Scratch remover? T cut or others?

[WantaMerc]

Hi guys

I have a faint (but noticeable) scratch on the door of my C Classs and wanted to ask what the best way would be to get it removed?

Should I try T-Cut or any other scratch removers? Will that damage the car in the long run? And is this a permanent solution?

Or should I take it to a garage for a more professional repair?

Or any other recommendations?

Thanks

 

[bob6600]

Light scratch can be 'T-Cut' out. I use G3 which is more a trade cutter but is brilliant. You just need to be careful with it and keep it wet!

If it is just the lacquer then it should polish out.

 

[A250 Bennyboy]

As above just take your time, slow and methodical and be very careful with seams and body work creases

 

[WantaMerc]

Thanks think I will get some G3

Just wondering if I should get the liquid or the paste or is it the same?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004RAUJA0/?tag=amazon0e9db-21

https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Automoti...1486244419&sr=1-2&keywords=G3+scratch+remover

Thanks

 

[bob6600]

I've only ever used the paste both with a rag and on a polisher. They will both do the same thing, I would imgine the liquid is a bit easier with a cloth

I'm sure someone here has used it and can comment

 

[brucemillar]

Take a trip to Wilkinsons (WIlko's) and see if you can hold of their own brand Scratch Remover. It's about £3.00 and is very good - as good as the big brand stuff.

 

[190]

I use G3, it's a simple fine abrasive. T cut has nasty chemicals in it to soften the paint so I'd avoid that.

 

[Chrishazle]

I've used the Autoglym Bodyshop range (01B, 02B and 03B) for years, but it's no longer made. Today I was shown a1L bottle of Autoglym Paint Restorer which may be similar, certainly worth a look but don't know if it's available to the non-professional market.

 

[J LAD]

A quick tip with scratches - if you wet it, ie when washing and the scratch dissapears then its mainly in the clear coat / lacquer and should polish out.
If you have a machine polisher either DA or Rotary then scratch removal is a lot easier.
If you run your finger nail over the scratch and you can feel it, then its usually too deep to polish out i am afraid.
Be very carefull if using 2000, 2500 or 3000 fine grade grit paper to remove scratches, your clear coat is normally by rule of thumb only 0.05mm in thickness, so polishing through is very easy.

 

[Chrishazle]

Found a supplier on ebay for AG Bodyshop 01B hard polish 1L - have ordered one! Found it's better than SRP, and a coat of AG HD wax over the top does the job well.

 

[RaceDiagnostics]

If you can feel it with your nail, all is not lost. Here is my attempt at a fairly deep scratch, I could easily catch my fingernail on it.​

Next I masked it up to help me know where the scratch was when I start to sand it.​

Here is what I used, 2000 grit wet and dry paper to remove the scratch, megs scratch X to remove the sanding marks, and then megs polish to give a nice finish. I didn't have a polisher at the time so did it by hand.​

When doing the initial sanding I did a tiny bit at a time, wiped it off and let it dry, the scratch re-emerge, so did this iteratively until the scratch was gone or till I lost my nerve over the clear coat thickness.

I used a magnifying glass to check on the scratch.​

Once happy with the mark I rubbed out the sanding marks with the megs scratch X.​

You can see from this pic that I lost my nerve before the scratch was completely gone but I am happy with the results, I had to try hard to get the camera to pick it out.​

Finally I gave it a polish over with the megs polish, all in it took about 30 mins.​

 

[J LAD]

All,
I would not entertain " wet sanding " without the use of a digital paint depth gauge, and / or knowing the history of the panel being sanded.
All scratches are different, those that look a mess and appear deep may give a good outcome as per Racediagnostics post. Others that you think will come out easy, can be a cow!
The paint depth gauge will tell you how much clear coat you have removed.
If its a new car then chances are the panel has not been re-painted, and as stated, you will have around 0.05mm of clear coat to play with, but all cars are painted differently, with varying degrees of paint thickness on each panel, heres where the paint depth gauge comes in.
Some manufacturers paint is also very soft, ie Nissan or Honda, so its very easy to polish through.
At the end of the day, be realistic about the scratch and whats possible with it. If your not happy with the end result get it re-painted?

 

[clk320x]

All,
I would not entertain " wet sanding " without the use of a digital paint depth gauge, and / or knowing the history of the panel being sanded.
All scratches are different, those that look a mess and appear deep may give a good outcome as per Racediagnostics post. Others that you think will come out easy, can be a cow!
The paint depth gauge will tell you how much clear coat you have removed.
If its a new car then chances are the panel has not been re-painted, and as stated, you will have around 0.05mm of clear coat to play with, but all cars are painted differently, with varying degrees of paint thickness on each panel, heres where the paint depth gauge comes in.
Some manufacturers paint is also very soft, ie Nissan or Honda, so its very easy to polish through.
At the end of the day, be realistic about the scratch and whats possible with it. If your not happy with the end result get it re-painted?

If you do decide to get it painted make sure to use a bodyshop recommended on here. Had my tailgate resprayed at bodyteq london as they had very positive google reviews and they make a right mess of it. Failing to mask the lights correctly etc

 

[markwibbs]

I had a nasty v shaped scratch on my Vogue which I polished out last week, by hand, in about 10 minutes.
It was about 4" long in total, I could feel my nail in it but its now gone. A good solid high carnauba paste wax will also fill well too.
I used a new product, Hindsight Scratch Remover which you can buy here at £6.99 per pot.
Hindsight Bodywork Scratch Remover Hind-SR