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Proper Scratch Repair |
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Myths 1. NO repair "stick" will work worth a darn. I have tried the things and have had many customers tell me they had no luck. 2. The same thing goes for "color" waxes. Nice idea, won't work. Save your money. Fine Scratches Medium Scratches If you have fine scratches in the clear coat (or top coat of non-clear coated paint) that you CAN feel with your fingernail, you might be able to get these out by using a more aggressive polish or compound like Meguiars Heavy Cut Cleaner followed by their Medium Cut Cleaner (we do not sell Meguiars products, you can get them at most body shop supply outlets), then follow with DC CarCare super glaze. Work with a sponge right over the scratch and slowly work in ever expanding motions to blend in the work you are doing. Be very careful using the Heavy and Medium Cut cleaners above. It is easy to go through clear coat or the color coat and then you have a bigger problem. Only go this route if the scratches are very fine. If you think the scratch is through the clear coat, or almost through the color coat on non-clear coat paints, do NOT try to use compound to get it out. Go to the next step below. OUCH!, Bad Scratches The only way to really repair deep scratches is to use touch-up paint. Clean the area with 3m Paint Prep to get out wax/dirt. Use a toothbrush to
really get in there. Sand down any loose areas with 2000 grit wet When dry and clean, start filling in the scratch with thin layers of touch-up paint. (use primer if you are down to the metal) Buy the correct touch-up paint, and a bottle of clear and a bottle of thinner. Thin out the touch-up right away/ It is almost always too thick. You want it to run easily, but not come all the way off the brush. To apply the paint, use a toothpick slightly roughed up on the tip, or a paper match cut to a V with a razor blade. The brush that comes with touch up paint is too big to get into the small scratches Apply only one layer a day, or one layer in the AM and one in the PM, several hours apart. This is the right way to fill in a scratch. When you get the paint almost even with the surface of the surrounding paint, then start with the clear touch-up. Use several layers of this till you have it slightly above the surface of the surrounding paint. Be careful to lay the paint IN the scratch, not all around it till the last couple of layers of clear Use the 2000 or 3000 grit sandpaper on a tiny block of flat wood (maybe 1/2" square. cut a square of sandpaper and glue it to the block) and very lightly try to just sand the top of the paint in the scratch that is above the surrounding paint. When the area is level, you will start sanding the surrounding paint. STOP
at this point and use a fine polish like the DC CarCare super glaze
with a firm sponge or maybe a polish cloth over a flat block, maybe
1" square. Lightly polish in all directions to bring back the shine. This will
take some time, work in small circles, X's and slowly expand to include several inches of
the surrounding area as the shine comes back. Use light pressure. DO NOT use the
tips of your fingers, use a sponge and don't compress it. You can "groove"
the paint leaving a section that is visibly lower or shinier than the surrounding area.
the object here is to "blend" in the shine again. I don't know of many detailers or body shops will have the patience to do
this without charging you a huge sum of money. |
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