Clearcoat Repair Without Refinishing

CLEARCOAT REPAIR WITHOUT REFINISHING

Urethane clearcoats provide a degree of protection for the finish that many single stage paint systems do not. As a result it may be possible to correct a number of minor paint defects without refinishing the affected panel. Examples of the types of defects which can be repaired in this manner are shown in the illustration.

It must be noted however that in cases where a significant amount of clearcoat has been removed it may be worthwhile to spray an additional coat to ensure long-term durability of the finish. In either case little time is wasted in the process since it is a good practice to clean the repair area with compound prior to a spot repair.

1. Thoroughly wash repair area with a mild detergent and water solution.
2. Apply a small amount of fine machine rubbing compound to repair area and spread evenly with compounding pad.
3. With polisher running at approximately 2700 rpm, compound repair area. Keep pad flat against panel while applying light pressure. Feature lines and panel edges should be hand-rubbed to avoid burn-through. Check repair area frequently and, if necessary, add more compound.
4. If sanding is required, proceed to step 6. If no sanding is required, apply polish to repair area and evenly spread with polishing pad.
5. Keep pad fiat to panel and allow weight of polisher to do the work. Use polish sparingly to achieve original shine. Machine or hand polish repair area first, then blend in with rest of panel.

NOTE: If repair is near adjacent panels, mask adjacent panel to protect against sand scratches and burn-through of panel edges.

6. Attach a piece of micro-fine sandpaper to a sanding pad. The addition of a small amount of liquid detergent to the water will improve wet-out and sanding performance.
7. Keep repair area wet while sanding. Sand lightly and evenly in one direction only, using straight strokes.

IMPORTANT: Frequently wipe or squeegee repair to determine when imperfection has been removed. Sand only enough clearcoat to remove imperfection. Sanding through clearcoat requires the panel to be painted.

8. Using a clean cloth, wipe repair area clean of water and clearcoat residue.
9. Compound and polish as necessary. Often, hand compounding and polishing of a small repair area is all that is necessary to restore appearance.