where to buy a good magnifier to look at clear coat?

[Bluedog]

ive been reading topics of bird droppings etching the clear coat and stuff. so i was jsut wondering where i can find a good magnifier that ill actually let me see the clear coat close enough to tell if its cracked/damaged even if it feels ok to the touch.



also, does anyone know why smaller and more diluted bird droppings that leave a small stain on the paint seem to disappear over time? its like the moment u get it off u know its stained the clearcoat or even further in and it seems theres no way to pull it out. but after a few days of driving it disappear completely.

[YoSteve]

there`s 30X lighted one (I believe) at radio shack

[Bluedog]

so can anyone explain about the bird stain disappearing?

[rmccall6]

Im no expert so this is a guess. Mabee the crap left some resudues like a water spot leaves calcium deposites when it dries, that after a while, begin to come off. A total guess. just make sure to get them off ASAP with some QD and to treat the area w/ some alchohol like ron said to prevent further damage.

[Neeraj]

My guess is that the bird droppings do not harm the clear coat initially, just the wax layer and after a few days, the heat smooths out the wax layer (or polymer layer).



I`ve heard about this and seen it for my self. I had just washed my car and saw what looked like a water spot on my hood.



QD would not remove it. Neither would Meguair`s cleaner/wax. So, I went and got vinegar to see how that would do.



By the time I went to use the vinegar and water, the mark was gone. Disappeared. Can`t explain it.



The only thing I can think of is if the clearcoat was harmed, it would not disappear.



Brian

[Ron Ketcham]

Hey, think about it. There was water present, of course what you don`t know is what was in the water.



Clear is porus, the water got in the clear, IE short term cloudiness from the water. When it evaporated, the milky look went away.



The water evaporated, fine, but the acid/alkaline compounds did not, they are now concentrated down in the clear, just waiting for the right conditions to return and eat apart the resin system.



With the return of cooler/cold weather, the etching factor will decrease. Requires heat, humidity and an oxidizer to start the etching process. Very seldom is there an etching concern in colder weather. I did a long post on heat and reactivity sometime ago.



If the cloudy portion does not go away , then the clear is already compromised. If it does go away, then later, it may start etching or it may not. This depends on what were the chemical compounds that the water carried into the clear.



If you have a good wax/sealant on the vehicle and see this cloudiness, I would recommend you rethink your choice of product or your application method. Something is wrong if it is penetrated that easily.



Ketch

:bounce