# Removing deeper scratches by hand with S3



## Jeebsy (Oct 26, 2018)

I'm slowly working my way round my car using S3 on a white spider pad to do the cutting but I've found some of the RIDS are persistent even when I'm happy with the finish on the rest of the panel. Rather than keep working with the DA, could I use some S3 on a foam applicator by hand to do some localised removal? I know it's really a compound for machine polishing but a couple of people on here seem to have got on OK with by by hand and would save buying something like Ultimate Compound.


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## A&J (Mar 4, 2015)

You have to decide if they really bother you that much. RIDS can be deep and you cant afford to "thin" your paint too much. If the rest of the car looks satisfying then I suggest you leave it alone and just live with it...or them.

If you are still up for it I suggest you slightly wet sand them with 3000 grit and then polish by hand. Youll get a better result then by just polishing.


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## Jeebsy (Oct 26, 2018)

The couple of the roof I think I can live with, but there's some on the boot lid might annoy me more. Will need to see how they respond when I get to the boot.

The scratches on the roof don't seem deep, you can't feel them with your nail, but they don't really seem to want to budge.


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## Ultra (Feb 25, 2006)

Before you go seeking perfection, you need to consider the repair cost if you remove to much clear coat, since you clearly have not measured or considered whether it is safe to continue or not


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## Leebo310 (Sep 30, 2013)

Jeebsy said:


> I'm slowly working my way round my car using S3 on a white spider pad to do the cutting but I've found some of the RIDS are persistent even when I'm happy with the finish on the rest of the panel. Rather than keep working with the DA, could I use some S3 on a foam applicator by hand to do some localised removal? I know it's really a compound for machine polishing but a couple of people on here seem to have got on OK with by by hand and would save buying something like Ultimate Compound.


If you can't remove them with the DA, they won't come out via hand using the same combination. 
You'll never be able to generate the amount of cut from a machine by hand. 
If you really want to remove them then use a stronger combination on a smaller pad on the da. If that doesn't work then try wet sanding. As someone else said though, without a paint gauge and knowing how much you have to play with, it may not be worth chasing complete perfection 

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## Jeebsy (Oct 26, 2018)

Ultra said:


> Before you go seeking perfection, you need to consider the repair cost if you remove to much clear coat, since you clearly have not measured or considered whether it is safe to continue or not


I haven't measured whether it's safe to continue as I don't have a gauge, but I have considered it; I decided to stop and ask about how/if to proceed without just battering away at it with the DA. The clear coat seems tough as nails, and the scratches not especially deep, so at a very crude level it felt like there was some scope for further polishing.

I did the boot lid tonight, came up pretty good apart from these (which is what caught my eye at the weekend

The upload quality isn't great but if you put it on high quality this is a goods example 



 - reckon I can live it with to be honest. I'm not really up for wet sanding given my experience and lack of a gauge.


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## chongo (Jun 7, 2014)

I don't see them but I do hear a lot of farting going on:doublesho:lol:


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## rob267 (Nov 27, 2015)

chongo said:


> I don't see them but I do hear a lot of farting going on:doublesho




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## Jeebsy (Oct 26, 2018)

chongo said:


> I don't see them but I do hear a lot of farting going on:doublesho:lol:


:lol:I have no idea what is going on in the audio.

You can (just) see a wee pile of scratches moving across where the light is reflected - my phone won't upload it in HD which is annoying as it's quite clear on the original video.


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## Jeebsy (Oct 26, 2018)

Have reuploaded it on vimeo which is much better quality, still got the weird noises though


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## chongo (Jun 7, 2014)

See them now:thumb:

They are to deep to remove but you can see that you have rounded off the edges :thumb: you have to think about preserving the clear coat and not removing to much, because you never know you might in the future have to correct the panel again :thumb:


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## Jeebsy (Oct 26, 2018)

chongo said:


> See them now:thumb:
> 
> They are to deep to remove but you can see that you have rounded off the edges :thumb: you have to think about preserving the clear coat and not removing to much, because you never know you might in the future have to correct the panel again :thumb:


Cheers, yeah having slept on it I think I can live with them - it's an 11 year old car so it's never going to be perfect, and the rest of the panel looks pretty decent. Best not to go churning through the clear coat trying to get them out.


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