Acid Rain Etching...

[HammerDown]

My truck was repainted some 8 years ago with Glasurit (top of the line) base coat/clear coat, I always keep it polished/waxed wit Meguiar's however just on the roof is the problem. The shop won't warranty damage from "acid rain"
Just wondering what you people are doing about acid rain etched marks...wet sanding then buffing the clear? I don't think my clear is thick enough to support any wet sanding that deep!
I've got it on the roof of my truck, a polish and wax helps but they just return when the polish/wax fades away.

[Markus Kleis]

Re: Acid Rain Etching...

Have any good pictures of the damage?

Can you ask the shop how many coats of clear they put on?

Depending on how bad it is you may actually be able to wet sand and buff them out.

[Executive Detailing]

Re: Acid Rain Etching...

Always assume they put on the bare minimum of clear coat when it was repainted.

If you are real gentle with the wet sanding and buffing, you should not have any problems.

If, however, you are not comfortable with wet sanding, it will be worth the extra money to have it done professionally.

[HammerDown]

Re: Acid Rain Etching...

I can get pictures on a clear day (raining now)...I've done wet sanding plenty of times but I don't think it's too thick on the roof of my truck. I could do a test area of 6"x6" to see how deep I need to go.

[Murr1525]

Re: Acid Rain Etching...

It could be bad, but there is also the chance of just using a paint cleaner to remove a little paint and safely removing the etching.

A mild etching is just like any other scratch/swirl, and using ScratchX or #105, etc would be appropriate to try.

[J. A. Michaels]

Re: Acid Rain Etching...

I also think using 3105 or scratch-x would be the way to tackle this. This is the items I would try a test spot with. Least aggressive first.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Acid Rain Etching...

Just wondering what you people are doing about acid rain etched marks...

Etchings like this are a below surface defect so you have to remove the paint surrounding the etching to level the paint as explained in the below thread found in our Hot Topics forum,

What it means to remove a scratch out of anything...


Then from our How To Articles forum, here's how we removed some bird dropping etchings which the same principal applies when removing any kind of below surface defects.

How To Remove a Bird Dropping Etching by Hand using M105 Ultra Cut Compound


Before perspective shot



Before



After



To make this easy, pick up some M105 Ultra Compound and apply by hand using a clean, soft foam applicator pad.

Work the product till the defects are gone then wipe off the residue and apply your favorite wax or paint sealant.

We also have a new more effective and faster working ScratchX 2.0 coming out in 2009 as well as a new aggressive but safe compound called Ultimate Compound if you want to wait till they come out to tackle this problem.


Click on the pictures for more information...

Swirl and Scratch Removers



What's the name of your performance boat forum? (forgot and didn't bookmark it)

[HammerDown]

Re: Acid Rain Etching...

What's the name of your performance boat forum? (forgot and didn't bookmark it)

Thanks for all the above...I'll do a test area to see how deep I need to go.

Here ya go Mike > http://www.performanceboats.com/html/forums/
I was also over on Hot Boat, I'm still listed as a Moderator but have no mod powers.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Acid Rain Etching...

Thanks for all the above...I'll do a test area to see how deep I need to go.

Here ya go Mike > http://www.performanceboats.com/html/forums/
I was also over on Hot Boat, I'm still listed as a Moderator but have no mod powers.

M105 is an amazing product and it's pretty easy to use for what you want to do by hand, then keep what's left around where it won't freeze for any future projects.

Thanks for the boat forum link, I remember you told me about it and I meant to check it out as we plan on getting back into a Sanger V-drive Drag Boat if the U.S. and the World economy ever recovers and we get back to some form or normalcy.

[HammerDown]

Re: Acid Rain Etching...

M105 is an amazing product and it's pretty easy to use for what you want to do by hand, then keep what's left around where it won't freeze for any future projects.

Thanks for the boat forum link, I remember you told me about it and I meant to check it out as we plan on getting back into a Sanger V-drive Drag Boat if the U.S. and the World economy ever recovers and we get back to some form or normalcy.

Mike I will try the product you suggested.
Also, there's a very good V-Drive section on that site...I moderate all locations but usually post in the Jet, East Coast, BOTE, Dyno Room areas.
And get that boat in the water!!!

[HammerDown]

Re: Acid Rain Etching...

Here are a few pics from today...just after I applied a coat of M21.
It looked a little worse before the M21
This is from acid-rain correct? What's odd is it's only on the roof, no other top/flat surfaces.

[HammerDown]

Re: Acid Rain Etching...

El bumpo...

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Acid Rain Etching...

Looks like some kind of etching?

Regardless, M105 by hand should be capable of removing enough paint to level or flatten out the finish and make the etchings disappear.

More important is to find a way to keep it from happening into the future...

[HammerDown]

Re: Acid Rain Etching...

Looks like some kind of etching?
...More important is to find a way to keep it from happening into the future...

Shucks, I thought that's why I've been religiously using Meguires products for...the past 2-decades...
Era, got anything better than M21?

[Markus Kleis]

Re: Acid Rain Etching...

Shucks, I thought that's why I've been religiously using Meguires products for...the past 2-decades...
Era, got anything better than M21?

If it is indeed acid etching than no wax on Earth will stop acid from getting to the paint. It's important to remember that wax plays a vital role in minimizing damage, but sometimes we ask a little too much for a micro-thin layer of wax to be able to achieve.

Mike *might* be eluding to trying to avoid a particular location or event that could have caused the damage, rather than implying a product will "make sure" it won't happen again.

Your best bet will be to do a thorough wash, a good claying of the vehicle, and then remove the etching with M105 by hand. Once done, seal the vehicle with two thin coats of M21. Two thin coats helps to make sure every square inch is covered.