the television show, Overhaulin, Rides, Biker Build Off, and is currently on the television show, Two Guys Garage.

In the video below you will learn more about these three individuals, how they got started, and what their training led to.

Click here to view the embedded video.

If you are interested in a career in collision repair and would like to learn about what this career pathway has to offer you, then I invite you to visit TeachMeHow.info.  There you will find 3 selection, DIY How-To, Careers, and New Products.  Simply click the second choice, careers and you will receive information about pursuing a career in collision repair.

The Class of 2011

We have been extremely busy since we returned from Christmas break.  In fact, I cannot believe that this school year is already over…..that was fast.  Not only were we busy completing projects, but the students has been busy testing the past few days.  First, we require the students to retake I-CAR exams at the end of the program in order for them to earn I-CAR points.  I am glad to announce that many of the students passed the tests and will be considered I-CAR Gold Class designation. 

ASE End of Program Tests – I am also proud to announce our ASE – NA3SA end of program test results.  We are required to take an end of year program test with the new Kansas curriculum alignment.  This was my first year to offer this test so I did not know for sure what to expect.  I just got the results and I am excited to announce we had a 100% pass ratio on the tests taken.  KUDOS to the students for a job well done!

What It’s All About - It is a tough job market in the Wichita area right now.  With the economy and the aviation layoffs, jobs are not easy to find.  However, we still have students connecting with employers and going to work.

Ryan Taylor – Ryan has worked for Parks Motors in Augusta, KS while attending the collision repair program.  Upon graduating, he has been promoted to the dealerships body shop where he will start working as a collision repair technician. 

Nate Ward – Nate visited several places, but did not find anyone who was ready to hire a technician.  However, he was offered a job with Davis-Moore dealership as a car salesman.  Nate decided to accept the offer and to get his foot in the door.  Who knows, he may decide that selling cars is a good fit for him. 

David Swanson – David has accepted a job offer at Bullseye Collision Center & Sales in Haysville, Kansas.  I believe that this shop offers auto body repair and paint services and paintless dent removal. 

Several of the students are going to continue their education.  James Byers plans to enroll in Automotive Technology or work on his general education next fall.  Richard Parker is enrolled in Butler’s Welding program.  I look forward to hearing from more students about their new career journey as they enter the  collision repair industry. 

Not every student takes this program to enter a collision repair career.  However, I wish all of the 2011 Butler Collision Repair students a successful future…..with whatever path they take. 

Congratulations to the class of 2010:

Rigo Alvarado – Michael Beckman – James Byers – Jeremy Griswold – Jason Gulick – Richard Parker – Ryan Pentico – Ryan Pracht – Joe Savoy – Sam Smith – Doug Stephens – David Swanson – Ryan Taylor – Nathan Ward

One last thanks – I would like to give Richard Parker a special thanks for nominating me for the Outstanding Instructor Award–Thanks Richard

Have you ever had to remove a body side molding to perform a repair and reuse the molding? Without this molding prep system, this can be extremely time consuming. I remember when I used to rub sores on my thumbs and everything else trying to get the tape off and get it clean so I could apply double sided tape. If you remember those days, then I know you appreciate the things that we have to help us out, such as this molding prep system. I wish there were things like this and the heat inductor when I was a technician. If you still do not have either of these than I suggest getting them, as they are huge time savers and will make your life much easier. With the heat inductor, you can heat the molding area up and the molding will peel off easy with all of the tape on the molding, not the door. Then dip the molding in the molding prep for a few days and then simply scrape the molding with a razor blade. Wash the molding and your ready to apply more double sided tape and install it back onto the repaired panel.

If you found this ABRN HOW2 tutorial helpful, please share it with your friends. Thank!

One way to eliminate the amount of compounds and polishes from getting in unwanted areas is to mask if off. For example, applying masking tape over the body gaps and around moldings. However, compound still tends to find its way to some of the unwanted areas. For whatever reason compounds or there, we need a way to clean it.

We discovered that a cheap detail brush, as in the video, does an excellent job. The brush and a little soap and water will have the moldings and crack clean with a little effort.

Once clean, you can use a little dressing to give molding a brand new look. However, if you do not clean the moldings before applying the dressing, it will not look good for long. The dry chalking look will reappear.

This is just a simple tip, but very effective.

If you liked this tip, be sure to give it a thumbs up. You can also be a resource by sharing this how-to tutorial with your friends on Facebook and Twitter.

