# Second Skin Spectrum = Da Shiznit!



## 9mmmac (Dec 14, 2010)

This is a review about Second Skin Spectrum. I got about 3/4 gallon from SS Rep Jon. He posted a good deal about having some leftover so I got it. This review will show the equipment I used, the application process and my thoughts on it's effectiveness. 

First, I used this little compressor I have. It's 2.4 CFM @ 90PSI. I choked it down a bit to 80 PSI @ the regulator. The hose is a nice Kobalt (Lowes house brand) 25 ft. self-coiling unit. The gun came from Ebay and included 2 quart jugs with lids. Search term: "undercoating spraygun". Temp. was 82 degrees F., and humidity was 45%. 


I pulled the nose of the car into the garage so I could have some shade, and pulled off the fender liner. Then I masked off the strut, wheel hub, brake line and around the fender. I put lots of cardboard down under the car, but overspray was astonishingly minimal.


Then I started at the top, trying to get the coating up into the strut tower mounting area. I worked my way down forward, then aft. This stuff is med. grey in the can, but shoots a blueish-grey. As it dries, it gets a darker milky grey and then gets a medium flat black. The car already had a bit of factory undercoating on it, but not near enough for me. I shot the first coat in about 10 min. The pattern is a rough circle about 3 inches across when the gun is about 8 inches away. Probably 90% of the product is in that circle.


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## 9mmmac (Dec 14, 2010)

*Re: Second Skin Spectrum = Da Shiznit! (PT 2)*

Here's a closeup of the first coat, as well as a test shoot. I used short, full trigger pulls about 3/4 of a second long. That burped out a little dot, so I just dotted out the fenderwell. The compressor kicked on after about 5 shots, but never lagged. Every time I needed to stop to reposition the compressor caught up. The last pic shows maybe the second coat setting up well. It's starting to loose it's gloss and is a lot darker than it looks due to the flash brightening things up. I did the second coat in about 3 minutes.


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## 9mmmac (Dec 14, 2010)

*Re: Second Skin Spectrum = Da Shiznit! (PT 3)*

In conclusion, I really like this stuff. I was worried the compressor wouldn't be able to keep up, but it did. Cleanup was easy- easier than a latex paint, regardless of the dark color of the Spectrum. It never stained my hands, and the smell was quite a minor issue- barely noticable. It flashed over in about an hour, and while that was going on, I was finishing up my Big 3 wiring. 

If ya'll wanna see that, let me know and I'll post it up. 

I tried to get the gun as far towards the centerline as possible, and managed to get a bit of coverage around the footwell area. I didn't go too far forward, and I only had so much sheetmetal in the fender arch and along the frame. I also didn't go too far aft and outwards. 

So, did it work? I think it did. Really. The thing I noticed the most was a reduction in tire slap noise when going over expansion joints. Now I hear tire rumble. I used just a bit less than a quart for three good coats, so I have enough for the other front fender, as well as the underside around the spare tire area. There are also some voids in the trunk that are straight up outer sheetmetal panels. Those deserve a good squirt as well. 

Is it worth the price? Yes. The price incudes the EASE of installation, but I'd budget 2 full days to let it dry hard if you want an interior application. And I'd do 3 coats in an area, starting in the farthest corner and working my way back to the access point- you don't want to paint yourself in a corner, or have to step on fresh product!

I'm looking at this as a good alternative to the inner door skin problem. Put up your sheetmetal gap fillers first. As long as you mask everything off well, you have a damn effective sound deadener, and a small gap sealer as well. 

I did minimal prepwork to the surface- just a dry scrub brush and Shop-Vac. I'll break out the pressure washer for the back end. Remember- safety first! If you're gonna be under the car, use a good jack and support the full weight on jackstands or wheel ramps with the opposite wheels chocked. 

Questions? Ask away. If I have any more relevant pics, I'll post those as well. But just a few pics explains things well.


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## Second Skin Rep Jon (Oct 5, 2007)

Awesome work.
Looks like the compressor and gun did a good job.

Did you have any issues with it running/dripping? Some people have actually said it was too thin... :mean:


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## 9mmmac (Dec 14, 2010)

No issues, but I set my self up for the win to begin with.

1. Stirred the bucket up real well with an old wooden spoon.

2. Used an old 1 cup measuring cup to scoop it into the jar.

3. Fast, sharp squeezes on trigger- don't hold it down! Maybe if I dialed the pressure down l'd get less product delivery, but 80 PSI worked fine.

4. Keep an eye on the application. When you see it flowing away in a wave, or wall of Spectrum that oozes and flaps in the wind it's time to move on. Better yet- get off the trigger. 

5. Think splat-splat-splat, not splooooooooooge.

Any run issues I think would be overapplication. Move faster, as you can always come back. Multiple thin coats work better than 1 thick one. I would not hesitate to shoot this on a roof/overhead/upside down.


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## Brian10962001 (Jul 11, 2009)

subscribing to see how it worked


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## Brian_smith06 (Jan 31, 2008)

Love this stuff. Between my wheel wells and my undercarriage I have 3 gallons. This stuff worked wonders! I can post pics if you like?


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## jcollin76 (Oct 26, 2010)

I agree, this stuff is great! Spectrum is a very versatile product, you can use it anywhere.
I however don't have a compressor and gun, I just brushed it on. Even in painting it on, great results are attainable.
I used it to seal over damp pro on my doors, coat the inside of my door cards, and my favorite.. a high build primer on my sub box!
I laid it down thick, let dry, and sanded. Repeat.. your left with a nice sooth surface that is also a 3-4 mm thick deadener. 
Just an all around great product.
I currently have 2 gallons waiting for my next project, more than likely a coat under my bed liner. 

