Best deep-scratch repair kit/system?

[Crist Clapper]

What is the best deep-scratch kit/system?

[The Guz]

Re: Best deep-scratch repair kit/system?

Any photos for us to see what you are working with?

[Daniel Kinder]

Re: Best deep-scratch repair kit/system?

Hey Crist

I've bought alot of the touch up kit on the shelfs of auto parts store and watched Larry of AMMO'S video's and mixed alot of what I learned from him and alot of what not to do over the years of my mistakes and learning and now have a pretty good technique with good results. Still learning and testing different idea's and techniques but this is my technique right now.

First I start off with cleaning out the scratch or chip with 2000 grit sand paper, either folded in half for fine scratches or the great trick I learned from Larry. Which is for chips take a hole punch and punch out some 2000 grit sand paper or whatever you prefer/choose, and then glue to a #2 unused pencil eraser. That why you can use to just place the pencil eraser end with the 2000 grit glued to and place on/in the chip and just with a twisting motion twist back and forth to clean out before touching up.

Next is optional, use some paste wax and rub on and around the chip/scratch to be touched up, next use a pointed q-tip (found in the make up aisle) and dampen with 50%IPA and rub a couple times in scratch/chip to remove the paste wax and dirt/grease.

Thin I apply a thin layer of paint into the area to be touched up, not trying to be perfect, just pushing into the area. (the touch-up paint not in the scratch/chip will be on the paste wax, so it will be easier to remove and you dont have to worry about sanding it off as much) Most of the time I use the end of a tooth pick or the side so I'm working with a small amount of paint.

Use a porter cable heat gun on low heat setting to help dry faster and repeat touch up paint process 2 or 3 more times. Next I use 3000 grit sand paper and wet sand area very lightly! Just a couple 2 or 3 passes and then dry area off to check process. Repeat as needed to work the paint down level and then I use my 3'' DA with a finishing or polishing pad on low speed and very light pressure with D151 PRC or M205 to blend together.

Sorry for the small pic, was a rush detail and these next 2 pics was from me texting to the lady, 1st pic was also taking outside and the next/after was in my garage.



And after, again sorry for the quality.

Close up to show a bigger and better pic. Didn't realize what I had done until to late, so reason for the bigger pic.


Hope that helped or give some ideal's. Larry has a couple great touch up video's on his site to help you further and you can also go to your auto parts store's and pick you up a small sheet of 3000 grit finishing paper for around $8.00. I also got me a 5000 grit sheet tonight for more testing on a couple more jobs I have coming in.

Go get you a small test panel/hood and some of the things I mention and start practicing and then you can make your own system/kit that you need or like me with my own style with help from Larry and Richard Lin's technique's/styles.

[Crist Clapper]

Re: Best deep-scratch repair kit/system?

I think I found a brother from another mother... It's the kind of details I give to questions! Information received and I'm anxious to start... Thanks!

Hey Crist

I've bought alot of the touch up kit on the shelfs of auto parts store and watched Larry of AMMO'S video's and mixed alot of what I learned from him and alot of what not to do over the years of my mistakes and learning and now have a pretty good technique with good results. Still learning and testing different idea's and techniques but this is my technique right now.

First I start off with cleaning out the scratch or chip with 2000 grit sand paper, either folded in half for fine scratches or the great trick I learned from Larry. Which is for chips take a hole punch and punch out some 2000 grit sand paper or whatever you prefer/choose, and then glue to a #2 unused pencil eraser. That why you can use to just place the pencil eraser end with the 2000 grit glued to and place on/in the chip and just with a twisting motion twist back and forth to clean out before touching up.

Next is optional, use some paste wax and rub on and around the chip/scratch to be touched up, next use a pointed q-tip (found in the make up aisle) and dampen with 50%IPA and rub a couple times in scratch/chip to remove the paste wax and dirt/grease.

Thin I apply a thin layer of paint into the area to be touched up, not trying to be perfect, just pushing into the area. (the touch-up paint not in the scratch/chip will be on the paste wax, so it will be easier to remove and you dont have to worry about sanding it off as much) Most of the time I use the end of a tooth pick or the side so I'm working with a small amount of paint.

Use a porter cable heat gun on low heat setting to help dry faster and repeat touch up paint process 2 or 3 more times. Next I use 3000 grit sand paper and wet sand area very lightly! Just a couple 2 or 3 passes and then dry area off to check process. Repeat as needed to work the paint down level and then I use my 3'' DA with a finishing or polishing pad on low speed and very light pressure with D151 PRC or M205 to blend together.

Sorry for the small pic, was a rush detail and these next 2 pics was from me texting to the lady, 1st pic was also taking outside and the next/after was in my garage.



And after, again sorry for the quality.

Close up to show a bigger and better pic. Didn't realize what I had done until to late, so reason for the bigger pic.


Hope that helped or give some ideal's. Larry has a couple great touch up video's on his site to help you further and you can also go to your auto parts store's and pick you up a small sheet of 3000 grit finishing paper for around $8.00. I also got me a 5000 grit sheet tonight for more testing on a couple more jobs I have coming in.

Go get you a small test panel/hood and some of the things I mention and start practicing and then you can make your own system/kit that you need or like me with my own style with help from Larry and Richard Lin's technique's/styles.

[billddrummer]

Re: Best deep-scratch repair kit/system?

Great thread! My Accent was scratched through the clear coat at a parking lot--this may very well be the way to restore it.

Already have the touchup paint and 3000 grit paper.

Appreciate the detail, thanks!

[billddrummer]

Re: Best deep-scratch repair kit/system?

Work in progress--my detailer friend inspected my work so far and said I do have the mounded condition, which means I have filled in enough to start on sanding it down.

