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Paint thickness / correcting damage from rotary

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  • #1

    Paint thickness / correcting damage from rotary

    My black Lexus GX470 was in the shop for an oil change and tire rotation. Somehow, the hood received 5 scratches equal distance apart and in length. None could catch a finger nail. Showed scratches to the dealer and they agreed to fix. They buffed the entire hood with a rotary and the scratches went away. Unfortunately, now there appear to be what I can only describe as a wave in several areas. It is as if they applied too much pressure to the buffer and caused waves in the clear coat. Is there any way to smooth out this hood? Does anyone know how thick the layer of clear is on a Lexus? Will this result in premature paint failure?
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  • #2
    The only way to take those defects out, are by the same tool they used to put them in. Only this time take it to a pro, and have the dealership pay for it.
    Never argue with an Idiot.. They'll only drag you down to their level, then beat you with experience..

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    • #3
      Have you looked at it in the sun yet for swirls, buffer marks and holograms?

      You may be better off with a wave than with having the clear reduced all over the hood. I have read (this doesn't mean it is true) that clear coat is about twice the thickness of the cellophane wrapper on a package of cigarettes. And I took a piece of peeling clearcoat off a car yesterday, and I was shocked at the reality of how little material there is. You can have them test the thickness all over with an electronic gauge, so you can see just how much they took off.

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      • #4
        How To Remove Swirls By Hand
        2017 Subaru WRX Premium - WR Blue

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        • #5
          Can Fine-Cut Cleaner be used in conjunction with Scratch-X to remove teh wave in the clear coat by hand?

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          • #6
            I'm trying to visualize what the "wave" looks like. Does it have a hazy appearance like a swirl or hologram? Is it perfectly glossy but with a different texture (orangepeel) than the rest of the hood? Is it an uneven shape in the hood like very shallow dents?


            PC.

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            • #7
              There is no haze at all. It is as if the rotating wheel was pressed against the surafce in successive close passes creating a riple effect. It is glossy, but the texture hasn't changed - but you do feel the indentations. Think of it as an enlarged fingerprint - the hills and valleys or crests of a wave. Unless you touch it or put your face next to the hood, you can't see them. However, us carcrazy people stay up at night thinking abouts these defects. I'll try and post a picture of it. I'm trying to ocate a professional detail shop that can fix this but haven't found anything in the West Palm Beach area. If any South Florida members read this and can suggest a pro shop, please advise. Thanks.

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              • #8
                Sounds like classic buffer swirl to me. If it's not too severe and your paint isn't too hard you may be able to remove it by hand. ScratchX is your best bet for that (but no guarantees). #2 Fine Cut Cleaner does work by hand by it's optimized for machine. By hand, I doubt it will buy you anything over ScratchX alone.

                It's possible they removed too much clear and the finish will fail prematurely in those areas. As Monk points out, the only way to know is to measure it. By measuring the film thickness in multiple locations and comparing the thickness in the buffed areas to the untouched areas you can see how much is gone.

                If the dealer has a paint shop they should have a thickness gauge they can use to show you what they did.

                I know it's a very long drive from West Palm Beach, but if you happen to be available Saturday and can wander over to Tampa...


                PC.

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by 3JBS
                  There is no haze at all. It is as if the rotating wheel was pressed against the surafce in successive close passes creating a riple effect. It is glossy, but the texture hasn't changed - but you do feel the indentations. Think of it as an enlarged fingerprint - the hills and valleys or crests of a wave. Unless you touch it or put your face next to the hood, you can't see them. However, us carcrazy people stay up at night thinking abouts these defects. I'll try and post a picture of it. I'm trying to ocate a professional detail shop that can fix this but haven't found anything in the West Palm Beach area. If any South Florida members read this and can suggest a pro shop, please advise. Thanks.
                  I PM'd you. We have same dealer. I don't want to mention the dealer or give you a pro shop on the forum b/c of Forum Rules.

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