ScratchX Results

[rah140]

I have a new Honda Accord and I found a scuff mark on the bumper. I have used Scratchx many times with great results. I was able to get the scuff out and looks great, the only problem is that I noticed a small area, about 1/16" x 3/8" just underneath the contour line next to the scuff mark that has a slight haze. When looking at it from an angle, it is shinny, but when I look at it directly in the sunlight , it is slightly lighter. There was no color transfer on the whit applicator that I used. if I run my fingernail across the blemish, I can feel that is is not exactly smooth. I can feel it slightly rougher that the smoother surface. I did not rub very hard and did not rub very long to get the scuff mark out. The defect will never show up in a picture.

I have used ScratchX many time and have rubbbed a lot harder and longer without going through the clear coat. It is barely visible and you have if you know where to look in order to seed it. I don't want to try any further to risk damaging the paint further. It is not dull, which is normally the sign for burning through. Did I go through the clear coat, is it possible that it came from the manufacturer with a sloght defect in the paint?

[Murr1525]

It's also possible the scratchx may have been to strong... need a milder followup.

[davey g-force]

Re: ScratchX Results

So the area in question is not where the scuff was but below it?

Did you also polish the area in question with ScratchX while you were trying to remove the scuff?

If the blemish is in one area, but not on other areas you polished, it sounds like it may have been already there.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: ScratchX Results

So the area in question is not where the scuff was but below it?

Did you also polish the area in question with ScratchX while you were trying to remove the scuff?

If the blemish is in one area, but not on other areas you polished, it sounds like it may have been already there.

These are the exact questions we wanted to ask.

It is quite possible that the defect was there prior to you working on the scuff mark, and you're close inspection following your work put you in a position (quite literally) to see it. We regularly see all kinds of paint defects that are missed at the factory, or even created at the factory. We've seen Italian exotics with sanding pigtails from the factory, domestic cars with multiple hazed areas where spot repair sanding marks were not fully removed, etc. I recently had a very eye opening email exchange with someone who manages the paint department at a major manufacturer assembly line and the struggles they were having with full removal of sanding marks. He told me what abrasive they were using, what pads and liquids are being used to remove the sanding marks, what tool, tool speed, etc. He even mentioned specifically the two different paint suppliers they use (which goes to discussions about paint hardness and how we can't always assume that all of MakeA/ModelB have the exact same paint!!). But what really struck me, even though it really shouldn't have, is the time allotment they have for their task: 53 seconds. Yep, less than a minute to spot sand and compound a specific defect. Gotta keep the line moving, right? Is it any wonder, then, that sometimes a paint defect is missed, or not fully corrected? US auto sales are above 15 million units annually, with worldwide production exceeding 80 million units. That's a lot of potential for a defect here and there, and the risk is even greater for any car shipped across an ocean, let alone across the US.

[davey g-force]

Re: ScratchX Results

53 seconds.

I'm completely shocked!