COLOUR / TOPCOAT · THE COLOUR
SHOWELL SH 1K WATERBORNE BASECOAT
1K waterborne basecoat solid colors with the properties of easy application, good coverage, low voc, fully in line with national environmental standards, which can be process by wet to wet…
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APPLICATION GUIDES & VIDEOS
germatech.com.au
TDS v2.3 · ISSUE 02.09.2026
SUPERSEDES 03.20233
REVIEW DUE 07.2028
SH-WB3041 Full Effect Controller, by weight and by volume - SOLID: 100:20 at…
see the detail below
BY VOLUME
used within the day
basecoat mixed with controller
25-40 s, DIN 4 Cups at 23 °C
HVLP 1.2-1.3 mm, 1.3-1.8 bar · RP 1.2-1.3 mm, 1.3-1.5 bar
SOLID: 1. Apply one wet coat firstly at a gun distance of 10-15 cm. Blow off…
see the detail below
Solid: blow off or bake till the surface is dry between coats (no time…
see the detail below
*ADJUST FOR THE DAY'S TEMPERATURE
01SUITABLE SUBSTRATES
- Solid / Metallic: It is suitable use for sanded and cleaned OEM refinishes, refinishes, primer surface.
- Pearls (3 stage): It is suitable use for the surface of 1k waterborne basecoat solid color.
02SURFACE PREPARATION
Remove wax, silicon or other contaminations with degreaser. Solid colors: P500-P600 dry (or P800 wet). Metallic and Pearls: P800, dry or wet. Don't spray on the metal surface directly - if metal is exposed, spray epoxy primer first, then primer surfacer, then the waterborne basecoat.
03MIXING — MATCH THE SPEED TO THE WEATHER
SOLID COLORS
HARDENER
REDUCER
SH-WB3041 Full Effect Controller 100:20
SH-WB3041 Full Effect Controller 100:10-20
METALLIC COLOURS
HARDENER
REDUCER
SH-WB3041 Full Effect Controller 100:30
SH-WB3041 Full Effect Controller 100:20-30
PEARLS (3 STAGE)
HARDENER
5% SH-WB3075 into layer 1
5% SH-WB3075 into layer 1
REDUCER
SH-WB3041 Full Effect Controller 100:30
SH-WB3041 Full Effect Controller 100:20-30
COLD · BELOW 15 °CWaterborne needs air movement, not heat, to release its water. Below 15 °C use the booth's air-flow or blowers and allow longer — a cold panel simply will not go matt.
HUMID · ABOVE 80% RHThe limiting condition for waterborne. Above 85% RH the water has nowhere to go: flash times stretch out and the film will not reach matt. Air movement is the fix, not more heat.
HOT · ABOVE 30 °CDry spray and poor flake control. Slow the reducer and keep the gun moving; do not chase it with extra material.
