Acid Rain Etching Question

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Mirror Detailing

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Searched around, could not find the exact answer to my question. Got a White 300c I am working on. Customer paid someone $100 to do a full buff on it, basically got what they paided for. Thing had some SERIOUS holograms in it. Have been able to remove those, but with removing them I have noticed Acid rain, and what seems to be Solvent Pop mixed in. I know the solvent pop cant come out, but my question is...

The Acid Rain etching, if it has etched completely in there, only thing that can remove it is wet sanding correct? I have already gone at it with the Dewalt 849 with LC White Pad with the M105, did not remove it. Would I need to go more indepth with a PFW pad or is it something that can just be etched in there already?
 
Good question!

Just to keep it simple, if you look at the horizontal point of view graphic below from this thread,

What it means to remove swirls, scratches and water spots out of automotive clear coats

Water Spots
water-spots-art.jpg
WaterSpotEtching3.jpg




As long as the Acid Rain Spots or more accurately the etchings are not too deep then it's just a matter of removing enough material surrounding the etchings until you level the upper surface of the paint with the lowest depths of the defects you're trying to remove.

Can it be risky?

You bet.

Try the Purple Foamed Pad or even a true wool cutting pad with the M105 for a few passes and see if there's any noticeable improvement.

Do you have a PTG? (Paint Thickness Gauge)


Sanding is a cooler way to approach serious defect removal but still risky just like heavy compounding with a rotary buffer. The deciding factor as to whether the job can be done successfully is always determined by how thick the working film-build of the top or clear layer of paint is.

Are you making great money for the job?

Might want to bow out or explain because other detailers have removed paint before you ever worked on the car that the owner will need to sign a waiver before you try to attempt fixing the problem.

If this is a clear coat finish you don't want to get to a point where you start seeing white paint on the face of your buffing pad.


:)
 
Mike.Phillips@Autogeek said:
Good question!

Just to keep it simple, if you look at the horizontal point of view graphic below from this thread,

What it means to remove swirls, scratches and water spots out of automotive clear coats

Water Spots
water-spots-art.jpg
WaterSpotEtching3.jpg




As long as the Acid Rain Spots or more accurately the etchings are not too deep then it's just a matter of removing enough material surrounding the etchings until you level the upper surface of the paint with the lowest depths of the defects you're trying to remove.

Can it be risky?

You bet.

Try the Purple Foamed Pad or even a true wool cutting pad with the M105 for a few passes and see if there's any noticeable improvement.

Do you have a PTG? (Paint Thickness Gauge)


Sanding is a cooler way to approach serious defect removal but still risky just like heavy compounding with a rotary buffer. The deciding factor as to whether the job can be done successfully is always determined by how thick the working film-build of the top or clear layer of paint is.

Are you making great money for the job?

Might want to bow out or explain because other detailers have removed paint before you ever worked on the car that the owner will need to sign a waiver before you try to attempt fixing the problem.

If this is a clear coat finish you don't want to get to a point where you start seeing white paint on the face of your buffing pad.


:)
Click to expand...

I have done enough paint correction. The money isnt the question for this one. Its the owner of a very nice Car Resto shop in my area's personal car. So I am cutting a deal to get more work from him. I am confident in my ability, I just wanted to make sure that I wasnt chasing acid spots across the whole car, if wet sanding was going to be the only option. I will test out a spot with the PFW real fast and get back in just a minute.

The clear is still pretty even around the area. Average across the whole car is 4.3mils with the area I already hit with the rotary being 4.1mils.
 
Try a wool pad and a rotary buffer. If that doesnt get it out you will need to wet sand it, but make sure you use a PTG
 
Did two test spots 1 with Menz. Powergloss and then 1 spot with M105. Each with the PFW. Seems to have corrected about 5-10% more than with two buffs with the GG DA with SIP via a LC White Pad.
 
Mirror Detailing said:
I have done enough paint correction. The money isnt the question for this one. Its the owner of a very nice Car Resto shop in my area's personal car. So I am cutting a deal to get more work from him. I am confident in my ability, I just wanted to make sure that I wasnt chasing acid spots across the whole car, if wet sanding was going to be the only option.
Click to expand...


I re-read my first reply, just want to make sure nothing I typed was taken in any way other than it was meant and that's to help...

Hope you didn't think I was questioning anything related to your skill and ability, just an outside point of view on risk vs reward.

As for doing a great job for referral work I've done that before so I know where you're coming from.

Both compounding with a rotary and sanding will remove acid rain etchings, compounding generates more heat as wet-sanding is pretty cool. Of course you have to use the rotary to remove your sanding marks but if you finish out in a high grit then you don't have to buff as long so you won't generate as much heat, at least that's the idea and the goal.

Sounds like pretty thin paint overall, sometimes you can't always completely remove the defects but you can usually improve them to the point that they are harder to see and the owner can live with the results as compared to the cost of a repaint.

:)
 
Mike.Phillips@Autogeek said:
After the last pass are the etching spots gone to your satisfaction?

:)
Click to expand...

Luckly I told the owner it was going to be about 95% correction. So luckly running the rotary on the hood, roof and truck took a good bit of the etching down. Still slightly there, and but enough to it is a night and day difference between when he gave it to me to when he will get it back! :)

Mike.Phillips@Autogeek said:
I re-read my first reply, just want to make sure nothing I typed was taken in any way other than it was meant and that's to help...

Hope you didn't think I was questioning anything related to your skill and ability, just an outside point of view on risk vs reward.

As for doing a great job for referral work I've done that before so I know where you're coming from.

Both compounding with a rotary and sanding will remove acid rain etchings, compounding generates more heat as wet-sanding is pretty cool. Of course you have to use the rotary to remove your sanding marks but if you finish out in a high grit then you don't have to buff as long so you won't generate as much heat, at least that's the idea and the goal.

Sounds like pretty thin paint overall, sometimes you can't always completely remove the defects but you can usually improve them to the point that they are harder to see and the owner can live with the results as compared to the cost of a repaint.

:)
Click to expand...

I knew you werent question my abilities. Was just replying. I will probably just go as far as I have now. I am thinking either multiple steps with the rotary or wet sanding will be needed to get it fully out. But that would be at the cost of bringing the clear level to a very thin level. I would prefer to not do that. Plus the owner, like I said, will be thrilled in comparison to how the car was when he dropped it off to when he gets it back.

Now if I was getting paid for a full correction job, IE by the hour, then yeah this thing would look brand new. But I am not getting paid that, and this guy is getting a deal for what he is getting done to it currently. So.

Thanks for the answers Mike! :dblthumb2:
 
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