Hairline Scratch Polish?

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dmehak

New member
Saturday I was washing my car, and immediately after two passes with my sheepskin mitt I felt something underneath against the paint.



There was a tiny black particle stuck in the mitt (which took quite a bit of effort to pull out) that left two long hairline scratches in the paint.



They're only visible if you catch them at the right angle in the right light. But these are the first two scratches on the car, and I'd like to polish them out before I apply the Klasse Twins.



How I determine which polish I should use in order to remove them?



Thanks.
 
Start with a cleanser and move up.

Most likely you will need a 3000 grit finishing polish
 
dmehak said:
......They're only visible if you catch them at the right angle in the right light. ........
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You might want to just try some AIO first if they are really very light and that hard to see. If that doesn't work, and you are doing it by hand, I would try Meg's ScratchX. It is fairly cheap and usually available locally at a Wal-Mart or auto parts store. ScratchX does do a little filling also, so do a 50/50 IPA (alcohol/water) wipe-down when finished to make sure they have been removed and not just partially filled.



The general rule-of-thumb is if you can't catch your fingernail in the scratch then they can be polished out. If you're using a PC to polish start with the least aggressive pad/polish combo and step-up if needed.
 
Eliot Ness said:
I would try Meg's ScratchX... ScratchX does do a little filling also, so do a 50/50 IPA (alcohol/water) wipe-down when finished to make sure they have been removed and not just partially filled.
Click to expand...



Sounds good to me, thanks.



IPA = Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol?
 
Not to hijack the thread...but my car has VERY, VERY light hairline scratches/swirls like the OP. Its a new car, and I guess the dealer did it (I got the car as a surprise so I couldn't be there to tell them not to detail it). What can I do to SAFELY and GENTLY remove these? Thank you.
 
Picked up some ScratchX, just one question before I use it:



Should I be moving the foam applicator parallel to the direction of the scratches? Or perpendicular?



Thanks.
 
dmehak said:
Picked up some ScratchX, just one question before I use it:



Should I be moving the foam applicator parallel to the direction of the scratches? Or perpendicular?



Thanks.
Click to expand...



Both I believe.
 
dmehak said:
Parallel, perpendicular, and diagonal straight lines… but not circular – right?
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From the link that I posted (info from Mike Phillips with Meg's) :



"You can apply using a combination of circular motions and straight-line motions[*] Work the product against the finish until it looks as you have almost run out of product.[*] Re-apply the product and repeat the above steps 2-3 more times[/list]

When I apply ScratchX like I have listed above, I am able to get out about 95% of a bird dropping etching or isolated random scratches."

 
You may need as many as 3 applications of Scratch X before you see any results and don't forget to put a bit of passion behind the pad ;)
 
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