Advice Needed

[LaFawnduh]

Working on a specific trouble area on a car and can't seem to get this corrected. It's my dad's ride (2012 BMW 5 series in graphite metallic) and he claims this happened when he was cleaning off bird droppings. He just used a wet paper towel (doh!) and when he wiped away these scratches were there. I've gone at it with DA at level 6, cutting pad, and WG uber compound 3.0... This is after 4 passes and no change.

Think I need to step it up to MF or wool to get this out? Have to be honest, don't even own those as I have never had this issue... WG has always done the job.

Help would be appreciated!30252

[refreshauto]

Slow your arm speed down, or get the carpro flash pads

Sent from my SPH-D710 using AG Online

[brassmonkey]

Slow arm speed and MF pads.

[AutowerxDetailing]

Might want to take some paint readings depending on how much you've already been working on that area...

Also, previous suggestions for MF cutting discs or CarPro Flash pads will absolutely provide more cut with the compound you already own.

Sent from my N9810 using AG Online

[Mike@DedicatedPerfection]

What pad specifcally and size?

Also dont prime the pad with polish. Give a fresh pad a spritz of a pad conditioner or detail spray, add 3-4 dime sized drops of Uber, then make your correction passes.

[Mike Phillips]

Here's your picture. I downloaded it and then uploaded it to your free gallery here on AG, took me about 30 seconds. Now everyone can see it easily.


http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=81506


While these scratches might not be very deep they look deep enough to wetsand to me. If this were my car I'd use the 3M Trizact #3000 on a Griot's 3" polisher and carefully machine sand the area and then chase it with the Uber compound and any cutting pad. A rotary buffer with a wool pad would be the fastest and most effective way to remove your sanding marks.

The less costly approach if you don't have the Griot's 3" polisher and #3000 Trizact discs would be to get some Nikken #2500 and spend some time hand sanding then remove your sanding marks.


It could be these scratches are to deep to remove without going through the clear. The reason why is

A. Factory clearcoats are thin.
B. Sanding removes paint.
C. Compounding removes paint.
D. Polishing removes paint.


Share this with your day....

How to remove a DRIED bird dropping (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/how-articles/79539-how-remove-dried-bird-dropping.html)


Dried bird dropping
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/715/BirdDropping101.jpg



Take a clean microfiber polishing cloth, fold it four ways to create a thick, plush wiping cloth.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/835/RemoveBirdDroppingS001.jpg


Wet the cloth with water until the entire cloth is saturated but not to the point where water is running down the hood. The idea is to have plenty of water present to soak into the dried bird dropping.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/835/RemoveBirdDroppingS002.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/835/RemoveBirdDroppingS003.jpg



Allow some time to go by to let the water do it's work...
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/835/RemoveBirdDroppingS004.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/835/RemoveBirdDroppingS005.jpg


Let's take a peek...

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/835/RemoveBirdDroppingS006.jpg



Yep, it's liquid again...

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/835/RemoveBirdDroppingS007.jpg




Carefully scrunch the microfiber towel around the dropping and lift straight up...

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/835/RemoveBirdDroppingS008.jpg


Now dispose of the microfiber towel in a safe way...

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/835/RemoveBirdDroppingS009.jpg




That's how you safely remove a dried bird dropping... now wash the area clean.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/835/RemoveBirdDroppingS010.jpg




Note: For health safety reasons it's a good idea to wear gloves when doing this.


:)

[Mike Phillips]

Also....

Anytime you're working on an isolated area HEAT can become a big factor. That's because you're buffing in a small area and staying there so the heat you're generating at the surface level never has time to dissipate and in fact just the opposite builds-up.