| SYSTEM | TEMPERATURE | HARDENER | REDUCER |
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| Solid Colors | 10-20 °C | — | SH-WB3041 Full Effect Controller 100:20 |
| Solid Colors | 20-35 °C | — | SH-WB3041 Full Effect Controller 100:10-20 |
| Metallic Colours | 10-20 °C | — | SH-WB3041 Full Effect Controller 100:30 |
| Metallic Colours | 20-35 °C | — | SH-WB3041 Full Effect Controller 100:20-30 |
| Pearls (3 Stage) | 10-20 °C | 5% SH-WB3075 into layer 1 | SH-WB3041 Full Effect Controller 100:30 |
| Pearls (3 Stage) | 20-35 °C | 5% SH-WB3075 into layer 1 | SH-WB3041 Full Effect Controller 100:20-30 |
| Ratio by volume | SH-WB3041 Full Effect Controller, by weight and by volume - SOLID: 100:20 at 10-20 °C, 100:10-20 at 20-35 °C. METALLIC: 100:30 at 10-20 °C, 100:20-30 at 20-35 °C. PEARLS (3 stage): 100:30 at 10-20 °C, 100:20-30 at 20-35 °C. |
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| Ratio by weight | Same as volume - the sheet gives one WEIGHT/VOLUME figure. |
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| Spray viscosity | 25-40 s, DIN 4 Cups at 23 °C |
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| Pot life | used within the day (basecoat mixed with controller) |
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| Notes | BASE COAT SHOULD BE ACTIVATED BY ADDING 5% HARDENER TO THE LAYER 1 COATING - REFER SH-WB3075 1K BASECOAT HARDENER (3 stage pearls). In high brilliance and poor hiding power colors, 5% WB3075 can be added, and then added WB3041PLUS, it can enhance the viscosity between coatings and improve the water resistance of the paint film. The basecoat should be stirred well on a mixing machine before use. The basecoat mixing with controller should be used within the day. |
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BEFORE YOU START — THE SYSTEM IS THE PROCESSGerma-Tech abrasives and ancillary products are graded and tested for compatibility with this product and the process on this sheet — that control is what makes any problem on the job assessable and fixable. Once a non-Germa-Tech product has been used at any step, what actually touched the panel can no longer be verified, and issues that arise cannot be fairly assessed — by us or by anyone. Use the system through the whole process, and if something on this sheet does not fit the job,
talk to us before you spray. Refer to the
GERMA-TECH APPLICATION STANDARD.
04APPLICATION
| Pressure — HVLP | 1.2-1.3 mm, 1.3-1.8 bar |
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| Pressure — RP | 1.2-1.3 mm, 1.3-1.5 bar |
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| Gun distance | 10-15 cm (solid and metallic wet coats); Mist Spray coat at 25-30 cm (metallic) |
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| Coats | SOLID: 1. Apply one wet coat firstly at a gun distance of 10-15 cm. Blow off or bake till the surface is dry. 2. Apply the second wet coat till covered all at a gun distance of 10-15 cm. NOTE: Mist-spraying is NOT allowed in the last coat. METALLIC: 1. Apply (0.5) half coat, then 2-3 minutes flash off time. 2. Apply one wet coat firstly at a gun distance of 10-15 cm to cover, then 5 minutes flash-off time. 3. Finish with a Mist Spray coat at a gun distance of 25-30 cm, allow to dry before applying clear coat. PEARLS (3 stage): 1. Basecoat application per solid colors (activate layer 1 with 5% hardener). 2. Pearl application wet coat firstly, allow flash off, blow off or bake to dry; follow with second Mist Coat (some 3 layer pearls may require 2 wet coats before the Mist Coat - replicate desired coating on spray out cards prior to application to repair area). |
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| Flash-off between coats | Solid: blow off or bake till the surface is dry between coats (no time stated). Metallic: 2-3 minutes after the (0.5) half coat; 5 minutes after the first wet coat. |
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| Dry film build | 15 +/- µm |
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05DRYING & CURING
| TEMPERATURE | NOTE |
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| — | Allow bake or air-dry. Apply clear coat after the film turns matte. |
| 60 °C | — |
BAKE TEMPERATURE IS METAL TEMPERATUREBake time starts when the panel reaches temperature, not when the door shuts. A cold panel in a 60 °C booth takes roughly ten minutes to get there — add that to the schedule or the film is under-cured.
06COATING THICKNESS — WHERE THIS SITS IN THE STACK
Sealer / wet-on-wet
25-35 µm
2K primer surfacer
50-80 µm
Body filler
shaped back — not film
SUBSTRATE
bare steel / prepared panel
FULL BUILD
170-270 µm of 300
Read it like the panel: substrate at the bottom, clear on top. Faded rows are the rest of the system at its normal build. See the Coating Thickness Guide.
07RECOAT & REWORK
| Recoat — this product over itself | BASECOAT → CLEAR WINDOW — 1 hour from the film turning FULLY MATT (de-watered), at 20 °C panel temperature. The matt turn is the gate: in high humidity the film takes longer to de-water — clear only once fully matt, never on time alone. Force dry at 60 °C for 5-10 minutes accelerates the matt turn. Past 1 hour: apply additional basecoat before clearcoating. |
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| Over the previous coat | Sanded 2K primer → colour: apply the next coat within 24 HOURS of SANDING the primer. Past 24 hours from sanding, sand again before coating. Contamination-limited — the calendar governs, not the temperature. Epoxy → next coat: within the 2-hour unbaked window, or within 24 HOURS of SANDING; past that, sand again. GP-EP1 may be top-coated with direct gloss WET ON WET after 30 minutes minimum at 25 °C — no basecoat systems or single-pack topcoats unless fully cured. Wet-on-wet sealer → topcoat: THE FLASH-OFF TIME IS THE WINDOW — apply the next coat when the film is matt, 10-15 minutes at 25 °C. A sealer left past flash is a surfacer: sand before coating. |
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| The next coat over this | Waterborne basecoat → clear: apply clear after the film turns matt; must force dry the basecoat before clearing (60 °C, 5-10 min). Timing is humidity-driven, not temperature-driven — a maximum window is still to be ruled. |
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HOW EACH COAT BONDS — WHY EVERY WINDOW ON THIS SHEET CLOSESThe whole repair is designed as
one system applied within one overall time frame: the primer is dried and sanded, but from colour onward it is a concurrent, same-day process — and every window on this sheet exists to keep you inside it. Within its window the next coat fuses chemically with the film beneath; past it, the film has cured and adhesion must be made mechanically — abrade, degrease, recoat. Heat closes windows sooner: cure runs on temperature, not the clock. Straying from the timed system — jobs interrupted, held over, stretched — is where the problems start. Full explanation in the
GERMA-TECH APPLICATION STANDARD.
If in doubt, abrade. IF YOU MISS THE RECOAT WINDOWOnce the film has cured past its recoat window, do not put another coat straight over it — the new coat sits on the surface and lets go at the interface. Abrade the whole area first (P800 wet or a grey abrasive pad), degrease, tack off, then recoat.
08PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
| Coverage | about 5.9-6.9 m²/L in practice (10.7 m²/L theoretical at 15 µm) Estimate, not a measurement. Indicative coverage at 15 µm dry film thickness, assuming 100% transfer efficiency. Real-world coverage is lower — spray guns lose material as overspray. Allow 55-65% of the theoretical figure. |
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| Equipment cleaning | Clean guns and equipment with methylated spirits immediately after use (warm soapy water works while the product is still wet). Do NOT use solvent gun wash on waterborne product — it can shock the residue and gum the gun. |
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09STORAGE, SHELF LIFE & PACKS
| Storage life (unopened) | Up to 36 months unopened — SUBJECT TO correct storage: a cool, dry place below 20 °C, out of direct sun. Heat is the biggest killer of paint in the tin: stock stored or transported in hot vehicles, tin sheds, shipping containers or direct sunlight loses life fast whatever the date on the tin, and that is where most premature failures start. Storage life is an optimal guide, not a promise that survives a hot shed. |
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| Once the seal is broken | Once the seal is broken the clock starts, and how you store it sets the pace. Basecoat with reducer added: use within 24 HOURS, then discard. Unreduced basecoat not used the same day: airtight, in a cool dark place — 30 days, then discard.
