new to the forum, and I have a "newbie" question.

**01xtreme** · 02-02-2010, 03:34 PM

Ok, I've been gaining quite a bit of interest in detailing, and I happen to have a spare hood I want to practice with. My question is concerning some imperfections in the paint that I would like to know if it's possible to correct. I took a picture, and would like to know if I would be able to correct these by just buffing with compound, or if it would need more in-depth work to fix this...ok enough of me talking and now a pic. Thanks ahead of time for any help you can provide.

**WRAPT C5Z06** · 02-02-2010, 03:38 PM

Originally Posted by 01xtreme

I've been gaining quite a bit of interest in detailing

Me too!!!

There's a lot of knowledgeable people on this website, they'll chime in!!

**14automobiles** · 02-02-2010, 03:58 PM

Are you referring to the haze that is around the light. Maybe I am missing what you are referring to in the picture. Try taking a picture in a low light area with a halogen light pointed at the affected area..or just to the side of the light so that the area can be seen more clearly.

Originally Posted by 01xtreme

Ok, I've been gaining quite a bit of interest in detailing, and I happen to have a spare hood I want to practice with. My question is concerning some imperfections in the paint that I would like to know if it's possible to correct. I took a picture, and would like to know if I would be able to correct these by just buffing with compound, or if it would need more in-depth work to fix this...ok enough of me talking and now a pic. Thanks ahead of time for any help you can provide.

Mike Phillips · 02-02-2010, 04:19 PM

I downloaded and then cropped out the fluff in your photo and then placed it into your gallery here on AG

by the way, welcome to Autogeek Online!

Here's my best guesses... as to the defects in the picture,

What looks like either orange peel but more like mottling
Scratches, both light and deeper scratches
What looks like it could be a water spot or etching but actually looks like a round area with flaked-off paint.
And what looks like something sharp has dug into the paint in small, straight lines.

Compounding would remove the light scratches and maybe the deeper RIDS, which stands for Random Isolated Deeper Scratches.

For the mottling or orange peel, you would need to wet-sand by hand or machine.

For the places where it looks like something has dug into the paint these are probably to deep to remove safely.

And for the thing that is round and looks like paint flaking off in a circle, if this is paint that is flaking off, buffing on it or sanding on it will probably cause the flaked are to grow.

If the round defect is actually an spot or an etching then compound would likely fix or improve it as would sanding.

What is this component?

**01xtreme** · 02-02-2010, 04:33 PM

Originally Posted by 14automobiles

Are you referring to the haze that is around the light. Maybe I am missing what you are referring to in the picture. Try taking a picture in a low light area with a halogen light pointed at the affected area..or just to the side of the light so that the area can be seen more clearly.

I was more referring to the blemishes that look like cracks in the paint.

**01xtreme** · 02-02-2010, 04:37 PM

Originally Posted by Mike.Phillips@Autogeek

I downloaded and then cropped out the fluff in your photo and then placed it into your gallery here on AG

by the way, welcome to Autogeek Online!

Here's my best guesses... as to the defects in the picture,

What looks like either orange peel but more like mottling
Scratches, both light and deeper scratches
What looks like it could be a water spot or etching but actually looks like a round area with flaked-off paint.
And what looks like something sharp has dug into the paint in small, straight lines.

Compounding would remove the light scratches and maybe the deeper RIDS, which stands for Random Isolated Deeper Scratches.

For the mottling or orange peel, you would need to wet-sand by hand or machine.

For the places where it looks like something has dug into the paint these are probably to deep to remove safely.

And for the thing that is round and looks like paint flaking off in a circle, if this is paint that is flaking off, buffing on it or sanding on it will probably cause the flaked are to grow.

If the round defect is actually an spot or an etching then compound would likely fix or improve it as would sanding.

What is this component?

Thank you so much for the info, and adding the cropped picture to my gallery. This is a picture of an extra hood I have laying around my garage because I recently swapped the hood on my blazer. I figured I could work on this extra metal since I dont have any use for it, and would like to gain some kind of skills before I attempt anything on my actual truck.

Mike Phillips · 02-02-2010, 05:09 PM

Originally Posted by 01xtreme

I figured I could work on this extra metal since I dont have any use for it, and would like to gain some kind of skills before I attempt anything on my actual truck.

Good idea... practice makes perfect.

Are you working by hand or do you have any electric polishers?

What do you have for chemicals, as in compounds, polishes, etc.

What year is your Blazer?

**01xtreme** · 02-02-2010, 07:13 PM

It's a 2001 blazer extreme, victory red.

I was given a harbor freight rotary polisher, so I figure I'll play around with that before I shell out the 200+ for a dewalt or makita unit.

As for chemicals and what not, I dont have anything as of yet. I was looking around, and it probably would have ended up being my next question.

**rwright** · 02-02-2010, 07:55 PM

Is the hood in the original picture or Mike's cropped version supposed to be Victory Red? If that was original to your Blazer, I can only imagine what the rest looks like! Good luck and keep us posted!

**01xtreme** · 02-02-2010, 08:21 PM

Originally Posted by rwright

Is the hood in the original picture or Mike's cropped version supposed to be Victory Red? If that was original to your Blazer, I can only imagine what the rest looks like! Good luck and keep us posted!

yeah, it's the same hood, and actually the same one in the pic of my blazer. I had a sonoma hood I shaved the hood squirters on that I swapped out. and Im working on getting my new airdam painted. I kind of let my truck slide when I was in orlando for college, so now Im suffering the consequences. The paint on the hood looks good from about 10-15 feet away, but it has quite a few nicks in it from driving almost all interstate, so I decided to get a new hood painted up and swapped out. Now that I have more time, Im wanting to take much better care of the truck, especially with all the money I've sunk into this thing.