Change!  That can be a difficult word for most of us.  I still remember the big fuss when HVLP spray guns were introduced to the industry.   Do you remember that?  In fact, I remember hearing painters claim that they would leave the industry before they made the switch.  Well years later, I would not trade my Iwata Super Nova for any other gun…..not even the Binks #7.  That’s right, you were not considered a real painter without a Binks #7.  Time have changed and we’ve all adjusted fine.

Another example is computers.  Switching to the Windows system was a big deal.  A new system to learn, which was completely different than the old DOS systems.  We had to use the stupid mouse.  I had some coworker that become very upset when this switch took place.  Long story short, who is willing to go back to the old system?  I must admit that I thought email had to be the most stupid idea that I had ever heard of….I mean, why not just call the person that you’re trying to reach?  After using email, I have became a huge advocate of email.  Heck, I am to the point that I would rather email or text someone than to call them.  I know, we’re losing the social connection, but it sure saves a lot of time in this busy society we live in.

Get To The Point
All right, this is supposed to be about adopting to waterborne paint so I will start talking paint.  Change is scary to us, but many times it is not that big of a deal.  I am not saying that all change is good, but this is not the case with waterborne paint.  After we decided to make the change at our school, we wondered why we didn’t make the change a long time ago.  There are a few things that I don’t like about it, which I will go over in a minute, but for the most part, we love it.

Pros and Cons
Have you ever been to the doctor and they suggested that you should be on a medication?  I am sure that you heard, we believe that the benefits of this medication will out way the side effect….kinda scary huh?  Have you ever watched one of those drug commercials on television?  I think I may take my chances by not taking the medicine after hearing all of the possible side effects.  Anyway, we need to approach change the same way.  We need to determine if the pros will out weigh the cons.

So here are the things that I do not like about the new PPG Nexa Autocolor waterborne paint system.  1) I find the variant deck system to be confusing.  There have been times that I could not find the number to section that the colors were in.  I prefer looking the variant deck by make of vehicle like the PPG solvent system uses.  2) I know that this is not the correct way to color match, but I used to use the “hold the paint stick up to the car to determine if the color is a bendable match.  You’re not going to do that with waterborne.  This paint does not match until it dries.  In fact, it may change colors several time as it dries.  You’ll think there is no way that it is going to match, but when it dries it looks good.  Then once clear coated…A good match!

The pros!  1) The color matches (once completed) are excellent.  We are have much better results with our color matches.  2) Don’t have to worry about a mixing system.  Honestly, we did not agitate the solvent paint the way it was supposed to be.  I think that you were supposed to mix it several times per day for 15 minutes and right before mixing paint.  We tired to do that, but some of those hectic day made it difficult to ensure that was all of that done correctly.  This new system does not even take agitation lids.  A few hand swishes and pour.  3) I guess that I will use that fact that it produces lower VOCs as a benefit, but I would still prefer it over solvent now.  4) The paint tends to lay down better.  The students have not had any tiger stripes or mottling and blends are so much easier to make.

I am sure that there are a lot more pros and cons to the paint, but we have only been using it for about three months.  I keep waiting for something to go wrong, like lifting or something, but I have not seen it yet.  As we become more familiar with it we’ll tell you more.

If you are considering switching to waterborne I would not be scared of it.  I heard all of the same horror stories as you did when waterborne was introduced, but I yet to come across any problems.  I am not familiar with other brands, but PPG’s waterborne paint rocks and the students love it.

Learn more about the collision repair program at Butler by visiting BCRN.

Do you have a waterborne story or helpful tips.  Leave us a comment and tell us about it.

In this video, Krys Geltz at Butler Community College demonstrates how to airbrush realistic style ghost flames. Krys layering the flames with a translucent white. This is white mixed with clear base to produce the desired opacity to create the ghost effect. Each layer of flames offset each other, which gives it the realistic effect.

This demonstration was performed using stencils. With practice, you should be able to airbrush realistic flames as well. Check back, as we will post other and advanced airbrushing videos.

If you like the video, be sure to give us a thumbs up:)

==============================

Learn How To Airbrush with lessons from masters whose livelihood depended on their airbrush skills.

Start Using Your Airbrush Today!

“Learning How to Airbrush?”

13 Step-by-Step Airbrush Lessons Guaranteed to Improve Your Skill

Are you an aspiring airbrush artist? If you’ve spent any time working with an airbrush I’m sure you’re familiar how difficult it is to master, not to mention the expense… Don’t learn from trial and error. Save yourself time and money by learning proven techniques correctly to propel your skills to the next level.

Take 5 Years Off Your Learning Curve!

