Careful of defects?

[Gig103]

My hood has a bunch of rock chips, and there's a spot where my paint is scuffed by the rear tire where some idiot hit me parking.



I do not expect to fix these, but do I have to be careful when machine polishing around these areas? The big area from the hit I can work around or tape, but the rock chips in particular could be a problem.



So, will I be able to go over those chips without making them worse?

 

[Accumulator]

My hood has a bunch of rock chips, and there's a spot where my paint is scuffed by the rear tire where some idiot hit me...I be able to go over those [areas] without making them worse?

IME if they're gonna flake/etc. and end up worse, it's better to just let it happen during the polishing anyhow (but if it does happen, stop and clean the pad). I hit places like that pretty hard myself, seems like rounding the edges can actually make it *less* likely that the damage will spread over time. They might get a *little* worse from the polishing, but in the long run I think it works out better.



I did that on some areas of my old beater-Audi, and it was sorta scary to see the paint come off (areas of complete CC failure and a damaged area that'd been improperly repainted years ago). But the paint was gonna come off anyhow IMO and two years later the areas aren't any worse. I kept two to-the-metal chips on my Jag's hood OK for decades by gently polishing them now and then; they might've gotten a *tiny* bit bigger over the years (and I mean maybe one millimeter), but it was never an issue.

 

[jono20]

I've never seen a polisher make rock chips bigger. I had a customer come by a couple days ago with a white GMC Sierra, lots of rock chips on the hood.



After compounding with 105, I picked up a paint touch up pen from Canadian tire. It was great, I can't remember who made it, but it was like a ball point pen, you just put the tip in the chip, give it a little press, and it filled the chip almost perfectly.



I finished the rest of the vehicle, and then sealed over top of the chips along with the rest of the hood. Looked great, and it only took 15 minutes or so.