Discussion
The cat keeps jumping onto the boot to get to the comfy material roof to have a sleep.
My midnight blue paint seems to show up scratches so easily...these are not deep, I can't even feel them with my fingernail but I can see them for sure.
I have no detailing experience but would appreciate advice on how to remove these scratches?
My midnight blue paint seems to show up scratches so easily...these are not deep, I can't even feel them with my fingernail but I can see them for sure.
I have no detailing experience but would appreciate advice on how to remove these scratches?
+1 for Meguiars Ultimate Compound. Work the area by hand with a polishing pad, won’t do any harm.
Failing that, a detailer got a deeper cat scratch out of my car with some fine wet and dry paper then compound. Obviously tread carefully with this!
The main issue will be persuading the cat to relax somewhere else in future. I remember our neighbour unwittingly driving off with our cat still sitting the roof of her Saab convertible as he jumped on as she was getting in!
Failing that, a detailer got a deeper cat scratch out of my car with some fine wet and dry paper then compound. Obviously tread carefully with this!
The main issue will be persuading the cat to relax somewhere else in future. I remember our neighbour unwittingly driving off with our cat still sitting the roof of her Saab convertible as he jumped on as she was getting in!
Gave Meguiars Ultimate Compound a go today, rubbish did nothing, that's going back to Amazon for a refund. I think all these scratch remover creams are snake oil.
Am toying with buying this and risking it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XsQ92kxG-c
Am toying with buying this and risking it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XsQ92kxG-c
Get some panel wipe (IPA alcohol basically) and spray it on the marks, if they disappear while the panel is wet then they can be polished/sanded out. If you can still see them while the panel is wet and the alcohol is evaporating then they will still be there after all your work and it needs a respray.
Scratches (that haven't gone through the clear coat) are visible due to the light reflecting across the surface. You need to on a microns level flatten out the lacquer, most importantly without burning through it.
Respectfully, on a boot lid with edges etc, with scratches close to the limit of the clear coat, you are playing with fire, if you go through the clear coat then it has to be resprayed.
As a painter by trade I wet sand with P1500 to actually remove the scratches, then P2000 to remove the P1500 scratch marks, then P3000 to remove the P2000 scratch marks, then use a rotary with a heavy cutting compound to remove the P3000 scratch marks, then a DA machine polisher with a fine polish to get the shine back. It's a lot of work to remove what you think are 'just scratches'.
By all means have a play, but be careful using a machine polisher on edges, you can burn through that clear coat in a blink.
If the scratches are deep (and deep is more than a few microns) then you are going to be using a machine polisher all day long to microscopically cut back the clear coat enough to level it out, thats why you think the polishes/compounds are rubbish. They aren't ever going to cut out deep scratches, they aren't harsh enough, but if you go for something coarser like wet and dry then you need to be really really careful as there is no coming back once you've rubbed through.
Scratches (that haven't gone through the clear coat) are visible due to the light reflecting across the surface. You need to on a microns level flatten out the lacquer, most importantly without burning through it.
Respectfully, on a boot lid with edges etc, with scratches close to the limit of the clear coat, you are playing with fire, if you go through the clear coat then it has to be resprayed.
As a painter by trade I wet sand with P1500 to actually remove the scratches, then P2000 to remove the P1500 scratch marks, then P3000 to remove the P2000 scratch marks, then use a rotary with a heavy cutting compound to remove the P3000 scratch marks, then a DA machine polisher with a fine polish to get the shine back. It's a lot of work to remove what you think are 'just scratches'.
By all means have a play, but be careful using a machine polisher on edges, you can burn through that clear coat in a blink.
If the scratches are deep (and deep is more than a few microns) then you are going to be using a machine polisher all day long to microscopically cut back the clear coat enough to level it out, thats why you think the polishes/compounds are rubbish. They aren't ever going to cut out deep scratches, they aren't harsh enough, but if you go for something coarser like wet and dry then you need to be really really careful as there is no coming back once you've rubbed through.
Fat Old Sun said:
Gave Meguiars Ultimate Compound a go today, rubbish did nothing, that's going back to Amazon for a refund. I think all these scratch remover creams are snake oil.
Regular posters here will kill me, but have you tried good old-fashioned T-Cut? Short of using wet and dry, which I wouldn't dare, it's the best thing I know for removing or minimising this kind of scratch.DaveF-SkinnysAutos said:
Get some panel wipe (IPA alcohol basically) and spray it on the marks, if they disappear while the panel is wet then they can be polished/sanded out. If you can still see them while the panel is wet and the alcohol is evaporating then they will still be there after all your work and it needs a respray.