Too many people buy expensive airbrush equipment with all the best intentions of using it, then get frustrated with the lack of information for beginners and put all that expensive stuff in the closet to gather dust. Most books and information available on the market today assume that you are either already an established airbrush artist or only gives you the most basic information about how to set up your new equipment.

Classic Airbrush Techniques starts from the beginning and goes all the way to professional techniques, laying out detailed airbrush lessons that guide through exactly what you need to do to get to the next level.

We have obtained the rights to resell these classic airbrush lessons once again to the public, after being “lost” for decades. Written by professional airbrush artists of the 1950s who used the airbrush to produce professional work the way many people use computer graphics programs today.

You get 13 lessons packed with valuable information that will reduce your learning curve by years.

You will receive specific instructions and printable line drawings to complete paintings such as these…

Lesson 2 – Shading 3-D Objects

Lesson 4 – Light Source

Lesson 6 – Flat and Curved Surfaces

Lesson 7 – Machine Nut

Lesson 11 – Skin Tones

Lesson 12 – Combining Effects

You will learn all the classic airbrush information that is just as relevant today.

• Control your airbrush
• Rendering 3 dimensional objects
• Control of tones
• Lighting Effects
• Greater confidence in ability to control the airbrush
• Chrome effects
• Commercial Illustration
• Production Illustration
• Architectural Illustration

And best of all, these guys did it before there was the huge commercial market for hobbyists, so you will learn how to do things “the old fashioned way” saving a ton of money on new gimmicky products.

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO GET STARTED IMMEDIATELY, CLICK HERE

So what is the big deal about waterborne paint? This was the question that I asked myself when water borne paint first started being discussed. There have been a lot of changes in the way people perceive waterborne, but the reason for the switch remains the same, which is VOC (volatile organic compound.)

Most base coats (the color) do not contain a catalyst. The catalyst is what contains the isocyanates, which is the hazardous material that causes many health problems. Therefore, why switch to waterborne, if the base coat does not contain isocyanates? The base coat is the only product with the big push. I think that PPG is working on primers and clears, but as of now, they are going to continue to be solvent based in the US.

I am not sure about every brand of paint, but PPGs base coat reduces 1:1, which is 100%. This means that at least half of the material that you spray onto the surface is going to evaporate. The material that evaporates is the VOCs and that is what the EPA is concerned about.

Primers and clears are catalyzed, but they are high solids. Most primer surfacers and clear coats are not reduced, which results in less solvent resulting in less VOCs. More of the high solid products stay on the surface being sprayed. With this in mind, I now understand their point-of-view and why paint companies are targeting the base coat first. To lower VOCs!

We’ve recently switch to using waterborne at Butler Community College to take another step towards green and to provide a safer cleaner working environment for our students.  It is a little different.  It requires a 75% overlap as opposed to the solvent 50% overlap.  The paint will also scare you at first because the paint changes all different colors after sprayed.  About the time you think the color is not going to match, it dries to the correct color.  Other than that, we have not come across any unusual problems. 

 Check back as we will continue to write more about waterborne paint and share our results with you.

Click here to view the embedded video.

In this video, David and Ryan, collision repair students demonstrate how to perform a butt weld.  This weld type is used when the weld area will be visible, such as sectioning a quarter panel.  The welded area is ground smooth then fiberglass filler is applied to seal the weld.  The sectioned area is finished with body filler, primer and paint.  When completed, the welded area should not be visible.

A butt weld may also use a backing plate, which is a piece of metal place behind metal being welded.  Be sure to check back often to see what we’re up to in the collision repair program.  For more Butler posts visit http://www.collisionblast.com/author/butler-bcrn/

Click here to view the embedded video.

Starting The New Semester With New Primer Gun and Waterborne Paint

Click here to view the embedded video.

 Student Spraying The Accuspray Primer Gun For The First Time

We have a few new things to learn in the collision repair program at Butler this semester.  We purchased one of the new Accuspray primer guns and used it for the first time today.  We have also started playing around with the new PPG waterborne paint.  It’s a little different and has a different smell, but it supposed to produce better color matches, faster production time, and cleaner working environment for the students. 

We’ll write more about waterborne as we become more familiar with it.

We’ve been busy in the collision repair program this semester, but we do have a few photos that we put in a video to wish you a happy holiday season. We’ll take the needed break and be back next semester ready to hit it hard again….Then before you know it, another class will be graduating in May. As you will be able to see in the video, there is a lot of activity and hands-on going on, so I feel confident that they will be ready to enter the shops and continue their training and career journey.

