Bug ****!!

[skysharker1]

Hey folks!!  So....I washed my car today to discover that a bird, or birds, decided to menstruate on my hood. It was like red and dry..which after being washed away, left a stain on the clearcoat. I decided to try to see if I can get it off by using the 3 step process, and this was the result. It didn't come off, and now seems to be a part of the hood. Any ideas on how to remove these blemishes completely? I know that bird crap is like poison to clearcoat and needs to be removed as soon as possible.

Edited October 7, 2016 by skysharker1

[Junior]

Can you describe a little bit more about what you did to remove it? Did you clay? What polish(es) did you use? What pads? What polisher did you use? Did the steps you took diminish the blemish to any degree?

[skysharker1]

I washed, clayed and then used the paint correction with the foam pad. It was still there so then I switched to the microfiber cutting pad. It smoothed the blemish, but didn't completely remove it.

[Junior]

Depending on the polisher and the arm speed and the actual polishes you might need several passes. It is ideal to use slooowwww arm movement and make sure the Paint Correcting Polish flashes. Then follow with the Finishing Polish as well. If you are working with a PC it might take longer than if you were using a more powerful machine.

Edited October 7, 2016 by Junior

[skysharker1]

Yes...I was using a porter cable. Should I use the orange foam pad or the black microfiber one? I finished the hood off with the paint sealant and the finishing polish...it looks great, except for the bird blemishes here and there.

[PostalTwo]

Slowing down is good advice. If that doesn't work I would sand it out with some 3000. Then paint correct out the sanding marks.

[Junior]

You may want to go with several passes using the microfiber pad and Correcting Polish. Then move to the Finishing Polish and white foam. Do not use sealant until you have achieved the results you desire.

 

How many directional passes did you do with the Correcting Polish? And did you use slow movement?

[Junior]

And just to clarify what I mean by several passes, I am saying do multiple passes usually alternating vertical and horizontal going each direction twice or until the Polish flashes. This should be in a 2x2 section. Remove with a microfiber towel. Inspect. Repeat if necessary after applying another couple of drops of polish. When using the mf pad, you need to make sure you really load the fibers up pretty good with polish and also brush the pad out when it gets matted after the passes. I also prime the pad with DS to assist in re activating the polish lodged in the pad. The foam pads only need about two or three dime sized drops.

Edited October 7, 2016 by Junior

[skysharker1]

I went with the CP twice...each time was about 8-10 times in each direction...and I went slow with the speed at 5. So I guess next time I need to clay again to remove the finishing polish?

[skysharker1]

Understood. I used the detail spray and put 3 dime sized drops on the pad, placed it on the vehicle and spread it to avoid slinging.

[Junior]

No need to clay again. When you say 8-10 times is that like 8-10 rows/columns for each direction? Or are you saying you went up and down and side to side across the entire section that many times? I guess an analogy would be akin to cutting your lawn. Did you cut the entire lawn in one direction once, then cut the whole yard in another direction once then do that 7-9 more times? Or are you saying you walked the length and width of the lawn 8-10 times total? If you did the entire section of paint 8-10 times in both directions the polish would have likely become ineffective 1/4 of the way through. Did you notice when the Polish began to look greasy?

Edited October 7, 2016 by Junior

[hemi1300]

I'm in the same boat as u with my new dodge ram. Bought it used (2014) about a month ago. Got all the paint blemishes polished up but one spot dead center of the hood drives me nuts. Definitely looks like bird crap etched into the clearcoat, aND I have been unable to correct it. Attempted the rupes 15 Mark 2 and mini, both with orange foam and microfiber. While it did improve a bit, still definitely noticeable. I have learned to live with it, last time I kept going over it with the mark 2 and the paint felt pretty hot so I called it quits before I burn through the clear and make matters worse. Wonder if I could wet sand it out? Even though I wouldn'the feel comfortable doing so as I have never done it, especially on a new $40k vehicle

[skysharker1]

Ok...I went up and down about 8-10 times, and then left and right about 8-10 times, I'd reapply and do it again. I wanted to continue doing it again and again, but wasn't sure if it was worth it. The polish started off as milky white and when it started to look greasy/clear, I'd reapply and do it again.

[skysharker1]

I'm in the same boat as u with my new dodge ram. Bought it used (2014) about a month ago. Got all the paint blemishes polished up but one spot dead center of the hood drives me nuts. Definitely looks like bird crap etched into the clearcoat, aND I have been unable to correct it. Attempted the rupes 15 Mark 2 and mini, both with orange foam and microfiber. While it did improve a bit, still definitely noticeable. I have learned to live with it, last time I kept going over it with the mark 2 and the paint felt pretty hot so I called it quits before I burn through the clear and make matters worse. Wonder if I could wet sand it out? Even though I wouldn'the feel comfortable doing so as I have never done it, especially on a new $40k vehicle

I hear you on that one!! Would hate to have a hole in the middle of the hood!!

[hemi1300]

I hear you on that one!! Would hate to have a hole in the middle of the hood!!

Yup, when the rupes Mark 2 with microfiber wouldn't touch it i called it quits. Granted, I wasn't running it top speed, maybe 5 at the most, didn't want to get carried away as powerful as this machine is and toast through my clear. Worst part is it's dead center of the hood close to the windshield and quite noticeable while driving

[skysharker1]

Ugh!!

[Junior]

You guys might want to look at using the 4" pads with a cordless drill, in essence a mini buffer. If that doesn't work then yeah it might be something for a pro to wet sand or use more cut.

