What is "Paint Correction"?

[Mawbster]

On some aspects smart repair is like a factory line. Where as detailers are like the old guy in a workshop producting handmade furniture.

While the factory line can produce ok furniture their will always be better quality comming from the handmade guy in the workshop over the mass produced items on the line.

In this conversation. while the work a smart repairer does it probably ok on some parts of the car its not detailing and thus given the differnt name. Its based upon what the customer wants. he/she wants their car fixing quickly and therfore only the bits are broken are fixed. While the customer pf the detailer wants a full job doing and goes to the specalist. Even though he is aware it will cost more.

[Debo]

Cheers Mawb, you're pretty much spot on.

Another aspect of paint correction is the ability to remove scratches in a paintless fashion. Now I have a pretty serious scratch to show you here. Alot of random scratches come out easily enough like I showed you in the opening post, as it wasn't just swirls I had totally removed. This needed more work.





The machine polisher with a compound will get rid of the majority of random scratches, but with this one being so bad it needed some extra attention. So I needed to wet sand it down..





Then polish it back to life with an abrasive compound, and further refine using a finishing polish..



The result? From all angles, no tricks..








This is, all in all, 100% paint correction. No need for costly resprays which can harm the potential resale value of your car

[Superman]

Great result Matt!!!

[cpunto]

Great result!

How much clear coat do you think/know you removed from the area?
After one treatment in this area using this technique, would it be unadviseable to treat another scratch on the same area again?

Are you having a bash at the scuff nearer the indicator?

[Debo]

Cheers guys

The scuff nearer the indicator was too deep unfortunately. This goes back to what I was saying over on the previous page, that if you get a scratch too deep then it simply needs respraying.

Regarding this scratch though, I took about 7 or 8 microns off in total.. you could still see the scratch around the area I'd sanded though it looked less severe, but this was just enough to make it vanish once I'd run the machine over it. If this area was to be scratched again, depending how deep it is, you could potentially carry out the same repair again. Though I think anymore than twice would be pushing your luck, especially when getting on for 10 microns a go! This particular paint had around 60microns between the clearcoat and colour, so taking nearer 20 off would mean you've still got 2/3rds left, but I wouldn't want to chance it - the thinner the clearcoat the less protection. To take 1/3rd off is quite alot of clearcoat, anymore than that and you're at risk of premature failure (the sun and other elements naturally wear it down).

[PuntoGT]

I think you are correct matt, that there is no need to use a smart repairer, if a machine polish can remove it.

However, just to clarify to all, that if the scratch pentrates below clearcoat level, or in the case of solid paint, below the top layer, then at most, you can reduce the visibility of the scratch. For those who want to understand how, it involved rounding the edges of the scratch to make it less noticable.

In fairness though, i think that clarifying the difference between 'correction' and smart repair should be explained, as for the unaware, it could be assumed they are the same.

Detailers can do somethings that smart repairers generally dont, and vice versa. Both are valueable. We had a repairer at a detailing day i organised with Dave at chemicalguysuk, and the guy showed some skill at removing small dents.

We all have our different talents, that help make our cars that bit better once again.