Bird Poop Etching - With Limited Resources

[imported_User Name]

Okay, so the wifey mobile has a mound of what looked like pterodactyl poop on the hood and of course, wifey let it bake onto the hood for about 9 hours before I saw it when I got home from work.



I immediately washed it off and whipped out my gear (which is my limited resources).



I tried M105 on my G110 v2 with an assortment of pads. I had from 4 - 7" pads. Flat to CCS... LC to Meguiars.



I DO NOT own a rotary and I DO NOT wetsand.



I WILL NOT buy a rotary and I WILL NOT wetsand.



I got most of the etching out, but when I look at the paint from an angle I can see that the paint is still slight stained (yellow/brown) and I have NOT completely levelled it off.



So, do I keep going with M105 (I`ve made at least 4 seperate SLOW passes, using different pad combinations and pressure). I can`t seem to level it down perfectly.



Because I am unsure of myself and don`t have a paint thickness gauge, I`m worred I am taking off too much clear. Any thoughts?

[mikenap]

You can probably wetsand it, then buff it out with a rotary.



























Ok, you pretty much guaranteed someone would say that, so I thought I`d get it out of the way. Honestly, it will depend on a lot of factors. But if you`re not comfortable with sanding it, you probably might want to lay off the compounding until you measure that area. If you can`t find a way to measure it and don`t want to sand it, you may just have to live with it. There`s no easy way around it and not every car can be perfect. I`ve come to the painful conclusion that on a daily driver, some things are better left alone.

[David Fermani]

Oh man, that was some nasty crap huh? Weird how it`s discolored? As long as the paint isn`t cracked, you should be able to level it away with M105. If you have the Micro Fiber pads I`d use them. Keep the panel cool by letting it cool down in-between sessions. Let us know how it goes.

[Ron Ketcham]

Pretty clear on what you "will not do".

So, with that, I have to ask you this.

"Have you ever done any refinishing of a wood surface?"

What does the wood`s finish look like if you do not "evenly" remove imperfections in the wood?

I do understand your concern, however, I suggest you consider what I typed.



Just removing one very small imperfection makes the surrounding area pin point the very imperfection that you wish to correct.



Consider your options, and then make a decision that you can live with.



Two or three passes with a 2000 wetted paper, using a sanding block, will remove aprox .2 or less of a mil.



If you do this, without applying heavy pressure to the block and paper, and still observe the concern, STOP.



You can use your dual action, with the correct pad and product to remove the sanding marks without removing excessive clearcoat.



Polish out the area and you may be surprised at how much it is improved without damaging the clear.



Just a suggestion, that`s all.



Grumpy