Getting scratches on your vehicles paint job can be devastating! Luckily for you, if they are not too deep, they can be finessed out of the top surface.
Most scratches and scuffs, as well as "orange peel" and some paint defects can be "finessed" out, depending on severity. You need to tread lightly, most clear coats can be 3-5 mils thick, and a typical "finesse job" can remove.5-1.0 mils of clear coat.
Pre-inspection
First you will want to wash the vehicle. This will allow you to accurately asses the damage and can prevent making the situation worse as you attempt repair. Wet sanding and buffing a dirty car can actually make the scratch worse! Once the car is clean, analyze the area. If its just a mere scuff or even paint transfer from the object that hit it, you can usually skip straight to buffing. If its a little deeper, you will need to wet-sand first. If its too deep (paint layer, primer or bare metal exposed) then the panel will need repainted.
Wet-sanding
If you decided to wetsand, you will need to get a foam sanding block and wet-sanding paper. You will want 2000 grit and 3000 grit "wet-or-dry" paper, found at most parts stores and automotive body supply shops. The foam pad is a must, because it conforms to the area you are working on, it absorbs water (you must keep the work area wet) and they are usually cheap. You only want to wet-sand until the defect is gone. Excessive sanding yields no extra benefit and makes the clear coat too think. The appearance after sanding will be a dull chalky color, but it should be smooth and even. I usually start with 2000 grit to do most of the work, then follow up with 3000 grit to make it real smooth. Always keep the work area WET and you can add a few drops of dish soap to your water (if you are using a spray bottle) for extra lubrication.
Polishing
To polish, you will need an electric polisher with variable speed. I usually set the speed between 1500 RPM and 2500 RPM, depending on what I'm working on and what kind of pad I am using. I use only foam pads unless I have a lot of material to remove and then I will use wool. You will also need a compound. There are different grades of compound depending on how much material you need to remove. The heavier the "cut", the larger the grit in the compound. If you are polishing after 3000 grit, there really isn't a need for a "heavy cut" compound. Keep in mind that every step of the process removes a small amount of clear coat, so you always want to go as little as possible.
Apply some compound to the work area and begin polishing with the buffer. One think to ALWAYS keep in mind with the buffer, is NEVER stop moving. Polishing creates heat and when the paint gets too hot, it can blister. Also stay away from raised edges. Raised edges can burn through the paint very quickly, down to primer or even bare metal. As you move the polisher back and forth, the compound will appear wet, then dry and then eventually disappear. You want to work in small sections, repeating that cycle (wet, dry, gone). Keep repeating until the dullness of the wet-sanding is gone.
Final Glaze
Polishing can leave the paint shiny, but there is still another step to really unlock the potential shine. To do this, you need a softer pad on the polisher (I find the softest foam they offer) and a bottle of special compound usually called "finishing glaze" (also called "swirl mark remover). Its a very compound designed to restore a very high shine and remove swirl marks from the previous step. It is applied just like regular compound.
Once the Finishing glaze is applied, a good coat of wax is recommended to help protect the paint. If the car has been recently painted, skip the wax as it can prevent the out-gassing of paint solvents weeks after a paint job. Rubbing compounds and finishing glazes are silicone free and won't "seal" the paint, so they are safe for "fresh" paint jobs.
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