Tree resin, no clue what to do, need some help...

DaC

DaC

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Guys, I'm dealing with some tough tree resin all over horizontal panels from a Honda Fit.

Some of it seems to have dug a hole into the clear coat, while others are high spots.

I already clayed the car... didn't touched it.
I even gone far and tried to wet sand it with 2000 and 1200 grits and I was only able to take clear coat out instead of the tree resin...

Measuring one of the spots with a PTG I got the following readings:
- On the tree resin spot: Readings between 92 and 100um (wet sanding barely touched it)
- On the surrounding area of the spot, readings between 76um, 72 after wet sanding.
So the clear coat actually suffered a lot more from the sanding process.

I have no clue what to do to remove or lessen this stuff.... can you guys point me into a direction ?

Here are the pictures:

Before wet sanding



After wet sanding

 
It's incredible how you find things out once you stop being too lazy.
I googled about it and... a simple IPA solved the problem..... :bash:
Now ask me how stupid I felt for wet sanding this sap.... :doh:
 
DaC said:
It's incredible how you find things out once you stop being too lazy.
I googled about it and... a simple IPA solved the problem..... :bash:
Now ask me how stupid I felt for wet sanding this sap.... :doh:
Click to expand...

isntIPA deluited rubbing alcohol???
 
use terminator , spray on the spot , massage/rub the area with your hand , it takes time but will brake it down, a light pressure will be ok.
you may need to do a light polish after.

*76-72um is very thin paint , keep eye on it
 
09redranger said:
isntIPA deluited rubbing alcohol???
Click to expand...

The one I'm using is 100% pure isopropyl alcohol.

Cosmin said:
use terminator , spray on the spot , massage/rub the area with your hand , it takes time but will brake it down, a light pressure will be ok.
you may need to do a light polish after.

*76-72um is very thin paint , keep eye on it
Click to expand...

Yes, really thin... this car has some crazy fluctuations, ranging from 60 to 140. My guess is that some one did some crazy maneuvers with a wool pad over it in the past...

I don't have terminator here. What else can I use that is paint safe ? Some APC ?
I bought an acid and another one alkaline undercarriage cleaner last week, I'm just too afraid too use it on the paint, it seems to be pretty strong 1:100 dilution.
 
Something you can keep in mind is try using turpentine for tree sap, especially evergreen types.

Bill
 
I've had the best luck with Tarminator and a plastic razor blade. I have read about using a steamer and I will soon have one and give it a try. I get several cars every year with this type of damage. I have found that once you are able to get it off that alot of times it's already done the damage and leaves stains no mater what I've tried to do to it. A lot of people just wash their cars and never get it off and over time it etches through the clear coat and does damage that I've not been able to correct. Maybe someone on here will have a better answer.
 
BillE said:
Something you can keep in mind is try using turpentine for tree sap, especially evergreen types.

Bill
Click to expand...

Bill, how does the paint get along with turpentine ?

van185 said:
I've had the best luck with Tarminator and a plastic razor blade. I have read about using a steamer and I will soon have one and give it a try. I get several cars every year with this type of damage. I have found that once you are able to get it off that alot of times it's already done the damage and leaves stains no mater what I've tried to do to it. A lot of people just wash their cars and never get it off and over time it etches through the clear coat and does damage that I've not been able to correct. Maybe someone on here will have a better answer.
Click to expand...

You guys seem to dig this Terminator, but I don't have it here (Brazil).

I ended up soaking (a lot), a MF towel with 100% IPA, let it sit on top of an area, then put it over another one and used the plastic razor.... worked pretty well, but got me 500ml from IPA to get 90% of it done.

How do you charge for the extra to work on this type of problem ? By hours to get it done ?
 
I could swear that Garry Dean made a video of himself cleaning a yellow car with extremely heavy tree sap on it. I actually tried to find the video a few weeks back for another person, but had no luck.