As mentioned in the video, they say a picture is worth a thousand words. Therefore, Butler has a lot of words to wish you a Happy Holiday Season. Check back from time-to-time, as we will posting Butler updates about our collision repair program. We have a lot of exciting thing coming up nest semester.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM BUTLER

  Butler Collision Repair Network
Everything is ready to start spraying waterborne paint at the collision repair program at Butler Community College.  Earlier this year the mixing bank and paint were added, but our PPG computer system was outdated and did not support the new waterborne paint.  Therefore, PPG ordered us a new touch screen computer system, which came in this week.  PPG and Car Color showed up and installed the new system. 

Thanks To PPG
Now we have another method to teach green technology.  The waterborne paint provides a cleaner and safer working environment for the students and for the earth too.  It’s going to be an exciting adventure to make this transition and start spraying the new auto paints.   KUDOS to PPG for investing in the auto collsion technicians of tomorrow. 

The Computer System
We are excited about the new computer system as well.  Now our scale is hooked up to our touch screen computer system, which provides many benefits.  This will allow the students to mix paints, primers, clear coats, etc. on the scale without measure cups.  The system has all of the products in it that can be entered, which will provide the exact amount of material needed for each product.  This will allow us to mix smaller quantities of material, which will save the school money.  Another awesome feature that the new system has is the ability to recalculate the paint formula is the student accidentally over pour a paint tint when mixing.  In the past, we did not have the ability to do this, which may have resulted in a miss-match color. 

More to ComeWe have a lot more exciting things happening here at Butler so check back to learn more.  We’ll keep you updated on the waterborne paint training as well as other things going in our program.  Stay connected with us by visiting our profile on Collision Blast.  Visit http://www.collisionblast.com/author/butler-bcrn/

ABRN and Butler Community College have partnered together to bring you the ABRN HOW2 tips.  In this student led video Kevin and Todd, BCC students,  demonstrate how to perform a stitch weld and triggering technique.  This technique is used to prevent the metal from overheating, which is a concern in the automotive industry.  Overheating can result in warping or weakening certain types of metal. 

Stitch welding allows the technician to weld a 1/2 to 3/4 weld in one area, then move to another area to weld while the previous weld cools.  Triggering allow the technician to get proper penetration without overheating the metal.

The students practice these weld on metal coupons as shown in the video.  Then the welds are destructive tested to determine if metal is properly welded.

Student Led Plug Welding Demonstration

In this ABRN How2 tip Preston and Tucker, collision repair students at Butler Community College, are doing a student led demonstration, demonstrating how to perform a plug weld using a MIG welder. Once welded, they demonstrate a destructive test method to determine if the plug weld passes the test.

A plug weld can replace the factory spot welds when repairing a vehicle in a body repair shop. Even if the shop is equipped with a resistance spot welder, there are some areas that are two difficult to reach with the spot welder. There may also be certain areas that plug welds are recommended by car manufacture.

Hey everyone. I’m sorry i haven’t posted in a while, but the work is pretty heavy over here on the East Coast. Maybe that’s a sign that things are picking up in our industry.

But anyway, I did not get a chance to make it out to NACE, but I will be attending SEMA on behalf of I-CAR. I will be a welding demonstrator for them, demonstrating Aluminum Welding, MIG Braising, Resistance Spot Welding, and Rivit Bonding Technology.

If you happen to be there, please stop by my booth and introduce yourself. I will be at the I-CAR DEMO Booth.

Make sure to check back for my in depth report on new materials, technologys, repair information, and of course the wild SEMA Expos.

Talk to you all soon,

Nick

Two collision repair students, Richard and Rigo, and the collision repair instructor attended the NACE training and expo. in Las Vegas, Nevada this year.  NACE is a combination of different collision repair industry training events and a show room floor full exhibitors displaying all of the new and cool tools, parts and equipment.  This year NACE included OEM auto makers and different scan tool companies to the expo., which was a first for NACE.

The students commented that the training was awesome and they discovered that Las Vegas is expensive, but good place to visit. 

Joe, a second year student painted a motorcycle tank in his spare time.  As you can see, the tank looks great.  The second year students have been extremely busy performing live work.  We are studying weld-on panels, sectioning, door skins, and adhesive so we will be ready for these types of jobs as we get them.

The first-year student just started welding.  We spend six weeks performing lap welds, butt welds, butt welds with a backing plate, and plug welds.  Each student must perform each one of these welds in a flat, vertical, and overhead position that must pass a destructive test.  This sounds scary to many students if they have never welded before, but we have a lot of time to get it right.  If the student shows up every day and practices these welds repetitively, they will have no problem when it comes to testing the welds.

Check back and we will keep you posted with our progress.

