How to fix a deliberate deep key scratch

InkedXombie said:
I still think these should be legal in the USA, rig them to go off with your car alarm, or when a metal object (like a key, or screwdriver) makes contact. :D
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I prefer the idea of electric shock that zaps those who touch the car. The flames could harm your own paint, as well as that of nearby cars. Pepper spray nozzles are legal, I think. There is tear gas, but not legal. :) Don't forget motion activated security cameras inside the car with a 360 degree view to catch the perpetrator in the act.
 
Re: Fixing a deliberate deep scratch

Mike.Phillips@Autogeek said:
Awesome repair, photography and documentation.

I'm going to edit your first post and give this a title with a blue clickable link to make it easier for everyone to share on our forum every time someone asks how to fix a deep key scratch.


:dblthumb2:
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Hey Mike, I want to throw a question at you. Whats your take on filling these deep scratches with paint and using unigrit sand papers and compounding on bumpers?
You think sand papers (and above mentioned procedure) would work on bumpers for deep scratches? I asked because I have a hunch that paint filling and correction is different for bumpers compared to the rest. Feed back please

Thanks
 
highroller said:
Hey Mike, I want to throw a question at you. Whats your take on filling these deep scratches with paint and using unigrit sand papers and compounding on bumpers?
You think sand papers (and above mentioned procedure) would work on bumpers for deep scratches? I asked because I have a hunch that paint filling and correction is different for bumpers compared to the rest. Feed back please

Thanks
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Anyone???


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great work and very nice step by step presentation :)

thanks for sharing , great post
 
highroller said:
Anyone???


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Often times, paint on urethane bumpers will have flex agent added to it to prevent it from cracking. It makes the paint softer and more prone to scratches as well as creeping from too much heat from buffing it. If I could find out the exact paint used on a certain bumper, I would use that with the fill, sand and compound method. If I could not get that exact paint, I would just go for touch up paint that is the right color and use the same method and hope for the best, as in hoping it doesn't crack.
 
New guy here! I am still trying to learn the paint theory, etc. Something I have always wondered is... in a situation like this, do I understand it right that when you sanded, you were taking the touch up paint down to the level of the clear coat, not the actual paint? Because if you took it down level with the actual paint, that would mean your clear coat is gone? I guess I just always had a problem figuring out how clear-coat was replaced when paint repairing paint that was damaged past the clear coat.
 
roberthathaway7 said:
New guy here! I am still trying to learn the paint theory, etc. Something I have always wondered is... in a situation like this, do I understand it right that when you sanded, you were taking the touch up paint down to the level of the clear coat, not the actual paint? Because if you took it down level with the actual paint, that would mean your clear coat is gone? I guess I just always had a problem figuring out how clear-coat was replaced when paint repairing paint that was damaged past the clear coat.
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When you sand the touch up paint, you sand it to match the same level as the overall paint surface, ie the top of the clear coat, or the top of the paint period, if the paint is single stage, ie non clear coat paint.

The best touch up comes from sanding the chip before you apply touch up, to feather edge the chip, to make a gradual transition from the chipped area to the surrounding paint. This reduces any hard line around the border of the repair and the surrounding area. The touch up is less noticeable that way. If you wanted to attempt perfection, you would feather edge, then fill with any color needed, then sand that perfectly flat to match the level of the color coat, then fill with clear, and then sand and polish that to match the level of the clear.
 
Blackthorn One said:
When you sand the touch up paint, you sand it to match the same level as the overall paint surface, ie the top of the clear coat, or the top of the paint period, if the paint is single stage, ie non clear coat paint.

The best touch up comes from sanding the chip before you apply touch up, to feather edge the chip, to make a gradual transition from the chipped area to the surrounding paint. This reduces any hard line around the border of the repair and the surrounding area. The touch up is less noticeable that way. If you wanted to attempt perfection, you would feather edge, then fill with any color needed, then sand that perfectly flat to match the level of the color coat, then fill with clear, and then sand and polish that to match the level of the clear.
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Thank you, very helpful! Well if I had the skill to do so, but one day...
 
Hi, very nice write up and excellent results. I'm about to attempt this on my car that was keyed though thankfully a much smaller 12 inch scratch. Is it true you didn't use any kind of clear coat over the painted scratch before sanding or polishing? Looks like there is a layer of clear on the finished repair. Thanks!
 
After applying touch up paint was it necessary to sand such a large area beyond the scratch? I was planning on doing the same thing but masking off some area around the scratch to limit sanding exposure?
 
Blackthorn One said:
When you sand the touch up paint, you sand it to match the same level as the overall paint surface, ie the top of the clear coat, or the top of the paint period, if the paint is single stage, ie non clear coat paint.

The best touch up comes from sanding the chip before you apply touch up, to feather edge the chip, to make a gradual transition from the chipped area to the surrounding paint. This reduces any hard line around the border of the repair and the surrounding area. The touch up is less noticeable that way. If you wanted to attempt perfection, you would feather edge, then fill with any color needed, then sand that perfectly flat to match the level of the color coat, then fill with clear, and then sand and polish that to match the level of the clear.
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Based on the current damage of the PO what grit do you recommend feathering the scratch with?
 
bmwstephen said:
Based on the current damage of the PO what grit do you recommend feathering the scratch with?
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1500 is what I would probably go with, but might start with 2000 to see how it works. I agree with masking off the surrounding area. I have recommended that approach before.

Always start with the finest that could work, then up the coarseness as needed. If for some reason paint was very hard and it was a large area, I would try 1200 after 1500, and then 1000 after that, and no coarser. However, 1200 is the coarsest I have ever needed on paint. Primer would call for coarser, though.
 
Very nice job. Did you apply clear coat at any point during the repair process?
 
Blackthorn One said:
1500 is what I would probably go with, but might start with 2000 to see how it works. I agree with masking off the surrounding area. I have recommended that approach before.

Always start with the finest that could work, then up the coarseness as needed. If for some reason paint was very hard and it was a large area, I would try 1200 after 1500, and then 1000 after that, and no coarser. However, 1200 is the coarsest I have ever needed on paint. Primer would call for coarser, though.
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great thanks! also when you say "feather" the scratches, how would one go about feathering something that small and thin?
 
bmwstephen said:
great thanks! also when you say "feather" the scratches, how would one go about feathering something that small and thin?
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Use the end of broken Popsicle stick to fold the paper around. Get creative with it. Use what is available. Perhaps around an eraser.


Dry sanding works, too, for feather edging. Since you will be sanding the paint to a feather and will be painting over it, there is no need to fear putting coarser scratches than the grit of the paper on that feathered edge. I would go dry, so I could see the area I was working better so as not to sand too far out.
 
bmwstephen said:
also i assume by sand, you mean wet sand
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If you search this on youtube, you will find a wealth of info on this topic. Personally I would mask the area and leave about an inch on either sides of the scratch and tape off. feather it down then I myself would use Filler primer if its not too deep. If it is very deep then a small amt of body filler is not a bad idea. then sand smooth,once a few coats of filler and or primer is built up, sand with 800 and 1200 then base coat. let dry, wet sand and machine buff this out.apply c/c let dry and compound and buff out. that takes longer but is closer to a full repair.

check out these links since its not detail stuff I dont think I am violating the AUP Im a duplicolor fan so ... :)
this is a good system, I have done it. but more like the steps above. and for themost part like they are doing. instead of glazing I used body filler. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFd_FBgom-c]Dupli-Color Scratch Fix - YouTube[/video]
his buffing advice sucks but the rest is good stuff LOLOL
 
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