If I recall correctly he used a two bucket wash with soap and water and added about 4 oz. of Meg's APC+ to the soap, then let it dwell.

Perhaps Garry could chime in here and tell us exactly what he did and possibly provide the link to the video I'm refering to.
 
I sent Garry Dean a link to this thread and asked him to check it out.
 
Turpentine is pretty benign on paint. You don't want to saturate the surface with it, nor with any product for that matter.

Using turps for 'evergreen' trees is using the 'like removes like.' When I lived in the Pacific Northwest, turpentine was the only thing that would remove sap quickly and easily.

Make sense?

Bill
 
BillE said:
Turpentine is pretty benign on paint. You don't want to saturate the surface with it, nor with any product for that matter.

Using turps for 'evergreen' trees is using the 'like removes like.' When I lived in the Pacific Northwest, turpentine was the only thing that would remove sap quickly and easily.

Make sense?

Bill
Click to expand...

Yeah, makes sense.

What would you call "saturate the paint" when working with these products over it ? I mean, what is the safe way to use products like ipa, mineral spirit, turps and so on and still be able to remove sap, asphalt and things like that ?
 
DaC said:
Yeah, makes sense.

What would you call "saturate the paint" when working with these products over it ? I mean, what is the safe way to use products like ipa, mineral spirit, turps and so on and still be able to remove sap, asphalt and things like that ?
Click to expand...

Don't get a 'rag' sopping wet and just slap it on the surface. In other words, don't use it like water and spray it all over. Use a rag that is wetted with your 'solvent' and GENTLY wipe the affected areas. Don't expect everything to be gone all at once, it'll take a few applications. Just be GENTLE, don't want to inflict more scratches (and the like) than necessary.

For tar, asphalt and the like, I use kerosene. Again, 'like removing like'.

As to using an IPA, never have used it. I just can't handle the smell of that stuff. That to me is as nauseating as ether...LOL

Remember, you will have to do a polish follow-up and wax.

Bill
 
BillE said:
Don't get a 'rag' sopping wet and just slap it on the surface. In other words, don't use it like water and spray it all over. Use a rag that is wetted with your 'solvent' and GENTLY wipe the affected areas. Don't expect everything to be gone all at once, it'll take a few applications. Just be GENTLE, don't want to inflict more scratches (and the like) than necessary.

For tar, asphalt and the like, I use kerosene. Again, 'like removing like'.

As to using an IPA, never have used it. I just can't handle the smell of that stuff. That to me is as nauseating as ether...LOL

Remember, you will have to do a polish follow-up and wax.

Bill
Click to expand...

Cool Bill, thank you for the tip.

BTW how much time would you let a soaked towel with solvents dwell over the paint ?
 
I get a blue shop towel (a thick paper towel will also work) and cut it to the approximate size of the tree sap. I then saturate the peice of towel and let sit on the affected area until the deposit is softened.
 
DaC said:
Cool Bill, thank you for the tip.

BTW how much time would you let a soaked towel with solvents dwell over the paint ?
Click to expand...

That's a question that really can't be answered. Trick to use is try any method on a 'out of sight' area and just 'play with it.'

Sometimes stuff will come off in a flash, other times>dynamite is needed (LOL).

ALWAYS use the LEAST aggressive method first.

Bill
 
Deep Gloss Auto Salon said:
I get a blue shop towel (a thick paper towel will also work) and cut it to the approximate size of the tree sap. I then saturate the peice of towel and let sit on the affected area until the deposit is softened.
Click to expand...

That's a nice tip! Thank you for sharing. :dblthumb2:


BillE said:
That's a question that really can't be answered. Trick to use is try any method on a 'out of sight' area and just 'play with it.'

Sometimes stuff will come off in a flash, other times>dynamite is needed (LOL).

ALWAYS use the LEAST aggressive method first.

Bill
Click to expand...

Got it.... "out of sight" is a good way to do that... :laughing:
 
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