Scratches (that haven't gone through the clear coat) are visible due to the light reflecting across the surface. You need to on a microns level flatten out the lacquer, most importantly without burning through it.
Respectfully, on a boot lid with edges etc, with scratches close to the limit of the clear coat, you are playing with fire, if you go through the clear coat then it has to be resprayed.
As a painter by trade I wet sand with P1500 to actually remove the scratches, then P2000 to remove the P1500 scratch marks, then P3000 to remove the P2000 scratch marks, then use a rotary with a heavy cutting compound to remove the P3000 scratch marks, then a DA machine polisher with a fine polish to get the shine back. It's a lot of work to remove what you think are 'just scratches'.
By all means have a play, but be careful using a machine polisher on edges, you can burn through that clear coat in a blink.
If the scratches are deep (and deep is more than a few microns) then you are going to be using a machine polisher all day long to microscopically cut back the clear coat enough to level it out, thats why you think the polishes/compounds are rubbish. They aren't ever going to cut out deep scratches, they aren't harsh enough, but if you go for something coarser like wet and dry then you need to be really really careful as there is no coming back once you've rubbed through.
Thanks for that, very useful to know, the machine arrived today...I did watch this chap review it, he seems to know what he's talking about. Will give it a nervous go at the weekend!Scratches (that haven't gone through the clear coat) are visible due to the light reflecting across the surface. You need to on a microns level flatten out the lacquer, most importantly without burning through it.
Respectfully, on a boot lid with edges etc, with scratches close to the limit of the clear coat, you are playing with fire, if you go through the clear coat then it has to be resprayed.
As a painter by trade I wet sand with P1500 to actually remove the scratches, then P2000 to remove the P1500 scratch marks, then P3000 to remove the P2000 scratch marks, then use a rotary with a heavy cutting compound to remove the P3000 scratch marks, then a DA machine polisher with a fine polish to get the shine back. It's a lot of work to remove what you think are 'just scratches'.
By all means have a play, but be careful using a machine polisher on edges, you can burn through that clear coat in a blink.
If the scratches are deep (and deep is more than a few microns) then you are going to be using a machine polisher all day long to microscopically cut back the clear coat enough to level it out, thats why you think the polishes/compounds are rubbish. They aren't ever going to cut out deep scratches, they aren't harsh enough, but if you go for something coarser like wet and dry then you need to be really really careful as there is no coming back once you've rubbed through.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XsQ92kxG-c
Simpo Two said:
Fat Old Sun said:
Gave Meguiars Ultimate Compound a go today, rubbish did nothing, that's going back to Amazon for a refund. I think all these scratch remover creams are snake oil.
Regular posters here will kill me, but have you tried good old-fashioned T-Cut? Short of using wet and dry, which I wouldn't dare, it's the best thing I know for removing or minimising this kind of scratch.None of it is rocket science, you are trying to remove clear coat from around the scratch so you are bringing the surrounding area down to be level with the bottom of the scratch, and then the light reflects evenly across the whole panel, and you cant see the scratch.
If you remove too much, you are just getting rid of more clear coat than you need, and leaving less protection on your paint, but if you don't remove enough you won't get rid of the scratch.
Go too heavy and you will remove the scratch quickly but might go too far.
Go to fine with your abrasive and you just won't remove it, and as you spend more time rubbing it with the quickly spinning DA you are generating heat which burns through the paint and damages it.
It's a skill, but it has a high risk if you get it wrong!! You need to choose the right compound for the right scratch and then use the right technique to apply that product, but the difference between products really comes down to heavy or fine cutting, anything else is a sales gimmick or some kind of added filler which makes it look nice for an hour or two as it temporarily fills the scratch so the light reflects, but its just temporary.
DaveF-SkinnysAutos said:
T-Cut it still alright, I personally think a lot of the detailing world is 'magic beans', they are all very similar in what they achieve. T-Cut is a very heavy compound so its going to remove a lot of material and therefore will be better at deeper scratches, but unlike modern compounds it doesn't break down as you use it, so on a machine polisher its going to be very heavy and potentially leave marks which you then need to get rid of. It also produces a lot of heat as it doesn't break down, which can damage paint, and it also leaves a very obvious haze. Modern compounds break down as you use them, so they do the job then break down into finer abrasives, so can lead to a better shine, particularly on metallics etc.
I only use it with a microfibre cloth, and keep an eye on it as I go. Usually, as an untrained amateur, the finish it leaves is shiny and as good as the rest of the car, but if in doubt you can add a wax/polish/detailer on top. I would say it's certainly worth a go for the OP. Like photography, the ultimate judge of success is not the tech, but the Mk 1 eyeball.I will now run away and hide
Forums | Bodywork & Detailing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff