Opened liftgate in garage - OCD engaged

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blinkme323

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Opened liftgate in garage - OCD engaged

I just picked up my car a few weeks ago, PPF'd it from front to back, et al. As luck would have it though, I accidentally opened the tailgate in the garage and it left two tiny scratches/etches in the paint (about 1/8 inch each). Is there anything that I can or should do with these? Or am I just being nuts?

I know any method by hand likely won't work since I can catch them with my fingernail, but it has really triggered my OCD.


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:)
 
Is that area PPF'd? If so, is it self healing? If so, heat gun on low for a about 10-15 seconds at a safe 6-8". If not, don't compound or try and remove it as the clear on PPF is thin.
 
TTQ B4U said:
Is that area PPF'd? If so, is it self healing? If so, heat gun on low for a about 10-15 seconds at a safe 6-8". If not, don't compound or try and remove it as the clear on PPF is thin.
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That is one of the few areas that I did not get PPF'd :/
 
Just lightly polish to minimize the edges and make them less noticeable but since you can feel them with fingernail, they're too deep to remove, you'd blow through the clear coat.
 
Even with some scratches that you can feel with your fingernail, polishing cam make them almost invisible. (If they are not super deep).

Just remember to work (polish) a larger area than just the tiny area where the scratches are. Like Bruno said above, if you just take polish and aggressively go after the tiny scratch area (especially with a finger tip), it is incredibly easy to strike right through the clear coat.
 
PaulMys said:
Even with some scratches that you can feel with your fingernail, polishing cam make them almost invisible. (If they are not super deep).

Just remember to work (polish) a larger area than just the tiny area where the scratches are. Like Bruno said above, if you just take polish and aggressively go after the tiny scratch area (especially with a finger tip), it is incredibly easy to strike right through the clear coat.
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Thank you all for the suggestions. So if I do anything, just go over it lightly by hand with a polish and applicator?
 
PaulMys said:
Even with some scratches that you can feel with your fingernail, polishing cam make them almost invisible. (If they are not super deep).

Just remember to work (polish) a larger area than just the tiny area where the scratches are. Like Bruno said above, if you just take polish and aggressively go after the tiny scratch area (especially with a finger tip), it is incredibly easy to strike right through the clear coat.
Click to expand...

Not to say that one way is right and the other wrong, but I would go at it initially with a fingertip, terry towel, and polish. Isolate the effort to the scratched area. Once the scratch is polished to your satisfaction, then go over that area and the surrounding area lightly using either microfiber or foam for the final finishing.

Although not critical in this case, my general philosophy for any type of repair is to keep the repair as small as possible, thus the fingertip method. There is no need to be removing paint one, two, or three inches away from the scratch.
 
The aggressiveness of ultimate polish is pretty low. That shouldn't cause much harm so go ahead and try it.
 
blinkme323 said:
I have Meguiars Ultimate polish on hand here, do you guys think that would suffice? I think I'll give it a shot today if so.
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Ultimate Polish is a good starting point if you are at all apprehensive. Personally, I think if you have any chance of removing the scratch with reasonable effort Ultimate Compound would be a better choice.

I think the fear of rubbing through is discussed so often on this forum that beginners and those with less experience become overly concerned. Understandably so. But paint doesn't just disappear when you hit it with a compound, especially when working by hand. It takes some effort and much more than many beginners will ever realize.

Just use a little common sense. Polish a little, wipe clean, and inspect the results. Repeat as necessary until you achieve the result you desire -or- you've reached your tolerance limit for risk.

With all that said, also be aware that not all scratches can be completely removed. It's really a case-by-case judgement call. There are many times when the best course of action is no action at all, or simply polishing just enough to soften the edges of the scratch.
 
2black1s said:
Not to say that one way is right and the other wrong, but I would go at it initially with a fingertip, terry towel, and polish. Isolate the effort to the scratched area. Once the scratch is polished to your satisfaction, then go over that area and the surrounding area lightly using either microfiber or foam for the final finishing.

Although not critical in this case, my general philosophy for any type of repair is to keep the repair as small as possible, thus the fingertip method. There is no need to be removing paint one, two, or three inches away from the scratch.
Click to expand...

This is true, but with little or no experience, one can get carried away.

There was a post (with pic) not too long ago where a guy was going after scratches under the door handle, and he actually went right through not only the clear, but the base coat as well.

But you are right, John. If you use enough common sense, then just going after the scratch area would make sense. I was just cautioning the OP of the "worst case" scenario........
 
Well just to update, I went over the scratches very lightly by hand with some ultimate compound followed by polish. Much, much improved. I suspect I could diminish the appearance even further with a bit more effort, but I may just cut my losses at this point.
 
blinkme323 said:
That is one of the few areas that I did not get PPF'd :/
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How does the tailgate not get PPFd if it was "PPFd from front to back"

That isnt gonna come out with just compound by hand most likely. Maybe go get some touch up paint from the dealer and watch some youtube for touch up application
 
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