How to fix a deep scratch on the body without completely repainting it

  • Dec 14, 2020
How to fix a deep scratch on the body without completely repainting it
How to fix a deep scratch on the body without completely repainting it

The appearance of scratches on the car body is an inevitable process, practically independent of the driver. How carefully not to drive a car, stones, sand and other debris flying from under the wheels leave traces on the paintwork. All these defects must be eliminated in order to avoid corrosion in the future. Small and shallow damages can be easily removed by polishing. Another thing is deeper chips and scratches affecting the base, the ground, or even reaching the metal. The permanent removal of defects at the workshop is a significant cost. But if you have the desire and patience, you can try to fix the problem yourself and without global painting.

How to fix a deep scratch on the body without completely repainting it
How to fix a deep scratch on the body without completely repainting it

1. Preliminary preparation

Before starting work, the surface is degreased with white spirit or other means. / Photo: k.nooncdn.com

All procedures for removing scratches are carried out on a clean surface, there should be no contamination. Therefore, before starting work, the car is well washed and dried. Next, the area with a scratch is thoroughly degreased. This is because some contaminants, such as oil, cannot be removed with water and detergents. For degreasing, you can use white spirit or some other product, depending on what is available.

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The scratch is carefully sanded, removing sharp edges.

The edges of the scratches are sharp and need to be smoothed out a little. To do this, they are carefully sanded with P2000 sandpaper, periodically washing off the dust with a degreaser. We do not use water now, as a deep scratch can give an invisible crack in the paintwork, reaching the metal, and moisture will provoke the appearance of rust.

2. Paint application

A sharpened syringe makes it easy to fill deep scratches with paint.

At the next stage, the scratch is tinted. You will need a little paint and can be bought on tap. Computer selection of a shade is optional, a slight difference in tone, of course, will be, but not critical. It is convenient to use a medical syringe to fill the scratch with paint. Its tip is cut at an angle of approximately 45 degrees. Paint is drawn into the syringe and squeezed out, moving along the scratch. At the same time, make sure that the paint lies in a continuous strip, without gaps.

For a deep chip, one layer of paint, even a thick one, will not be enough, since it sags after drying, and the soil can then shine through. Therefore, the second layer is also applied carefully, without gaps, using a syringe.

Practical advice from Novate.ru: The vehicle color code can be found in the service book or on the factory label. Decals may be found under the hood, in the trunk, on the front doors, and elsewhere, depending on the brand of car. The color can also be determined by the VIN-code by typing it into the search on the manufacturer's website.
Using the VIN-code, you can find out the color code of the paint. / Photo: youcanic.com

3. Grinding

The bar is leveled on a coarse-grained emery sheet.

After the paint has dried, its excess is removed by sanding the surface of the defective area. This is done with a small block that you can easily do yourself. A small piece is cut out of the solid foam and aligned to the sides. To do this, put a sheet of sandpaper on a flat surface and grind a piece of foam on it. This technique will help to get the most flat surface.

The scratch is carefully sanded, removing excess paint.

The resulting block is wrapped with a piece of P2000 sandpaper and the scratch is carefully sanded, removing excess paint. It lends itself easily, so it is important not to get carried away so as not to rub the varnish. The dust generated in the process is removed with a degreaser or water can be used, since the scratch is already covered with paint.

4. Varnish application

When applying varnish, make sure that there are no gaps.

Next, you need a colorless acrylic varnish, for example, you can take Novol HS 2 + 1, which comes with the H5120 hardener, or use some other. Take a new medical syringe and also sharpen the tip, obliquely cutting the edge. Collect the finished varnish mixture and carefully apply to the scratch in one layer. Carefully check how the varnish is laid down - whether there is boiling. If there are gaps, we eliminate them. Now we leave until the varnish dries. The drying time is indicated by the manufacturer on the can or can, but it is better to withstand a little longer.

5. Surface leveling

Grind carefully, taking care not to rub the varnish.

At this stage, the area around the scratch is pasted over with masking tape so as not to damage the coating when leveling the surface. With the same bar, but already wrapped in P1000 sandpaper, remove the main excess of varnish - smudges or sags. The bar is kept strictly parallel to the surface, controlling the border with adhesive tape. In order not to accidentally wipe the varnish, they periodically stop, dry and watch how much more needs to be removed. Grind gently, washing off the dust with water. Next, the masking tape is re-glued a little further, the sandpaper on the bar is replaced with P2000 and the remaining varnish is sanded. After that, the adhesive tape is removed and for easier polishing, they pass over the surface with P3000 sandpaper.

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6. Polishing

A set of nozzles for car polishing. / Photo: images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com

The last step is polishing. For this, it is not at all necessary to purchase polishing machines. It is enough to buy special attachments for the power tools that are on the farm. But it must be borne in mind that at high speeds you can burn the varnish, so a screwdriver with a speed adjustment function is better suited.

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To remove grinding marks, select a starting polishing paste, for example, 3M 74 number. In specialized auto chemical stores, it is sold not only in packaging, but also by weight. At the initial stage of processing, a polishing wheel of medium hardness is used. A small amount of paste is applied to it and evenly distributed over the surface to be repaired. Then turn on the drill and polish the damaged area. At the same time, they monitor the uniformity of processing, preventing the long-term stay of the polishing wheel in one place. Finish polishing with a soft wheel with 3M paste number 75 or 76.

Polishing is carried out with careful attention to the speed and uniformity of processing.
Practical advice from Novate.ru: Be careful if the processing area has some kind of constructive bulges. Try not to hold the circle in these places, so as not to rub the varnish there.

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A source:
https://novate.ru/blogs/171019/52109/