So don't worry if you can't spray it... Just get it on there. It will work.


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## 9mmmac (Dec 14, 2010)

Brian_smith06 said:


> Love this stuff. Between my wheel wells and my undercarriage I have 3 gallons. This stuff worked wonders! I can post pics if you like?


Of course! Won't hurt my feelings any; I'm sure somebody would like to see more pics of the same thing in case they are thinking of going this route.


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## 9mmmac (Dec 14, 2010)

jcollin76 said:


> I agree, this stuff is great! Spectrum is a very versatile product, you can use it anywhere.
> I however don't have a compressor and gun, I just brushed it on. Even in painting it on, great results are attainable.
> I used it to seal over damp pro on my doors, coat the inside of my door cards, and my favorite.. a high build primer on my sub box!
> I laid it down thick, let dry, and sanded. Repeat.. your left with a nice sooth surface that is also a 3-4 mm thick deadener.
> ...


O! Never thought it was sandable like that. And under a bedliner is also a good idea. Have you pulled out your bedliner? How bad is it? I wish I could afford a truck. My car just seems like it's 7/8th size. But my neighbor spends 100 bones to fill up her Explorer, so I can live with my little car!


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## jcollin76 (Oct 26, 2010)

No I haven't pulled it out yet, Just lifted the edge to take a peek. Typical truck bed lol beat up and better covered up. Lol

Yeah you can sand it, but it takes time. You want to apply it as smooth as you can out of the gates. You want to leave as much as possible, otherwise defeats the purpose. 
I put it on with a combination of brush and putty knife to smooth it. Thicker you put it on, longer it takes to dry. Two or three coats worked for me. By the time I had one complete coat on, I could start on the next. But I let it dry for several days before trying to sand it.

It also does wonders over mat, just kinda seals it and gives it a nice finished look. Lol most of it will never be scene, but I know its there.
I think every interior panel in my truck has damp pro covered by spectrum and cc foam on It.

My only complaint would be it's shelf life. Would love to have couple gallons on hand at all times, and not worry about it going bad. Lol think it can't freeze and thaw more than twice. Mine is in the garage... So couple years I guess, not so bad. Lol


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## truebluefoo (Jun 1, 2011)

I'd like to see the Big 3 wiring if you can post it please?


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## 9mmmac (Dec 14, 2010)

Request for Big 3 wiring noted. Give me a day or two...


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## truebluefoo (Jun 1, 2011)

Thanks


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## kenn_chan (May 27, 2011)

So I gues my question is can this stuff be shipped via USPS etc. or does it fall under HAZMAT rules? anybody know?

ken


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## Second Skin Rep Jon (Oct 5, 2007)

Spectrum is not hazardous at all (just don't consume it), you just have to mark it as liquid.

I've shipped a quart of the stuff via USPS once before just that I prefer to ship UPS because it doesn't get beat to sh*t.


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## 9mmmac (Dec 14, 2010)

*Re: Second Skin Spectrum = Da Shiznit! (UPDATED!)*

Well, as posted, I finally got around to doing the passenger's side front fender. It was a total non-issue as everything went smoothly. It was warmer and much more humid- 92F and the humidity was 76 percent. I did position a fan (a 16 inch diameter strand fan; Wally World special) to help with drying, and I think it worked well. The Spectrum was still in fine shape, even though the can had been opened a week before- the little bucket seals well. I dialed the compressor down to 60 PSI, and the pattern seemed a bit more open, but it was hard to tell. I used 3/4 of a quart, and had just enough to pour back out into the bucket as leftovers. I did notice (2nd pic) that some of the factory stuff seemed to be extremely soft- I could wipe some of it off with a rag. So I did, as much as I could. Then just wiped the smooth paint with some Simple Green. It also seemed like this side didn't have as much factory undercoating.

So, here's the pics...





































One good thing I can say is that I rushed cleanup because I could see rain coming in from the north, and it looked bad. Checking Weatherbug on my phone confirmed it- ugly red and yellow. I got everything cleaned up and put away just in time, and even had just a few minutes to turn the car around. I just turned it aound in the driveway so the fresh Spectrum would be on the downwind side. It rained hard for a while, and the wind was kinda strong. I just hoped that the Spectrum would set up enough to be unaffected. I checked at first light the next morning and it was OK. No runs or sags at all.

So did it help? I dunno. I honestly can't tell a difference after doing the passenger side, but I could after doing the driver's side. I would suppose that it did; but I have no hard data nor empirical data to work with. I still have no qualms about shooting the entire bottom (within reason- exhaust, suspension and bushings, etc. being excepted) and/or the interior. It's just SO easy to work with. Total time wheels up to wheels down was about 2.5 hours.


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## kenn_chan (May 27, 2011)

Second Skin Rep Jon said:


> Spectrum is not hazardous at all (just don't consume it), you just have to mark it as liquid.
> 
> I've shipped a quart of the stuff via USPS once before just that I prefer to ship UPS because it doesn't get beat to sh*t.



good to know for future refference. I am overseas on a base so its USPS or nothing unfortunately.


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## Second Skin Rep Jon (Oct 5, 2007)

Pics look awesome and glad you got good use out of my leftovers.


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