# Wetsanding scratches small guid...



## mk2golfvalver (Jul 29, 2006)

Right in no way do i claim to be a proffesional at this just thought id give it a go on what i had heard. well when i got my bmw the Bodywork was in pretty good condition just needed a good polish which i did. but when you polish cars as we all know you find little scratches here and there and if ur car is old enough. places where people have touched it up. well i had a few scraches and plenty of stone chips on my bonnet. i had heard about filling the scratches in and wetsanding them. so i thought id give it a go.

So i started off by getting a scratch repair kit. there are plenty of sites out there who provide this with a fine artist brush and you can ask them to add laquer or not to your paint and have it seperate i chose to not have it mixed in.

I then went on elitecarcare and managed to get myself some 3000, 2500 and 2000 meguries proffesional uni grit wet and dry. this is alot finer than your general wet and dry and would reccomend you get this for your paint work i also got a megs sanding baking pad. these help you not to apply to much pressure to one section.










I then soaked the wet and dry in some megs 00# overnight.

As you can see the scratch before



















I then took out the 2000 grit and went over in one direction, then took the sanding pad off the paint replaced and did it in that direction again to stop putting en even scratches on the paint. I repeated this proccess for the 2500 and for the 3000 unigrit. and this is what i ended up with










I then took out my Megs orbital polisher to take out the wetsanding scratches. you can do this by hand using such as 3m cutting compound and a bit of elbow. i used a Megs cutting pad and begs 83# i then followed up with a Megs polishing pad and Megs 80# then finished up with some next tech wax as i cant afford swisswax best of show yet lol! This is how it came out after just the megs 83#..










that white line is not sanded its just where the light hits it. I was really impressed with how this came out and have started to fix the stone chips on my car. so with a bit of patients you can do this. just be carefull not to go though the clear coat!

Let me know what you think..


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## Mark J (May 10, 2007)

I thought the process should have been 2000, 2500 and finally 3000 ?

*edit: *Crackin' outcome though !:thumb:


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## Paul-T (Nov 2, 2006)

Bloody good job, thats what I think - well done. As above, I assume you mean you started with the lower number paper and worked up?

Did you have access to a paint depth gauge as an insurance policy to check what you were doing?


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## mk2golfvalver (Jul 29, 2006)

Mark J said:


> I thought the process should have been 2000, 2500 and finally 3000 ?
> 
> *edit: *Crackin' outcome though !:thumb:


ur right lol iv written it the wrong way round ill edit it lol..

Cheers


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## mk2golfvalver (Jul 29, 2006)

Shine On said:


> Bloody good job, thats what I think - well done. As above, I assume you mean you started with the lower number paper and worked up?
> 
> Did you have access to a paint depth gauge as an insurance policy to check what you were doing?


i didnt as im saving for one atm. I just had to be really carefull. not to go through the clear coat. so i corrected as much as i believed i could.

I just wanted to get it good enough as im selling the car very soon.


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## EliteCarCare (Aug 25, 2006)

Nice work Chi, looks like you're a natural! :thumb:


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## Trune (Jun 19, 2007)

how do you know when to stop?


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## Rich00p (Feb 19, 2008)

when you hit the metal


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## Mr OCD (Apr 18, 2006)

Lovely work :thumb:



Trune said:


> how do you know when to stop?


You have to use your common sense... keep in mind that the lacquers on most cars are roughly the thickness of the cellophane off a cigarette packet. Therefore doesnt leave much margin for error.

As long as you cant feel the scratch with your fingernail you can remove it using the above method easily but if its deeper than this is when its essential really that you have a PTG.

Sorted a deep key scratch on an Merc SL a few weeks ago that went down the entire passenger side (less than 1yr old) and I had already warned the owner total removal wasnt possible... but using unigrit 2000 and a PTG I managed to remove 80% of the damage which considering a respray was going to cost the best part of a grand pleased the owner :thumb:


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## bluenose (Aug 15, 2007)

Nice work. I'd be chuffed with that result :thumb: 

That might be the push I needed to have a crack at a scratch on the girlfriends car. Are Megs 83 / 80 best to buy if I'm doing it by hand


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## The Detail Doctor (Feb 22, 2008)

I'm going to have to try similar tonight.

Picked up a scuff in the lacquer on the bonnet of the 500 this morning from a stray stone.


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## glenboy (Apr 11, 2008)

Impressed with that,i have a deep scratch on my Vectra and might have a go at this kit..............


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## Dazmeister (Feb 4, 2008)

Engine_Swap said:


> Lovely work :thumb:
> 
> You have to use your common sense... keep in mind that the lacquers on most cars are roughly the thickness of the cellophane off a cigarette packet. Therefore doesnt leave much margin for error.
> 
> ...


Errmmmm what's a PTG? It's not in the acronym thread


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## Buck (Jan 16, 2008)

Paint Thickness Gauge

see the group buy on the CM8828 for more details


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## Dazmeister (Feb 4, 2008)

cheekeemonkey said:


> Paint Thickness Gauge
> 
> see the group buy on the CM8828 for more details


:buffer: :thumb: Thanks again.

Signed... :newbie:


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