You would not require to polish your car’s paint in a perfect world. Cleaning up and waxing are essential to protect and enhance your vehicle’s surface. Regrettably, we don’t live in an ideal world. Your car’s paint is bombarded with pollutants and assaulted by foreign things daily.
Lots of people believe that vehicles come off the assembly line with the best paint. That’s far from the case. Many conditions trigger minor paint defects requiring additional completion of work. Dust nibs (little particles that land in the paint while still wet) are a fine example. A lot of vehicle manufacturers take care of these issues at the factory using abrasive end-up products.
Here’s a basic guideline to follow. If a scratch or other flaw can be felt with your fingernail, it’s unfathomable to be entirely removed through polishing. That’s not to say that polishing will not help hide the defect. It will. If scratches run unfathomably into the clear coat, polishing will not repair the issue. However, polishing a deep scratch will conceal or minimize the appearance of the issue.
Matt surfaces have the same basic guidelines. When fixing a scratch or other paint flaws, you must not eliminate more than 50% of the leading coat (color coat) surface.
Comprehending how a polish can “hide” scratches and other micro marring is very important. Scratches have hard edges that perform at a 30 to 60-degree downward slope. A scratch’s tough edge and angle create a perfect chance for light reflection. It is this reflection that boosts the presence of the scratch. A great polish rounds the edges of scratches, lowering reflection.
Scratches
Surface abrasions that do not extend past the very first 25% of topcoat product can be completely fixed by car polishing. In addition, much deeper scratches can be enhanced if they do not fully permeate the color coat into the guide.
Scuffs and rub marks
Scuffs are broad, shallow surface area abrasions quickly fixed by polishing. Rub marks are commonly triggered by shoe heels (getting in and out of the vehicle) or the bumpers of other vehicles. The rub mark is generally a transfer of rubber or other vinyl material to the paint surface. Rub marks are easily removed by compounding and polishing.
Swirl Mark
Micro spoiling, likewise known as swirl marks and spider webbing, means little scratches on the paint’s surface. Micro spoiling is developed by device compounding and in daily usage and maintenance of the car. Micro spoiling is easily eliminated by compounding and polishing.
Etching
Paint etching is typically caused by hard water (tap water) or acidic water (acid rain). Bird droppings are another typical cause of paint etching. Depending upon the severity of the etching, polishing will repair or lessen the appearance of etched spots.
Orange peel
When a vehicle is painted, the paint is used at consistency and density that allows the paint to flow (briefly) and level. If the paint is applied too heavily, sags and runs will result. If applied too thinly, the paint does not appropriately circulate and level, triggering an unequal surface area called orange peel. If the orange peel is not serious, abrasives can be utilized to level and glaze the finish to match the rest of the vehicle.
