i just finished waxing my truck for the first time, as i was waxing it, i couldn't help noticing the **** load of minor scratches my dad put over the better part of the driver side... is it too late to use something like scratch x? or do i have to wait for the wax to wear off ( i know nothing about wax), and if i can, what brand of scratch removal would you suggest?

-thanks

 

First, don't worry about your wax. Whatever type of polish that you elect to use will remove the wax and you'll have to do it again. Sorry.

There are a bunch of GREAT products out there on the market specifically designed to take care of spider scratches and swirl marks. Just to name a few, Meguiar's Scratch-X, #9 Swirl Mark Remover, and the 2nd Step in the Deep Crystal 3 step process (the polish).

I would suggest starting with the #9. It's only moderately agressive and, if your swirls are minor, it will address them in short order with no problems. Scratch-X is a bit more agressive and I'd only use that in a 'spot' area scenario rather than a larger scale (although, it can be done).

Hope that helps out a bit...

RP

 

so wait, to remove a scratch, you have to use something like scratch x, and then a polish? and what the hell is a swirl mark exactly? lol (i'm new at this)

 

Whatever you use to remove a scratch your going to have to rewax that area. It shouldn't take long, it's not like you have to redo the entire vehicle.

 

Well, Scratch-X is a Polish of sorts. But, keep in mind that there are varying levels of polish available on the market. Some are pretty agressive and abrasive (rubbing compounds) and some are considerably less agressive like #9 or similar.

All of them work the same way but are designed to deal with specific levels of imperfections. To achieve this, they use varying levels of abrasive or chemical action. In short, when you rub the polish onto the vehicle, you remove a VERY thin layer of clearcoat. This, in turn, helps to hide and remove the actual swirls or scratches.

Swirl marks are microscopic scratches and, in my opinion, are best viewed in direct sunlight or under a parking lot light (the big white ones). If you see a very slight amount of 'scratching' in a circular pattern, that's typically known as a swirl. By the same aspect, there are spider scratches which, as I understand it, aren't necessarily circular in nature but are generally the same thing.

Unfortunately, swirl marks are a common evil if you wash and dry your car. They are caused by things like imperfections in a cotton towel that you might use to dry. A small grain of sand/grit entrained in the fiber of something that you're dragging across your paint. Poor products and improper use of those products... and a plethora of other things. If you look at some paint cross-eyed, it swirls. LOL!

Jumping back to products...

The Meguiar's #9 Swirl Mark Remover (shown here in a gallon sized bottle ... it is available in a 16oz package which is more than adequate for oodles of vehicles. Price-around $10) is a product that CAN be applied by hand but is recommended to be applied by machine (like a Porter Cable Dual Action Polisher -- you'll hear this referred to as a PC frequently). Only recently did I break down and buy a polisher (a great investment might I add) and prior to that I applied EVERYTHING by hand. I got good results with elbow grease but, excellent results with the PC.

I hope that helps out some... please feel free to ask additional questions!!

--RP

 

thank you very much, how much do the polisher things run for? but would the #9 stuff work on a key scrath, or a scratch made from a bicycle handle? stuff that's pretty visible...

 

Probably not........... you'll need something much more abrasive! Even then, you may not be able to remove the scratches. Serious scratches sometimes required wet sanding, and buffing............ some require repainting.

 

what about just like black marks and stuff, from like rubber **** rubbing against it, stuff like that, i guess i could try to take pictures of a few of the spots

 

Minor rubber marks can be dealt with fairly easy but, I'd still like to see some pictures prior to making any suggestions...

RP

 

i took some pictures of it yesterday with my friends camera, i'm waiting for him to give them to me...