All hardeners: 14 days once opened — then discard. Hardener is sealed without air; the moment air enters it starts to deteriorate. A part-used tin resealed tight lasts the 14 days; a loose lid does not. |
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| Storage | Store indoors in a cool, dry place below 20 °C, out of direct sunlight, with the lid sealed tight after every use. Never store or transport in heat — not in a tin shed, a shipping container, a hot van or a sunlit rack. |
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10PRODUCT CODES
| CODE | WHAT IT IS | PACK SIZE |
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| SH-WB3075 | Hardener · 1K Basecoat Hardener | 500ML |
| SH-WB3041 | Reducer · Plus Viscosity Adjuster / Full Effect Controller | 2LT |
| SH-WBP9100 | Colour variant · Crystal White Pearl | 1LT |
| SH-WBP9600 | Colour variant · Crystal Blue Pearl | 1LT |
| SH-WBP9500 | Colour variant · Crystal Green Pearl | 1LT |
| SH-WBP9400 | Colour variant · Crystal Yellow Pearl | 500ML |
| SH-WBP9200 | Colour variant · Crystal Red Pearl | 1LT |
| SH-WBP9300 | Colour variant · Crystal Copper Pearl | 500ML |
11WHERE IT SITS IN THE SYSTEM
BARESUBSTRATE
›
EPOXYPRIMER
›
FILLER
›
2K PRIMERSURFACER
›
SEALERWET-ON-WET
›
COLOUR
›
CLEAR
The highlighted step is where this product sits in the repair. Ancillaries support every step.
12STANDARD NOTES — THE SAME ON EVERY SHEET IN THIS SET
- In the overspray area between new and existing finish, apply Thinner SRA directly to achieve an invisible transition. SN5 · CLEARS & COLOUR
- Total coating thickness on the panel — every layer together — must not exceed 300 µm. Refer to the Germa-Tech Coating Thickness Guide. SN7 · ALL FILM-BUILDING
- Germa-Tech products are designed to work as a system — fillers, primers, basecoat, clears, hardeners, reducers, abrasives and ancillaries — each graded and tested for compatibility with the products and processes on this sheet. Performance is only assured within the system, and a fault is only assessable within it: once non-Germa-Tech product has been used in the process, what touched the panel can no longer be verified. SN10 · ALL PRODUCTS
- Apply basecoat to HIDING, not depth — solid colours: 2 wet coats; metallics and pearls: 2 wet coats then a drop coat; a light tack coat first is optional. Blacks normally hide in less. AVOID USING BASECOAT AS A GROUND COAT — use a tinted primer instead (Germa-Tech 2K primers tint up to 8% with 2K colour). Any ground coat forms part of the 2-3 coat maximum and the film build limit; it does not get its own allowance. Overloading causes delayed drying under the clear, leading to clear coat failures — delamination, or expansion cracking as the heavy film moves with heat, especially on blacks and dark colours. The teaching behind this — Application Standard, section 03. SN11 · BASECOATS
- *Flash-off times are measured at the stated temperature and MUST be adjusted for the day: colder than stated = LONGER flash, warmer = shorter. In winter, shops painting below 23 °C routinely under-flash — solvent is still in the film when the next coat lands. Below 15 °C, extended flash and air dry are not enough: bake the job. SN13 · ALL PRODUCTS WITH A FLASH-OFF
- FINISH FOR COLOUR — THE STANDARD GRADE. The last sanding pass before colour is P500-P600 dry (or P800 wet). METALLIC AND PEARL COLOURS REQUIRE P800, dry or wet — coarser scratches telegraph through the flake and show in the finish. Any coarser grits on this sheet are shaping or stripping stages, not the finish. SN16 · FINISH FOR COLOUR
Standard inclusions are controlled: each note applies to every product in its named set, enforced at build. They cannot drift onto some sheets and off others.
13PRODUCT-SPECIFIC NOTES
- The substrate must be well prepared and cleaned before application of the basecoat (P500-P600 dry or P800 wet for solid colors; P800 for metallic and pearls).
- SHOWELL waterborne basecoat should be stored and applied with container and spray equipment of plastic, stainless steel or metal with anti-corrosion coatings.
- The basecoat should be stirred well on a mixing machine before use.
- The drying time of the paint film depends on the ambient temperature, humidity and the speed of the air flow. Suggest to avoid working when the humidity is high than 85%.
- lf small particles or paint defects occurred in painting, sand out the defected area after the paint film is dried, then refinish.
- The basecoat mixing with controller should be used within the day.
- Clean the spray equipment immediately after use with suitable dedicated wwaterborne equipment preparation machine. Clean with PLUS Controller.
