Removing tree branch scratches on the paint finish on my Toyota

[reedap1]

Greeting All,

New member here and I find the information presented very informative. Thanks to all contributors. I recently used my 2018 Toyota 4 Runner on a hunting trip and we had to negotiate some tight tree constrained roads along with heavy snow and ice that bent trees over on our path. My Toyota took a bit of a beating from tree branches, mostly light scratches on the lower panels. See my photo below for more details. The scratches show as a white/gray streak on the silver paint.

My question is this. Can anyone recommend the least abrasive product sold on AutoGeek to start with with my polisher (a Porter Cable) to see how much I can restore the finish. I have experience doing polishing on other vehicles, but this one is still relatively new and I want to go light at first. There used to be an "abrasive aggressiveness" type guide on AG that I remember seeing various products listed and their polishing "grit", but am unable to find it again. Would I be best to start with swirl removers and it that doesn't achieve results move up to rubbing compounds? What would you use first?

Any advice is very much appreciated.

Thanks
Paul

[57Rambler]

You might start with something less aggressive like Blackfire One Step or Meguiar's Ultimate Polish.


Here's some links to polish/compound charts ...

The SMAT PACK - Everything you ever wanted to know about Meguiar's SMAT products...

Updated 2/2017: Autopia Polish Comparison Chart!

A Google search will also turn up a lot of charts, incl. charts specific to companies' products. For example, I got the below by searching for "Meguiar's Polish Chart"

meguiar's polishing chart - Google Search

[reedap1]

Thanks 57Rambler for the wealth of information. Exactly what I was looking for.

Paul

[Mike Phillips]

If you're not set on using a ceramic coating on your car, then

Keep it Simple Simon

Get a quart of BLACKFIRE One Step. Buff the scratched area or buff out the entire car. It's super safe and you'll be amazed at how well it will work.

For more correction, increase the cut of the pad OR simply buff the affected areas over and over again until your happy.

Here's what will happen the first time you buff the scratches... they will for the most part visually disappear. The shallow scratches will be removed as will the light surface scuffing. The deeper scratches will remain but you'll smooth their edges over making them dramatically more difficult to see. You may be happy to stop at this point, you won't know until you start.

Use the BF One Step on all your rigs. Let it fully dry then wipe it off. You'll never find a product that wipes off easier.


Most of the detail work I do is either my Package 1 or my Package 2. My Package 1 is a one-step detail using BLACKFIRE One Step. It's my favorite package because it's fast and simple.

Try it and if you don't like it, I'll send you anything else you want to try.



Here's your picture,

[Mike Phillips]

Also...

The Porter Cable is a great tool. It works best when used with thin pads.


What size pads do you have?


You see, when using ANY brand of free spinning random orbital polisher, it's all about pad rotation. The pad MUST rotate in order to remove paint and removing paint is how you level the surface to visually make below surface defects disappear.


There use to be a handful of guys in the world that would argue that you don't need pad rotation with a free spinning random orbital polisher to remove defects but they seem to have disappeared themselves like the swirls that disappear when the pad actually rotates.

[Thomkirby]

I will have to add a to Mike's comments and only because I have used the BF One step on several different cars. That product is really a go-to product if you really want something simple and effective. The compound is only one part of the solution you are seeking to help remove those branch marks on your finish. Mike correctly gives solid advise on choosing the pads. I did a class with Mike in Austin, TX last summer and we used BF One with an aggressive compound pad to tackle the deeper imperfections. Followed this up again with the BF One step on a finishing pad and yes that turned out to be easy and one greatly improved finish. Best of all with the built in sealant in the polish we were done. Using a drying aid product will keep your truck shiny too!

By the way great choice on the hunting truck, Toyota's keep on rolling with proper maintenance. My old was is still rolling down the road with over 150,000-miles.

[firecorgi]

I will have to add a to Mike's comments and only because I have used the BF One step on several different cars. That product is really a go-to product if you really want something simple and effective. The compound is only one part of the solution you are seeking to help remove those branch marks on your finish. Mike correctly gives solid advise on choosing the pads. I did a class with Mike in Austin, TX last summer and we used BF One with an aggressive compound pad to tackle the deeper imperfections. Followed this up again with the BF One step on a finishing pad and yes that turned out to be easy and one greatly improved finish. Best of all with the built in sealant in the polish we were done. Using a drying aid product will keep your truck shiny too!

By the way great choice on the hunting truck, Toyota's keep on rolling with proper maintenance. My old was is still rolling down the road with over 150,000-miles.

Had a chance to use BF 1 Step at one of the Boot Camp classes at AG. Great product that I keep on hand.

[reedap1]

Merry Christmas to all

And thank you, Mr. Phillips, 57Rambler, Thomkirby, firecorgi for the information and procedures advice. This is a great source of information and I appreciate all the expertise. Order on the way for One Step.

