Secrets of the correct polishing of the car body

Polishing scratches on the car body is a necessary measure when restoring the paintwork from numerous small defects. It allows you to return the car to its original appearance without a complete repaint. The causes of damage are small stones flying out from under the wheels of other cars, tree branches, ice, hail, and careless driving. Defects spoil the appearance of the car, and are the cause of corrosion. If you have special equipment, you can polish the car yourself.

Before eliminating minor scratches, they diagnose damage and prepare the surface of the car body. Preparation for recovery is performed according to the following algorithm:

1. Prepare work space. Polishing car body scratches should not be done outdoors, as howling or dirt will only exacerbate the problem. Restoring the paintwork in a garage with good lighting - otherwise, the work will be inefficient, since in low light only large and deep scratches can be seen. Before polishing, the room must be cleaned, as dust and dirt will affect the quality of the work performed.
2. The area of ​​​​the car body that is to be restored must be thoroughly washed, dried and degreased. Do not use gasoline or other solvents as a degreaser, as they may damage the paint layer. Using masking tape, it is necessary to seal undamaged parts of the car body.
3. Depending on the depth of the scratches, the necessary tools and consumables are selected.

After the restoration is completed, in order not to scratch the vehicle body again, it is treated with special compounds (“liquid glass”) or protective materials (vinyl or polymer films) are used.

Tool

Do-it-yourself car polishing is most effective when using a grinder and discs. After applying the abrasive, with a machine running at medium speed, polish the damaged area until a shine appears.

In this case, it is necessary to choose the right wheels for polishing. Polishing discs are of the following varieties:

• Solid.

With their help, cracks, scratches and chips are removed from the surface of the car. Made from soft rubberized plastic. Abrasive wheels are equipped with the smallest particles of diamond chips.

• Medium.

Are intended for giving of glossy gloss of a paint and varnish covering of the car. Circles are made of soft non-fibrous fabric or felt.

• Soft with a relief surface. Are intended for polishing of glasses and headlights of the car. Consumables are made of foam rubber.

When using circles, you need to remember that the temperature of the treated surface should not reach 40 degrees Celsius. Otherwise, the paintwork will change its color and texture.

Instead of a grinder, you can use a grinder or a drill with a special soft wheel, but on these devices you need to adjust the speed of rotation of the disk. If this possibility is not provided for by the design of the tool, then it is recommended to use fine-grained sandpaper and soft, non-fibrous tissues. The polishing process in this case will be performed manually.

Polishing materials

As for polishing products, the motorist can use abrasive and protective compounds. They are used depending on the degree of damage to the surface of the vehicle body coating.

To eliminate defects, it is necessary to use polishes, they are divided into two types:

1. Abrasive polishing paste. It contains the smallest crystals. With this tool, a complete polishing of the surface of the vehicle body is performed, effectively removing small and medium scratches. However, the substance should be used carefully - there is a high probability of damage to the vehicle's paintwork. In this case, painting the restored area is indispensable.
2. Protective compositions based on wax. Substances are suitable for removing the smallest chips, scratches and getting rid of the "web". They are used for surface treatment. The advantages of such pastes include a gentle effect on the surface of the car body, and the disadvantage is the low durability of the coating. After several months of driving a car, the polishing procedure using wax compounds will have to be repeated.

When choosing a polish, you should pay attention to the products of famous brands. Buying a cheap product can be disastrous: instead of a shiny and smooth restored surface, the motorist will get a worn body area that requires more serious repairs.

How to polish small scratches on a car

To polish the car body from scratches with your own hands, you will need to apply an abrasive substance to the damaged area, then polish it using a grinder and the appropriate circle. This technology allows you to effectively get rid of small scratches.

Elimination of small defects is carried out using wax-based pastes.

Polishing deep scratches

To polish deep scratches that have damaged the ground layer or reached the metal, you will need to treat the damage with anticorrosive to prevent corrosion, prime, tint in the body color. Next, rough grinding is carried out with abrasive wheels or high-grain sandpaper. After polishing is carried out with medium-grained and fine-grained disks.

Before applying a new layer of primer and paint, the old damaged coating is disposed of.

Nuances

Polishing car scratches has a number of nuances that must be considered:

1. The work surface must be constantly cooled. Restoration is best done with a grinder with a cooling option. If polishing by hand, then the sandpaper should be constantly moistened with water.
2. When choosing polishing wheels and tools, take into account the degree of damage to the car's paintwork. The use of unsuitable consumables will result in deterioration of the paintwork.
3. After the paint has completely dried on the damaged area, a special protective layer of varnish is applied, and polishing is carried out with a soft disc using a protective compound.

Restoring the paintwork of a car from chips and scratches is done by hand, with certain experience and tools. If you are not confident in your abilities, then it is recommended to contact the service center.