[actd]

Hi CTRA while back, someone was careless next to me in the car park and left a graze in my door - it wasn't bad but at the weekend, I finally touched it in with the lacquer from the Nissan touch pens (wasn't deep enough to need any coloured paint). It's done the job of covering the graze, but looking at it at an angle, I can see that the finish isn't perfectly flat. Can you suggest what is best to gently flatten the surface and leave me with the polished lacquer finish? Thanks

 

[Lordharding]

For a proper job a d its a good long term investment
Das 6 da polisher and cutting fluid pads etc
Often group buys on detailing world
Price £150 ish to get you addicted to machine polishing

Autoglmn super resin polish and a decent cloth
Time And patience
£13 a container

 

[Darren C]

Craig (ctrdetailing) will likely be one of the best to advise and I'm sure he will be around shortly.

I hope that you get it sorted; though it is unlikely to ever be an invisible finish.

 

[Darren C]

Also, I'm not sure what preparation you undertook, but I would have cut it back using Meguiars scratch x or Autoglym cutting polish, applying thin coats of lacquer using a small paint brush or cocktail stick thereafter.

 

[actd]

Didn't prepare it at all except washing - used the brush in the touch pen to apply a very thin layer to the graze. You only notice it if you know to look for it, but I think I can get it better. I wondered about a cutting polish but worried that might affect the finish on the surrounding panel - I've used the Autoglym Super Resin Polish a couple of times since, but I'm not sure it will flatten the surface down - if it will, then I'll keep at it. Was hoping for advice from Craig.

 

[Deks]

CRAIG will surely be along to add his advice at some pointhe may be on a job today that doenst allow him internet access/time

 

[ctrdetailing]

hmm , id have liked to have seen a pic before you put any lacquer on it as if it wasnt completely through the clear coat it could have been polished completely out leaving no trace , if it was through the lacquer then a touch up would be needed , sadly you cant polish this out now as the polish and pad would remove all the surrounding lacquer (original) at the same rate and and you will burn through that before you ever got it flat and leave a burn through matt finish where all the lacquer has been removed (then a respray would be needed)2 choices are left now1 , carefully sand the raised area you touched up using a 1500/2000 grade wet sand paper taking care just to remove the lacquer you added and avoid touching the surrounding original lacquer , then once you have it reasonably flush polish the sand marks out leaving a fairly well hidden repair2 , use a paint razor (de-nibber) , this is like a wood plane for paint , it will basically shave off only the raised area of lacquer until flush but again would need a good polisher to then hide the marks left behind there is an alternative to buying a de-nibber which are about £50 which is a old style razor blade (double edged) and holding it flat to the paint slide it back and forth over the area and it will shave off the excess leaving its own damage but that is easily polished out by a machine polisherplease beware you can do serious damage using this method so should be done with extreme care or by a local professionalwith all these options polishing out the leftover marks should really be done by machine polisher as by hand would be a task and a half sorry theres no simple fix , how long ago did you lacquer it , im just thinking if it wasnt through the original lacquer you may still have time to use thinners and remove the lacquer you put on it ?

 

[ctrdetailing]

stick a few close up pictures for me and i may be able to give a better reply

 

[ctrdetailing]

actd wrote:
Didn't prepare it at all except washing - used the brush in the touch pen to apply a very thin layer to the graze. You only notice it if you know to look for it, but I think I can get it better. I wondered about a cutting polish but worried that might affect the finish on the surrounding panel - I've used the Autoglym Super Resin Polish a couple of times since, but I'm not sure it will flatten the surface down - if it will, then I'll keep at it. Was hoping for advice from Craig.
super resin will not help in any way here , it will help hide minute swirls but wont do anything to a damaged area im afraid and it has no cutting power at all for repairs , its a finishing product really

 

[ctrdetailing]

reading some of the new comment it sound like you have not lacquered the individual scratches but just brushed over the whole area , sadly this will make things much harder as that would rule out being able to use the de-nibber option as that is more for levelling lacquer put along the scratch line to be more help i really need to see some pics of the area buddy

 

[actd]

Thanks Craig - I suppose the mistake was not asking on here first. I did it on Friday, but I don't think thinners would work as (as far as I know) the touch kits are water based, and not thinner based. I did try to touch in the graze only (it's not a single scratch - the b****d presumably had their door open against mine and then got in the car so, spreading the damage), so there is a minimal overlap with the surrounding area, but there is some. The razor blade sounds like an excellent idea - what polish would you use to finish it when I've done this? I'll try to take a picture, but I'm not sure it will come out on a photo. Many thanks for the advice.
actd2013-04-16 14:52:46

 

[ctrdetailing]

a heavy cutting polish or scratch remover would be needed and then followed up with a refining polishi use megs 105 or m101 for cutting then 205 to refine , these will be good for the repair plus you will be able to use them on all the paint to get a great high shine so they wont go to waste

 

[actd]

Brilliant Craig - many thanks. Normally I'm not so perfectionist but, with the exception of a scrape on the mirror, this car has remained scratch free for over a year, so I'd like to get it back to near perfect

 

[Deks]

lacquers are still solvent based only the colour is water based.when I have done some paint work that has had flaws in it I have rubbed the final coat back carefully with 1500/2000 and plenty of soap and water then used G3 or G6 to polish it back up with a machine polisher.Not sure if this is of any help to you just my 2p worth with out having read all of Craigs advice above which is probably much more helpful than me Ill shut up now

 

[oldbloke]

you shut up Deks , that will be the day . right , my advice is , let some other buggar do it for you, its a lot easier that way

 

[actd]

Thanks for the help Craig - I got some Meguires 205 and with a a first application of some polishing compound first, followed by the 205 and a bit of time, it's now virtually invisible - I know where it is, but I still have to look hard to find it.

Definitely happier about it now

 

[Deks]

Sounds like a result and some excellent advice given by CTR

 

[ctrdetailing]

do the same on the whole car and see it shine , finish it off with a nice wax and your all sorted