[skysharker1]

Yeah...I was thinking about that. FML!! Thanks Junior for all your input!

[Junior]

Hey man no worries. As a fellow black car owner I have definitely seen my share of etched paint. Sometimes all you can do is be safe and knock it down as best you can. The Flex helped me a lot on my 2000 Ls, but if you look real close there are blemishes even the Flex couldn't completely remove. Sits outside 24/7. Even if you have that spot in your paint, there are tons of cars out there waaayyyy worse. Just have fun with the Correcting process and protect the hell out of the paint and be vigilant to remove any crap ASAP because time is the enemy there.

[PostalTwo]

thought I'd share this video of Adam wetsanding . It's not that bad really

[Chris@Adams]

You guys might want to look at using the 4" pads with a cordless drill, in essence a mini buffer. If that doesn't work then yeah it might be something for a pro to wet sand or use more cut.

Bingo, try the 4" Focus pads then follow up with your PC.

[Dan@Adams]

My opinion of wet sanding, if you've never done it before, I would recommend finding a practice vehicle or panel to learn on so that you don't end up sanding through the clear down to the base coat when you get greedy with a deep scratch...been there done that...mainly as a test, because the third door on my truck already has rust and needs repaired and repainted anyway.

 

3,000 grit is very tame, but lower grits can be easy to do irreversible damage that would then require a re-spray. Once you get the hang of wet sanding, it's not too bad, but clear coat thickness varies between manufacturers, and factors like uneven pressure from your fingers or a sanding block/pad can potentially cause trouble too.

[hemi1300]

My opinion of wet sanding, if you've never done it before, I would recommend finding a practice vehicle or panel to learn on so that you don't end up sanding through the clear down to the base coat when you get greedy with a deep scratch...been there done that...mainly as a test, because the third door on my truck already has rust and needs repaired and repainted anyway.

 

3,000 grit is very tame, but lower grits can be easy to do irreversible damage that would then require a re-spray. Once you get the hang of wet sanding, it's not too bad, but clear coat thickness varies between manufacturers, and factors like uneven pressure from your fingers or a sanding block/pad can potentially cause trouble too.

Very good point Dan. After seeing people mention wet sanding in this thread I contemplated it, but then thought again bc I have never wet sanded a vehicle before and not risking it on a $40k truck. I tend to take things a bit too far sometimes and could definitely see myself going right through the clear

[PostalTwo]

Very good point Dan. After seeing people mention wet sanding in this thread I contemplated it, but then thought again bc I have never wet sanded a vehicle before and not risking it on a $40k truck. I tend to take things a bit too far sometimes and could definitely see myself going right through the clear

a practice panel is Def a good idea . 3000 is pretty mild . It takes quite a bit to go thru as long as u take it easy and don't get carried away u will be fine . The 3000 will frost the finish but the. U will really be able to see just how deep the etching is . The pc Polish will fix the 3000 sanding marks quite easily . Once u have completed your first sanding u won't be as worried to do it the next time.

[PHOKUS]

Wet sanding with 3000 grit is essentially like rubbing your paint with water-resistant tagboard.

 

Get yourself some 3000 grit wet/dry sheets, some distilled water in a spray bottle (you have some already for compounding/polishing already, right??), spritz some water, and gently begin sanding. You will see the clear coat begin to get "frosty". I use the cross-hatch method as it allows me to track my progress against the blemish.

 

The tricky part here, and this is fair warning, if you rush it you can go through the clear. Without seeing the blemish myself it's difficult to tell how deep into the clear the etching has gone. In my experience, even the deepest organics etch only 1-3 microns. Clearcoats can be as thin as 8 microns or as thick as 50 microns if your car has been repainted. Most factory clears are between 15 and 25 microns. Of course, this is impossible to tell without a paint gauge.

 

So what's the best advice here?

1. Well, if you're unsure of your skill but are willing to learn, find a vehicle of similar YMM to practice on before wetsanding your car.
2. If you're the courageous type, go slow and try it yourself.
3. If you're simply unwilling to risk going too far, seek a professional you trust.

 

In my eyes, option 1 is the way to go.

[mc2hill]

Wet sanding with 3000 grit is essentially like rubbing your paint with water-resistant tagboard.

 

Get yourself some 3000 grit wet/dry sheets, some distilled water in a spray bottle (you have some already for compounding/polishing already, right??), spritz some water, and gently begin sanding. You will see the clear coat begin to get "frosty". I use the cross-hatch method as it allows me to track my progress against the blemish.

 

The tricky part here, and this is fair warning, if you rush it you can go through the clear. Without seeing the blemish myself it's difficult to tell how deep into the clear the etching has gone. In my experience, even the deepest organics etch only 1-3 microns. Clearcoats can be as thin as 8 microns or as thick as 50 microns if your car has been repainted. Most factory clears are between 15 and 25 microns. Of course, this is impossible to tell without a paint gauge.

 

So what's the best advice here?

1. Well, if you're unsure of your skill but are willing to learn, find a vehicle of similar YMM to practice on before wetsanding your car.
2. If you're the courageous type, go slow and try it yourself.
3. If you're simply unwilling to risk going too far, seek a professional you trust.

 

In my eyes, option 1 is the way to go.

 

Great information Aaron.  

 

I would recommend a sanding backing pad for wet sanding.  It helps evenly distribute the pressure from you hands/fingers.