I always like to check out the features on the new cars, but I seriously do not know if I would be able to drive this car.  Check it out and let me know what you think.  It’s Different! 

You always hear safety first at safety meetings, but many technicians think safety is a lot of hype and ignore the safety policies. So is safety really that important?

Let’s Talk CarsFirst, since we’re all about cars, not safety, let’s talk about restoring an awesome car. Let’s say we have an unlimited budget to build a million dollar ride. You know, a car like Chip Foose at Foose Design would build. Of course, it would take hours and hours of labor and thousands of dollars to get it there, but the end result would be well worth the wait and money. Could you imagine having a ride worth one million dollars? I’m sure that you would take a lot of pride in it. I know that I would. Would you take car of it? What about storage, would you keep it in the garage or put it out back in the weather? I’m sure that you would do everything that you could to protect the car from being damaged.

Another Question

If someone offered you a million dollar car like this, would you exchange it for you eyesight? What about a leg or would you trade your life for it? I am assuming you answered no, as these things are priceless to us. I would not want to even exchange my eyesight or life for a billion dollars. While most of you would agree, we are quick to ignore safety and grab a grinder and start grinding, weld without a welding helmet, paint without a paint respirator, or many other things that could affect our health without thinking twice about it. If you’re willing to take good care of a car, do you think you should take care of yourself?

Over ExaggeratingWell, this is over exaggerated. Is it? There are many eye injuries and painters that have to leave the collision repair industry every year due to becoming sensitive to paint chemicals. It really happens, but the good news is that most injuries are preventable.
How To Prevent InjuriesIt would take a while to explain all of the PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) that needs to be used, but I will highlight a few of them.
1. Eye Protection – Most schools require eye protection to be worn at all times in the shop area, but I see a lot of body shops that do not require eye protection. However, I would highly recommend that you get in the habit of wearing eye protection. Eyesight is too valuable to lose.
2. Dust masks – When sanding or grinding wear an approved dust mask. This will prevent you from breathing all of the products be sanded and other debris that is not healthy for you.
3. Respirator – The catalyzed clears and primers that are out there should not be taken lightly. They have chemicals that will mess you up. Wear an approved respirator when spraying any coatings.
4. Gloves – Chemical resistant gloves should be worn when working with chemicals. This will prevent the chemicals from entering your body through your skin.
5. Hearing Protection – You may not need to wear hearing protection at all times, but if there is griding, air chiseling or other loud things going on, protect your hearing.
Say Who….You Do!

There are many other PPE and safety procedures to consider before working in a shop area. I hope when you question who is saying safety first, you think of yourself. Forget about the policies and procedures, keep yourself safe……. you’re worth a million dollars after all!

WHAT SAFETY (PPE) YOU WILL NEED

For years we have repaired vehicles the same way, but that is not going to work on modern day cars. There are too may variables with all of the different types of metals and composites used, all of the electrical, air bags, and many other things to consider before repairing a vehicle.

For instance, if you try to weld on a radiator support on some of the Ford pick-ups you may find the pick-up on fire as the radiator support is made of magnesium. Many of the parts are made of ultra high strength or boron steel. It is not recommended to repair or heat these steels by many auto manufactures. Therefore, repairing a part made of ultra high strength steel may weaken the part, which could cause an unnecessary injury if involved in an accident.

Using universal methods or “that’s the way we’ve always done it” is not going to work on modern day vehicles of today or the vehicles of tomorrow.

How Do You Know How To Repair Modern Day Cars

Well, it is hard to memorize all of the different parts on every make and model, so what you are going to need to do is find out what the auto manufacture recommends. You can do this with collision repair manuals or with online databases like AllData Collision Connect. They will have all of the information that you need to identify recommended procedures to perform the proper repair or replace method.

Here is a list of some of the materials used to make car parts:

• Steel – Mild Steel, High Strength Steel, Ultra High Strength Steel, Boron
• Other Metals – Aluminum, Magnesium
• Composites – Carbon Fiber, Sheet Molded Compound
• Plastics – Many Different Types

Each material has a specific repair or replace recommendation so it is easy to see that you will need to do a little homework before starting repairs.

While were talking about doing it the way that you have always done it, read the end of ham story.

“A young woman was preparing a ham dinner. After she cut off the end of ham, she placed it in a pan for baking.  Her friend asked her,”Why did you cut off the end of the ham”?

And she replied ,”I really don’t know but my mother always did, so I thought you were supposed to.”

Later when talking to her mother she asked her why she cut off the end of the ham before baking it, and her mother replied, “I really don’t know, but that’s the way my mom always did it.”