Do have a question though--after the 3000 grit sanding, what compound should I use to blend the scratch with the surrounding paint. As I said on another thread, using a variable speed DA polisher from Harbor Freight, unloaded speed up to 6400 opm.

First foray with a true DA tool, so any thoughts are welcome!

Thanks

bdd

[The Guz]

Re: Best deep-scratch repair kit/system?

What compounds do you have?

[billddrummer]

Re: Best deep-scratch repair kit/system?

What compounds do you have?

Thanks for asking Guz. Now, all of these are from the consumer line, not pro detailer.
These are for correction/polish:

Ultimate Polish
ScratchX 2.0
SwirlX

Meguiar's Clay System

Quick Detailer (standard, not UQD)

Gold Class Carnauba Plus paste wax

Various MF and terry cloths, bonnets and wipes

What would you recommend I add?

bdd

[The Guz]

Re: Best deep-scratch repair kit/system?

I would pick up some ultimate compound or M105 to remove the sanding marks. You may even want to follow up with 5000 grit to remove them even easier.

[billddrummer]

Re: Best deep-scratch repair kit/system?

I would pick up some ultimate compound or M105 to remove the sanding marks. You may even want to follow up with 5000 grit to remove them even easier.

Excellent! I knew I could count on the vast knowledge of this group!

Thanks Guz!

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Best deep-scratch repair kit/system?

What a fantastic write up, Daniel!!!! For chips and even fine scratches you guys might want to look into Dr. ColorChip. We don't normally recommend other company's products here but in this case we'll make an exception. We've actually used them quite a bit around here and the stuff really does work. You may need multiple applications to fully full larger, deeper chips but it's very straightforward, if a bit more expensive than the color match touch up bottles you can pick up at your local auto parts store.

Personally, I like using the touch up bottles and a very fine artists brush for application, building up as needed to fill the chip. Once it's dry all it usually takes is a small block wrapped in 2000 or 3000 grit sandpaper to knock down the paint blob, and then some D300 or M100 on a microfiber pad via DA to remove the sanding marks. It's important to use as small a bit of sandpaper as possible in order to keep the sanded area small. You never want to use just a small bit of sandpaper and your thumb, however, as you'll get so much compression with your thumb that the sand paper will conform to the shape of the paint blob and remove material from it and the surrounding factory paint. This does not effectively level the paint blob, which is what you ultimately want to do - while leaving as much of the surrounding paint untouched.

[billddrummer]

Re: Best deep-scratch repair kit/system?

Update:

Thanks Mike and everyone for the fabulous information!

I did pick up some UC, and found a set of 3000-12000 grit foam sanding blocks at Hobby Lobby (in the woodcraft section, I think). Have had to take a break from working on the scratch because of weather.

Now that it has warmed up (no snow ) I plan on working on the scratch this weekend, most likely Sunday. My detailer friend showed me how he handles scratches, and I'll be able to incorporate some of his techniques. (He showed me on a neglected trailer with acrylic paint, but the process is similar. He uses Adams products.)

Wish me luck! (And I hope to figure out how to post photos before long.)

[billddrummer]

Re: Best deep-scratch repair kit/system?

Excellent! I knew I could count on the vast knowledge of this group!

Thanks Guz!

Update on my scratch:

After the sandpaper (used a set of 3000-12000 grit sanding pads from Hobby Lobby), used my HF DA orbiter with UC and AutoZone blue polishing bonnet (terry), medium speed, medium pressure. Was able to smooth out the touchup paint, blended edges but line still shows. Decided I was done playing with it, washed, clayed, polished with UP and followed with Ultimate Carnuaba wax.

Can still see the scratch but it's less noticeable.

Still challenged with photos, so can't share them, but appreciate all the info and suggestions this forum brought to the project.

I am better prepared to handle the next one--most likely will invest in some MF pads for more aggressive correction.

Thanks again.

[davey g-force]

Re: Best deep-scratch repair kit/system?

You never want to use just a small bit of sandpaper and your thumb, however, as you'll get so much compression with your thumb that the sand paper will conform to the shape of the paint blob and remove material from it and the surrounding factory paint. This does not effectively level the paint blob, which is what you ultimately want to do - while leaving as much of the surrounding paint untouched.

So Mike, what sanding blocks do you reccomend? Are they hard, or still slightly soft?

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Best deep-scratch repair kit/system?

So Mike, what sanding blocks do you reccomend? Are they hard, or still slightly soft?

Great question, and rather timely as I just did some similar chip repair on my wife's car a week or so ago. If the area is really flat I like a hard backing pad for the sandpaper as it allows for faster leveling of the material. But if I'm anywhere near a curve or edge, I want something with a bit of give to it, even if just to shape it around the body contour that I'm close to.

It should also be noted that you want to exercise caution when doing any sanding so as not to alter the existing texture of the paint around the chip repair. Let's face it, a little chip might be a great frustration to almost anyone, but to an MOL member it's exasperating. But that same MOL member is going to notice if, in the course of fixing the chip, you've suddenly left an area totally devoid of orange peel when the rest of the car has plenty. Now you've got this big ol' dead flat, nearly perfect patch in a field of tiny little ripples. If the orange peel in your paint drove you crazy before, it surely will if that happens. That's just another reason why sometimes having a slightly softer backing pad, and even use of a Unigrit Finishing Disc rather than a Unigrit Sanding Disc or even Unigrit Sandpaper, is the better way to go. Remember, the Unigrit Finishing Discs have an integral foam backing and the abrasive particles themselves are designed to move, so the whole structure allows for texture matching as opposed to texture leveling.