- Don't spray on the metal surface directly. If the metal is exposed on the surface, please spray the epoxy primer first, after drying, spray the primer surface, then spray the waterborne basecoat.
- In high brilliance and poor hiding power colors, 5% WB3075 can be added, and then added WB3041PLUS, it can enhance the viscosity between coatings and improve the water resistance of the paint film. (metallic)
- In the application of 3 stage Basecoat Pearls, we suggest to add 5%hardener to layer 1,then add WB3041PLUS. It can improve the water resistance of the paint film and avoide bubbles. (pearls)
WARNINGS CARRIED FORWARD FROM THE PREVIOUS SHEETNOTE: Mist-spraying is NOT allowed in the last coat. (solid colors)
BASE COAT SHOULD BE ACTIVATED BY ADDING 5% HARDENER TO THE LAYER 1 COATING - REFER SH-WB3075 1K BASECOAT HARDENER (3 stage pearls)
14GOOD TO KNOW — WHAT WE GET CALLED ABOUT
- No mist coat on the last coat of a solid colour.
- Never spray it straight onto bare metal - epoxy primer, then surfacer, then base.
- Don't work above 85% humidity. It will not flash.
- Plastic, stainless or anti-corrosion coated equipment only - bare steel gear will contaminate it.
- Basecoat mixed with controller is a same-day mix. Don't keep it overnight.
15TROUBLESHOOTING
| DEFECT | WHAT YOU SEE | WHY IT HAPPENED | FIX |
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Thermal cracking over heavy basecoat | Cracking or crazing in the clear, typically appearing days or weeks after the job, almost always on blacks and dark colours, often after the vehicle has sat in the sun. | Too much total basecoat film — often from using basecoat as a ground coat under the colour. Any ground coat forms part of the 2-3 coat maximum and the film build limit; it does not get its own allowance. The overloaded basecoat dries late and keeps moving under the cured clear, and dark colours soak up heat — the heavy film expands and contracts at a different rate to the clear until the clear delaminates or cracks. It is a film-build failure underneath, not a clear coat fault. | There is no rescue coat — the affected panels must be sanded back past the failed film (usually to primer), refinished at correct film builds and properly flashed. |
Mottling | light and dark patches or streaks through a metallic or pearl, often following the direction the gun travelled | the metallic flake has not settled evenly - basecoat laid on too heavy, film over 25 µm, flash between coats skipped, gun pattern or pressure wrong, or the reducer too fast for a hot day | if the clear is not on yet, re-flash and lay a controlled final coat to even the flake; once cleared, sand back and respray the basecoat |
Poor hiding | the undercoat, repair or featheredge is still visible through the colour after the stated number of coats | an inherently transparent colour, a primer colour too far from the topcoat, chasing coverage with extra thin coats instead of correct film, or basecoat over-reduced | on high-brilliance and poor-hiding waterborne colours add 5% WB3075 then WB3041PLUS; otherwise let it flash, correct the ground colour and rebuild - do not just keep stacking coats past the film limit |
Blistering | small raised bubbles or pimples in the film, from about 0.5 mm up, sometimes appearing days or weeks after the job | moisture or contamination trapped under the film - water or oil in the air line, a panel not dried after washing, wet-sanded filler primed before it dried, high humidity during application, or the substrate not degreased | sand the blistered layers off down to a sound layer or the substrate, re-prime and refinish |
Delamination and peeling | a coat lets go of the one under it - the film peels, flakes or lifts off cleanly in sheets, often starting at an edge or a stone chip | the surface underneath was not keyed or was not clean - missed degrease, wrong or no undercoat, sanding grit too fine or missed altogether, recoat window blown, or basecoat left too long before clear | remove all the loose film back to a sound layer, feather the edge, re-prime and rebuild the system properly |
Dirt and dust inclusion | hard specks sitting in or under the cured film, felt with the back of the hand before they are seen | dust pulled in during application - panel not tacked off, static on plastic parts, dirty booth filters, contaminated air, overalls or gun, or crystallised additive poured straight from the tin | surface nibs come out after cure with P1500 working to P3000 then polish; anything embedded through the film has to be sanded and refinished |
Colour float and dry silver | the metallic looks coarse, grey or milky against the standard, or loose silver sits proud in the film and shows through the clear | flake orientation is wrong - loose overspray silver left on the surface, a mist coat where none belongs, or the last coat applied too dry | re-flash and apply a controlled final coat before clearing; if it is already under clear, sand back and respray the colour |
AUSTRALIAN CONDITIONSWaterborne is driven by air movement and humidity, not by heat. Above 85% RH — a wet summer day anywhere on the coast — flash times stretch out and the film will not reach matt: use the booth's air-flow, do not reach for the burners. Above 30 °C slow the reducer. Below 15 °C allow longer.