A few weeks later while visiting her grandmother, the young woman asked, “Grandma, why is it that you cut off the end of a ham before you bake it?”

Her grandmother replied, “Well dear, otherwise it would never fit into my baking pan.”

Are you sure why you do all of the things that you do?

We have successfully made it through the first week on class. I am feeling confident that we are off to a good start. The first-year students appear to be eager to learn and ready to absorb everything taught to them. The second-year students are back and in full speed and going strong. We’ve already started some live work in the second-year class. If both classes keep this attitude, it’s going to be a productive, but busy semester.

We have a few updates on the bloggers for BCRN. Samuel Smith blogged for us as a first-year students and he stepped up and agreed to do it again this year. We also have another second-year student, Ryan Pracht, which agreed to post blogs as well. We did not have a first-year students step up, but maybe if we give it a little time one of them will surface and accept the challenge later.

That is it for now, but check back as we will keep you informed on what we’re up to.

A Student from Butler Community College Makes His Dream Become a Reality.

As you can read in the newspaper article below, Patrick Sampoll is living his passion. Starting out as a hobby helping his brother tinker with cars Patrick continued his journey in this career pathway. He attended Butler’s Auto Tech program, then he decided to attend the Collision Repair program at Butler as well. Patrick worked at a local body shop while training for this career. After completing the program, he followed his passion and opened a collision repair shop in El Dorado, Kansas. I followed up with Patrick today and he said that he has been busy since he has opened the doors.

Learn more about his business at EliteAutoBodyKs.com

The Collision Repair program hit its limit of 15 before the summer ever started.  Therefore, many students were told that the program was full.  However, a few spots recently became available.  I am just giving you a heads up, as these spots will not last long.  If you’re interested in the program, you may have a chance to get in for Fall semester.  Visit our advising department to learn more. 

This is a great success story about a high school student that had a dream, opened a collision repair business and persevered to become a multi-millionaire.

In this video we are demonstrating how to block sand primer surfacer.

1. Apply guide coat to the surface.

2. Using a block and 320 grit sandpaper, cross sand the surface.

3. Sand the surface until all guide coat is sanded off. If you sand through the primer surfacer and the epoxy, you will need to re-prime and block.

4. I all guide coat is sanded off and no filler or metal is showing, then you are ready to unmask.

5. Using a smaller block, sand the harder to get areas and all edges.

6. Using a DA, inter surfacer pad, and 500 grit sandpaper, sand over the surface where sealer and paint will be applied.

Now you’re ready for final prep and masking for paint.

Have you ever wondered why some people have all of the good luck or why open doors of opportunity open up for some people, but not others? Well, it’s true….some people do have have better luck than others.

Every year I hand out paperwork for students to fill out for a scholarship, which may provide a $500 vocational scholarship. In fact, from what I understand, most students do receive a scholarship if they apply for it. As I hand the paperwork to the students I encourage them to apply. It does require them to take a test, which may take a few hours. Here is how I describe it to the students. Even if it takes a full two hours of your time, that is still $250 per hour if they receive the scholarship. However, every year I see most of the applications in the trash can. They don’t even try. Then they wonder why they never have the luck like other people do.

Last year I think that I only had two students take the time to fill out the application and take the test. We never heard anything else about it.

Nothing is a sure thing in life, but you will never know if you don’t try. If you don’t set yourself up for good luck or open doors, then how do you expect to experience it? The two students did not hear back about the scholarship, but this is no reason to give up on trying. If one thing don’t happen for you start working on another way to set yourself up for an opportunity.

This blog is not just about perseverance, as the story about the students did not end yet. One of the students messaged me the other day and reminded me about that scholarship, he told me that he just got a letter in the mail stating that he was awarded a scholarship for $1500. I don’t know about you, but $1500 for two hours of work is pretty good.

With this said, I encourage you stop watching the doors open for other people and do whatever it takes to be in front of the next door that opens. In other words, start setting yourself up today to have better luck tomorrow. If you’re already doing this then I would like to commend you on your efforts. If you have not seen the reward yet, hang in there, you will see it when the time is right.

Interesting video that I thought you may enjoy. It’s hard to believe how dependent we are on petroleum products!

After reading your article I completely agree with you. Higher end repair facilities are looking for qualified repair technicians. When they see a younger individual, who has dedicated their time and money to learning a specific trade, they see more potential and ability that they can have on their shop floor. They will be more willing to pay more for an educated technician, because of the educational value that you will be bringing to the whole company. It is simple economics, The “Opportunity Cost” that you have invested in yourself, raises your gross value as an individual, allowing the employer to be able to pay you more because over an elastic portion of time, you will also educate the shop you work in. Knowledge is contagious, and the method of heating and beating, caving and paving are long gone. Technicians with knowledge of metalogy, OEM procedures, and proper repair techniques are needed, and the industry as a whole are searching for these individuals.