I have a PC 7424 that I have been using for a couple of years on my other vehicles and it works beautifully. Agreed, on the whole topic of pad rotation and I learned through trial and error that a light hand is the best way to allow the polisher to work and achieve results. It is a combination of the compound, pad and polisher rotation that does the work, not a heavy pressure ham-handed approach.

I use 6.5" pads on the hook and loop system and will purchase some of the cross groove pads for this project. I was looking at the pad comparison chart and it looks like the Green CSS pads would be the best option for using the BF One Step but perhaps I should start with an Orange pad to be a bit more aggressive on the first pass? Follow then by a White pad.

Thanks again for all the advice.

Paul

[reedap1]

Merry Christmas to all

And thank you, Mr. Phillips, 57Rambler, Thomkirby, firecorgi for the information and procedures advice. This is a great source of information and I appreciate all the expertise. Order on the way for One Step.

I have a PC 7424 that I have been using for a couple of years on my other vehicles and it works beautifully. Agreed, on the whole topic of pad rotation and I learned through trial and error that a light hand is the best way to allow the polisher to work and achieve results. It is a combination of the compound, pad and polisher rotation that does the work, not a heavy pressure ham-handed approach.

I use 6.5" pads on the hook and loop system and will purchase some of the cross groove pads for this project. I was looking at the pad comparison chart and it looks like the Green CSS pads would be the best option for using the BF One Step but perhaps I should start with an Orange pad to be a bit more aggressive on the first pass? Follow then by a White pad.

Thanks again for all the advice.

Paul

[Mike Phillips]

I use 6.5" pads on the hook and loop system and will purchase some of the cross groove pads for this project. I was looking at the pad comparison chart and it looks like the Green CSS pads would be the best option for using the BF One Step but perhaps I should start with an Orange pad to be a bit more aggressive on the first pass? Follow then by a White pad.

Thanks again for all the advice.

Paul

Hi Paul,

I'm going to try to help you and be real honest.

The 6.5" pads are TOO thick in most cases. That is unless you're using the Lake Country ThinPro pads or the Griot's 6.5" BOSS pads which are also very thin.

When it comes to tools like the Porter Cable,


Thin is in...

I wrote the above back in September of 2010 - back then, THIN foam pads were a BIG DEAL because they were a NEW DEAL. Until then, most all foam pads were thick and thick foam pads rob all the energy coming out of your Porter Cable tool and dissipate it.

This shows up to your eyes as poor or no pad rotation. Here's the deal, the pad MUST rotate on any brand of free spinning random orbital polisher or as I like to say,

You're not doing anything



And when I say you're not doing anything, I mean you're not removing any swirls or scratches.

Here's an article I wrote that shares all the thin foam pads available to you and the 5" backing plates to go with them....

5.5" SUPER THIN FOAM PAD OPTIONS for your Dual Action Polisher



Super thin 5.5" foam buffing pads




You will get so much more correction and polishing action out of a Porter Cable polisher with these thinner pads. At this time, I would recommend the Griot's 5.5" Orange foam pad. They call this a light cutting foam pad but by the time it has the BLACKFIRE One Step on it, it tames down and does a great job of both correcting and finishing without micro-marring.

Another good option is the white Lake Country ThinPro pads.

The difference is the Griot's pad has the hole in the center and this dissipates heat. Heat is then enemy of foam pads. With the hole in the center, the heat coming off the spindle behind the backing plate, (the heat culprit), the heat goes into the air instead of the foam.


Also - I hammer this point all the time, maybe you're aware, but you need more than a pad or two to buff out a car. When using a one-step cleaner/wax you use it like a compound, that is you're going to use a lot of product, not a few pea sized drops as you want lots of lubrication and abrasives WORKING FOR YOU as you buff the paint.

When WE, collectively, we people that buff cars), when we use any one-step cleaner/wax or AIO - we're asking this product to do a LOT for us. We're asking it to,

1. Compound
2. Polish
3. Protect

In one step. And the BF One Step will do it - but you want to help it by switching to a DRY foam pad often. Dry foam cuts better or corrects better. Soggy foam does nothing. Your pads will become wet or even saturated or soggy simply by re-applying product to them and then SMASHING them against the paint and the running the buffer.

The action of the buffer by the way is a VIOLONET action. That is it's spinning, oscillating, compressing the pad and doing this under pressure over time at high speed. This action is enough to hand grenade any buffing pad. I'm surprised pads hold up as well as they do for how hard we collectively all punish them.

So get a 6-pack or even a 12 pack of pads if you're in this for the long run. By switching pads often you'll do better work faster and your pads will last longer over time.



Hope that helps.... try to find that much information on any Facebook Group.