16HEALTH & SAFETY
WATERBORNE — LOW VOC IS NOT NO HAZARDWaterborne basecoat contains no isocyanate and far less solvent than its solvent-borne equivalent, but it is still sprayed as a mist and still requires respiratory protection selected under AS/NZS 1715 in a booth complying with AS/NZS 4114:2020. The 2K clear applied over it is isocyanate cured — work to that product's sheet for the clear stage. Read the Safety Data Sheet before use.
REVISION HISTORY
| VERSION | DATE | CHANGE |
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| v2.3 | 02.09.2026 | Reissued on the current Germa-Tech technical data sheet format. New in this issue: a quick-reference card, the hardener and reducer selection gauge, the coating thickness stack, the recoat-window recovery procedure, and a product-specific troubleshooting table. Bake schedules are now stated as metal temperature. |
17CARE OF THE COATING
CARE OF THE COATING — CONDITIONS OF THE WARRANTYFirst 12 weeks: hand wash only, pH-neutral automotive wash, soft mitt; no machine or brush washes, no wax, polish or cutting, no car covers; never leave fuel, brake fluid or water spotting to sit. No ceramic, glass/quartz coating or paint protection film for 12 months — sealing a maturing film traps solvent. Contaminants: bird and bat droppings, sap, insect residue, fuel and fallout etch the film — remove as soon as seen; etching left on is damage, not a defect. Cleaning: pH-neutral shampoo and fresh-water rinse; never dishwashing detergent, household cleaners, abrasive pads or strong solvents on the cured paint film; pressure washers fan tip, 30 cm minimum, never at edges or chips. Wash-down: passenger vehicles at least fortnightly (weekly in coastal, industrial or high-fallout exposure); fleet units weekly, more in heavy work, with a monthly walk-around and a wash-down register; any vehicle immediately after salt, fertiliser, chemicals, concrete dust, fuel or fallout; architectural and stationary work every 3 months (monthly coastal/industrial) with a maintenance register. Wax and polymer sealants may go on from 12 weeks, once cured. Breaches: inspect and touch up promptly — corrosion from any chip, scratch or breach, repaired or not, is never a coating defect.
18WARRANTY & FURTHER INFORMATION
TALK TO US — WE MEAN ITWe are always happy to talk to customers who contact us directly. If anything on this sheet does not fit the job in front of you — an unusual substrate, a tight timeline, a cold morning, a window you have missed — call before you spray, not after.
support@amproaustralia.com · germatech.com.au This sheet is read together with the GERMA-TECH APPLICATION STANDARD (terms, conditions of application and warranty) and the Coating Thickness Guide — both hosted with the data sheets and at germatech.com.au. Warranty is conditional on correct use of the product as described on this sheet, including the sanding steps and grits in its sanding guide, within the Germa-Tech system. The information in this data sheet is given in good faith and is based on laboratory and field testing. Ampro Australia has no control over the conditions under which this product is used, so the end user must satisfy themselves that the product is suitable for the intended application and conditions. All times are quoted at 20 °C and 50% relative humidity unless stated otherwise. This sheet supersedes all previous issues.