As the industry is progressing, the cars are becoming extremely complex. The best advice that I can give is become specialized. Look for companies that offer certification programs with specific manufactures, or certify in advanced materials such as Aluminum or bonding and riveting advanced technology. The sooner you get involved in this material, the more experience you can gain through it.

The income level that was mentioned by Donnie is a reasonable average ( $52,000 ). But I have also come across multiple technicians and painters from all over that country that have earning levels up to $180,000. Yes that sounds like a myth, but extremely possible if you get involved in the right programs and right shops. You should not get tunnel vision and only concentrate on one manufacture, because this will only hurt you in the long run. Also, don’t expect this type of pay straight out of college chair.

If anyone is interested in pursuing OEM training or advanced training programs please don’t afraid to contact me. I am more than willing to point you in the right direction.

By Donnie A Smith

Why choose collision repair as a career pathway?


Hands-on: Why should your job be boring and dreadful? You can earn income doing the things you like to do. If you’re someone that likes working with your hands, a high-tech environment and you enjoy being able to step back and see the results of your work; then collision repair may be a good fit for you.

High income potential: I-Car Education Foundation completed a survey, showing the average income that a collision repair technician earns. You may be surprised that the average income of $51,312 is higher then many other comparable trades. In fact, the top 10% earn $88,460. Although, just like with any career, you shouldn’t expect this your first year on the job. These are the incomes you can expect to make with experience and commitment.

Job Security: As roads and highways become more populated with vehicles, the results are more auto accidents. Unfortunately, the automotive industry is not finding enough trained technicians to properly repair these modern day vehicles. This means job security for you.

Work will never be outsourced: Think about it! Could you imagine a damaged vehicle being loaded on a ship, taken overseas, repaired, and shipped back to the customer…it’s not going to happen. We need trained collision and paint technicians right here in the United States, in every state and every city to repair our cars. As a technician, you will never have to worry about your job being outsourced.

What are some of the things to consider when choosing a school to attend?

NATEF certified: Make sure the school is a National Automotive Technician Education Foundation (NATEF) accredited. This gives you peace of mind knowing that the school has met the NATEF standards and is a quality school. NATEF is national recognized in the automotive industry and will give you a competitive edge, when you pursue a job. In order to be NATEF accredited, all instructors must be Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certified to teach. This means that you will have competent instructors to ensure your success in the future.

I-Car affiliation: Make sure the school is affiliated with I-Car. I-Car is an organization that helps the collision industry with on-going training. They provide training to technicians already on the job and they provide curriculum and support to colleges and technical schools to prepare students for the world-of-work. I-Car is known throughout the collision industry and will give your potential employer another perk to hire you.

Where do I find a school like this and how do I enroll?
1. Call the school to set up a time you can visit with them and ask to tour the collision repair program.
2. Is the collision program accredited? If so, who are they accredited through?
3. Are they affiliated with I-Car and what curriculum do they use?
4. Ask if one of the program instructors are available to speak with. You can ask them program specific questions. This will give you a better feel of the program and the instructors.
5. What is their student per instructor ratio?
6. Find out what requirements, tools, tuition,and fees are required.
7. Have them explain the difference between a certificate and an associates degree. (some technical schools do not offer associates degrees)
8. Does the college have any articulation agreements with any other schools, which allows the student to transfer into a four-year university?
9. Once you feel you have made the correct decision, ask them to direct you to an advisor. The advisor will walk you through the steps to get you enrolled.

It’s Summer Time
So what’s up for the summer?  I enjoy the summer breaks to spend with my family, but it goes by fast.  I’ll still be at the school some working on outlines and lessons for fall and I’ve also have to get trained for the new PPG waterborne paint that we will be using with the new school year.  However, I will be spending some of the summer with my boys.

Collision Hub Sponsors Baseball Team
We’ll probably pick up on Mustang and work on it some this summer and spend a lot of time at the baseball park.  They are playing in a new league this year.  We attended the first practice to learn that the team had no name and no sponsor.  Well, not to worry, I contacted our friends at collisionhub.com and they hooked us up.  They will be the team sponsor…..not sure about a name!    I would like to give Kristen at Collision Hub a Big Thank You for helping us out.

