Please Help. I think Clear coat is damaged.

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mdtony

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Hello,
I have been detailing my own cars for some time now. All knowledge was gained here. Thank you
I work with Porter cable, megs and country lake pads and Megs 105/205 combo.

I had a small ( 2-3 inch ) scratch on my passenger door. Pretty sure it was from a shovel handle, but almost looked like a not very deep key damage.
Car: 2009 VW CC , original Paint

Process:

Megs burgundy and M105, no luck.

3M 2500 grit and m105 - very little correction of the scratch

3M 2000 grit and m105 - scratch is gone, but now I am left with this damage.

Did I sand too much? the original scratch was in the center of the hazed half circle. The area feels smooth and when I rub M205 with a clean cloth I don't get paint transfer ( Read that in a post as a suggestion to test for burned clear by Mike P.)

Please let me know if this can be corrected or if this will need a paint repair.
Thank you





View attachment 55980View attachment 55981
 
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Yep... you have sanded and buffed through the clearcoat layer of paint...


55981d1490618542-please-help-i-think-clear-coat-damaged-20170326_140356.jpg



For everyone that will read this thread into the future... (I always type for the future), factory clearcoats are THINNER than a post-it note.


Here's one of the articles I've written over the last 15 years that I share the most, click the link and look at the pictures.


Clearcoats are thin by Mike Phillips


Then remember...

  1. Sanding removes paint.
  2. Compounding removes paint.
  3. Polishing removes a little paint.


Sooner or later... you're going to buff through the clearcoat and expose the basecoat.


Once you do this... the ONLY way to fix the problem is to repaint the panel.


:)
 
Thanks Mike,
I will be more careful next time. I guess will just keep this protected with Optiseal and avoid the area during my next detail.
 
I might be overly timid, but on my cars if I can't get rid of a blemish with Pinnacle Advanced Swirl Remover and a pink pad, I live with the blemish. Note that I am a rank amateur at detailing and work on my own cars for fun.

Thanks for the cautionary tale.
 
Mike Phillips said:
.
Sooner or later... you're going to buff through the clearcoat and expose the basecoat.


Once you do this... the ONLY way to fix the problem is to repaint the panel.
:)
Click to expand...

Just out of curiosity, do you only need to apply new clearcoat? Or do you need to shoot new basecoat too?
 
mdtony said:
Thanks Mike,

I will be more careful next time. I guess will just keep this protected with Optiseal and avoid the area during my next detail.
Click to expand...

I always hate to be the bearer of bad news...

For what it's worth... I done this myself a time or two in my life.

Words cannot describe the heart-sinking feeling that overcomes you when you realize you've buffed through the clear coat - especially on someone else's car...



Mike60564 said:
I might be overly timid, but on my cars if I can't get rid of a blemish with Pinnacle Advanced Swirl Remover and a pink pad, I live with the blemish.
Click to expand...

That is a GREAT RULE of THUMB for doing correction work on a daily driver.

Daily drivers are going to get more wear-n-tear into the future, that's the nature of the beast. Beast meaning wear-n-tear is normal for daily drivers.

Knowing this and knowing all the UV protection for the entire matrix of paint is in the clear layer, the less clear you can remove the better the chance the factory paint job will last as long as the mechanical service life.



clm65 said:
Just out of curiosity, do you only need to apply new clearcoat?

Or do you need to shoot new basecoat too?
Click to expand...

Any professional painter is going to spray base and clear. Mostly because they're going to have to but also in order to warranty their work.


:)
 
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