The Buzzweld Guide To Upol Raptor Bedliner

Upol's Raptor Bedliner is the best selling Bedliner product in the UK. Gaining widespread support and use amongst a range of interest groups mainly within the Automotive sector.

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What Is Upol Raptor Bedliner?

Raptor Liner is a thick, tough protective coating for interior, exterior and underbody protection of vehicles. It is available in two forms:-

Black

Non-tinted referred to as "tintable"

If you purchase the tintable version then you will need to add a coloured tint to the product at a rate of no less than 10%. This must be an actual tint and not a paint, otherwise it will have very poor opacity (colour will be very weak). Raptor Colours are available here and come in 100ML and 400ML, for the 1L, and 4L kits respectively.

Raptor Liner is designed to replace plastic liners that tend to trap dirt and moisture pre-manufactured for lots of vehicles. These liners tend to not only be more fragile, but also are logistically expensive to get hold of due to their size and subsequent shipping cost. So you can now have a Liner bonded, and moulded to almost any surface you want, any colour you want, and know it will last.

You can also add items such as Glass flake to the product in the Raptor Liner UK shop, as well as anti- slip aggregates to the coating itself, so you can build a protective resistant coating, protecting from damage, rust, and chipping anywhere you want. Add to this Raptor will typically take up only 1MM of space across the surface and you can increase storage space over a traditional plastic liner. You can also use raptor externally due to excellent UV resistance, and underbody.

Raptor will also form a superb protective layer for Lizardskin. Lizardskin is a protective sound, and/ or thermal insulating liner available in the LizardSkin UK shop

How do you apply Raptor Liner?

Using the product is straightforward. First decide how you want to apply raptor. You can apply Raptor Liner by:-

• Brush
• Roller
• Schultz Gun
• Spray gun
• Aerosol

Brush will be the hardest to do as Raptor Liner is relatively thick (high viscosity) and wont look great when done.

Roller, you want a coarse texture roller for best finish.

Schutz Gun. There are three main types of Schultz Gun you can use. Budget, Raptor Fixed, and Raptor Vari-Gun, or Budget variable gun

Spray Gun. Most guns beyond a 1.4MM tip can spray raptor with the use of thinners to suit. These range from no thinners in the PCL Underbody HD gun, to 10>20% thinners in a LVLP (low volume, low pressure) gun.

All of the above are incredibly forgiving and easy to use and setup. Thinners for Raptor Liner are here.

How Does Raptor Bedliner Work?

Raptor Bedliner works by being the correct compromise for a bedliner. All coatings are designed for a purpose, and its the balance of properties they have once cured that make them suitable for their jobs. Raptor Liner is no different. It is flexible so that edges of items dropped on it will tend to make the Bedliner flex, dispersing the weight, drastically reducing the impact pressure. The coating manages this by being flexible, relatively hard, and more importantly thick. Applying Raptor Liner with a HVLP gun, and in thinner smoother coats reduces this ability, and you will find it more vulnerable to damage and scratching as a result. This is where you really want to specify Buzzweld's glass flake technology to help compensate.

Being resistant to most automotive and machine chemicals you will find that its a great all round product for protecting.

Should i Purchase Raptor Bedliner and what are the costs involved?

As with any coating there are additional costs, products that improve its performance, or improve the end result aesthetically.  Here is a list of items we would recommend you consider in your costing calculation prior to purchase and ontop of the actual product itself.

-Thinners

-Traction anti- slip additive

-Tints (for the tintable version)

-Primers

-Preparation materials

-Application Equipment

APPLYING UPOL RAPTOR BEDLINER STEP BY STEP GUIDE

Step1- Preparation

Like any paint / coating Raptor needs a surface KEY. a KEY is a dull/ sanded/ scotchbrite "prepared" surface that allows the paint to stick. It won't stick to shiny surfaces! So, ensure you scuff the surface up and provide a good key. Make sure you key everywhere you are applying the paint, even the hard to get to bits, as doing the job correctly once saves you time and money.

Once you have prepared the surface remove all dust using tack cloths. These are cloths that are tacky and will attract dirt and dust away from the prepared surface and help Raptor stick even better,

Step2- Masking and dust sheets

Now that you have the areas you want to paint sorted, you need to sort the areas you DONT WANT TO PAINT. Use masking tape all around any edges and fittings, then fill in the areas between with dust sheets and paper roll/ tinfoil. You may want to use back masking in some areas. Back masking is where you apply a wide piece of masking tape to an edge, and let it overhang. you then bring your dust sheet down the panel you just masked, and allow the sheet to contact the masking tape overhang. cut of any excess with a blade, and then run a second line of masking tape over the edge to hold the sheet securely. back masking works very well on edges like wheel arches and sills.

Step3- Spraying Upol Raptor Bedliner

You can use almost any spraygun to apply Raptor Bedliner, but the most common gun is a schutz gun. UPOL provide a few different guns. a standard textured gun, and the Upol Raptor Vari - Gun which gives you full control over the texture. Smooth, Heavy Texture, or anything in between! Attach the gun to the bottle once you have mixed in your hardner (and colour if required), and then attach the airline. Lower air pressure of 30>50 PSI in a schutz gun will lend themselves to giving you a heavier texture.  The manufacturer recommends 50PSI as a general rule.

When you are ready to start spraying start "off panel" and then move the gun horizontally at a steady rate along the panel, do not let go of the trigger until the paint passes the end of the panel. Now repeat this process overlapping the paint around 25% on each pass until you reach the bottom of the panel. Apply the first coat Lightly, and allow it go touch dry, and then apply your second final coat heavier. Move the spraygun slower to achieve a heavier coat.

PPE and Safety

When using any paints we always recommend you use a good quality mask, goggles and gloves, and any additional protective gear. ALWAYS use a respirator, or appropriate tyope mask especially when spraying 2K products, and be aware of local laws on spraying, and be aware of your surroundings.

Data sheets and Product Guides

Upol Raptor Paint Kits

Upol Raptor Tintable Bedliner data sheet how to instructions

How To Tint Upol Raptor Guide

Upol Raptor Variable Texture Gun Guide

Upol Raptor Bedliner Coverage Guide

Upol Raptor Bedliner FAQ

Upol Raptor Product Range

Upol Raptor Tinting Guide