Full Enrollment
If you’re interested in the collision repair program at Butler, you may want to enroll fast.  There is only one (1) spot open.  So out program will be maxed out very soon.

Waiting List
You may ask out our waiting list.  If for some reason one of the students drop out or miss the payment deadline, you will be the next in line.  After one more enrollment in the collision repair, we’ll start a waiting list.  In welding and automotive technology, they are already completely full and have started a waiting list.  


Enjoy Your Summer
I would like to congratulate all of the new students that will start in the fall.  Enjoy your summer as we are going to hit it full throttle when school starts.  Also, be sure to check into the student connect class that I will be teaching for the technical students.  This class will be the first part of August, which will allow you to have this class out of the way before you ever start school.

Check back, I will keep you updated with what I’m up to this summer.  You will hear from other authors of this blog as well.

Alright guys, I’m sad to see no one came out swinging with some guesses, but there will be more mini quizzes to come.

So my question to all of you was, do you know the difference between “Collision Energy Management” and “Collision Transfer Management”? These terms seem very similar, but in reality, describe to very different effects.

Collision Energy Management describes how a vehicle absorbs energy in the event of a collision. Through the design of different steel, collapse zones, kick up areas, crush holes, and built in kink spots. This allows for the blunt force of the collision to dissipate before reaching the occupant compartment.

Collision Transfer Management describes the ability of the vehicle to transfer the energy throughout the vehicle, and around the occupant compartment. This is possible by constructing unisides out of dual phase steel and boron steel. The energy from a frontal impact is absorbed and transferred through the frame rails up the A-pillars, down through the rocker panels, and around the occupant compartment. It is not uncommon to see kinks in the sail panel of vehicles in a heavy front hit. Also I have seen kinks in the A-pillars in a heavy rear end hit.

Every one knows the common “well my tail light worked before the accident” bit, especially when the collision was in the front of the vehicle. But in this day and age, with all the new forms of energy management and transfer, a tail light burning out is very feasible. The energy from a frontal impact will transfer throughout the vehicle and possible affect the tail lights and bulbs.

I have included two links of videos. I would like everyone to watch them and comment back on your thoughts. They demonstrate two very different vehicles constructions. It will make you think twice about how your car should and could save your life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lB0araA0T_k

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBzbpiuiA30

By: Jason Gulick

We started out by learning about shop safety, welding, estimates, frame measurements, spray adjustments, how to use a paint gun, spray techniques, SMC (Sheet Molded Compound), and a few other sub-categories. The first thing we learned about was shop safety. ALWAYS wear your safety glasses, gloves, and boots while in the shop. Be aware of your surroundings at all times. You must know where the fire extinguishers are at all times in case of a fire. When you are welding, sanding down filler or primer, or painting in the booth, you should also be wearing a respirator. The particles can really damage your lungs and it is not like cigarettes, 5 years later your lungs WON’T get better, so you gotta take care of your body because that’s what is making your income. When welding you should wear the welding gloves, because I personally have seen little flaming balls of metal roll right down peoples sleeve and make them jump higher than I thought was even possible.

Now, moving on to my second favorite subject we studied, welding. We learned quite a bit about welding as far as MIG, (Metal Inert Gas) in the automotive industry. ALWAYS wear a welding helmet, and never look into the flame while you or someone else is welding. It can cause serious pain to the eyes commonly known as, “welders burn”. You should wear gloves and a respirator as well. I believe I accomplished a smooth technique throughout the class period. We practiced over and over again until we felt we had a the basic knowledge to move on in the industry. We also learned how to maintain and operate a MIG welder.

Estimates were my least favorite study this year. We gained the knowledge to go out and right an estimate for a customer needing body repairs to their vehicle. Some sub-categories are deducting for overlap and knowing how much labor costs are going to be. Knowing how to add onto the estimate for clearcoat and supplies is another must know. the only reason you would really need the knowledge to do an estimate is if you were trying to start your own business and work from the ground up.

We have not got to far into the frame adjustments yet, but i’m sure we will have more studies on it. We also got a pretty good knowledge of how to maintain and operate a spray gun. Pretty simple to maintain and adjust. Just use lacquer thinner and the utensils to clean the line after you use it. As far as adjusting there are 3 knobs to turn for adjustment and the tip needs adjusted according to what you are spraying. This is my personal favorite subject of the class this year. I have a great desire to become a customer painter, fabricator, and airbrusher. I’ve been searching for my spray technique that helps me apply the best results possible.

Needless to say, I have learned quite a bit about this industry so far and really looking forward to continuing my training at Butler CC. I look forward to next year and what its going to bring after the summer.