So when buffing isolated areas don't rush and practices what I show in this article,




Fight or Flight Method for Gaging Surface Temperature (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/wet-sanding-cutting-buffing/22325-fight-flight-method-gaging-surface-temperature.html)


http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/715/HandOnFire01.jpg


The topic of heat comes up often when talking about using a rotary buffer to machine compound or polish paint. For decades now I read comments by people where they state heat is necessary when using a rotary buffer with a compound, or any other abrasive product that uses diminishing abrasives for abrading ability, in order to break the diminishing abrasives down. This is not accurate.

When buffing with a rotary buffer and any type of product that contains diminishing abrasive, including a compounds, paint cleaners, cleaner/polishes and even a cleaner/waxes, what's necessary is pressure over time. Heat is just an unnecessary and unwanted byproduct of the process.

When using a rotary buffer for correction work for even a minute or longer, heat is unavoidable. The smaller the section your work the greater the risk of getting the paint hot. It's normal and okay to get paint warm, (because there's nothing you can do about it), but you don't want to get paint hot and if you do get paint hot then you want to stop buffing in that section and let the paint cool down. So the question is,

How hot it too hot?

Or

What temperature range is consider warm and within a range that's safe to work a rotary buffer?


I don't know any specific temperature ranges recommended by any of the major paint companies to work within or extreme hot temperature ranges to avoid, so here's the common sense approach anyone can use on-the-fly when buffing with a rotary buffer. This is a method I've been using since I started using a rotary buffer in the late 1980's and that I've been teaching in any class that includes using a rotary buffer. It's simple, yet effective and you don't need to purchase any testing tools as you already have the tool you need built-in.

This method works off your hand's sense of touch and your brain's instincts to protect you. I call it the Fight or Flight Method for Gaging Surface Temperature. Not one of my better titles but descriptive to say the least.

The Fight or Flight Method for Gaging Surface Temperature
When using a rotary buffer, periodically check the temperature of the paint by placing the palm of your hand flat on top of a section you just finished buffing, like this,

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/719/FightorFlightTempCheck.jpg


If the paint feels warm, even close to hot, BUT it's not so hot that you jerk your hand away, then it's in a temperature range that's safe to buff.

If you you place your hand on the paint and your Fight or Flight instinct takes over an you find yourself jerking your hand away from the surface at the speed of light, then the paint is too hot and you should stop buffing that section and allow the paint to cool down.

Kind of caveman but you get the idea. The bigger point is to check the surface temperature of the paint once in a while because you might surprise yourself at how hot you're getting the paint. Because you're in control of the rotary buffer you need pay attention to the surface temperature and this means pausing for a moment to feel the paint.

Different body panel materials, for example steel, aluminum, fiberglass, composite, will heat up at different rates and will either dissipate or hold heat at different rates, so it's a good idea to check each time you work on a different car.

With testing, you can get a feel, (not pun intended), for how long you can buff an average size section and not be getting the paint too hot.

:)

[LaFawnduh]

Thanks to all - I'm pretty sure it isn't a speed issue as if I moved my hands any slower the polisher would be standing still. I pulled back when it started getting hot and that's when I sent the topic up.

At this point I think Mike is prob correct - more compounding with little result I worry about CC thickness if I go too much more.

Being only an enthusiast with occasional weekend work for family / friends I use lower power stuff. Smallest backing plate I have it a 4in and no sanding products. I stick to easier corrections. Given the amount I already abraided I will prob need to send pops to a pro for wet sanding. Don't really want my first experiment doing this solo and on my pops car... Would prob do more damage than good.

[allenk4]

Looks like your Dad used a car key to remove that Bird Bomb

[LaFawnduh]

Looks like your Dad used a car key to remove that Bird Bomb

Seriously - I don't know what that bird ate... Must have been nail filings. And my dad swears he put no downward pressure, just grabbed with an ultra wet paper towel and a MF to dry the water. I see Mike's method above which I do something similar except use a QD or waterless wash instead of plain water to try to add lubricity.

[LaFawnduh]

Going to talk with my pops about it but are there any SoCal guys willing to potentially make the trek down to South Orange County to maybe do a quick correction on this issue - if he really wants it fixed?