Tools for removing scratches on a car and how to fix them with your own hands

The paint and lacquer layer of cars reliably protects the body from aggressive environmental influences, light impacts and sharp objects. But gradually the coating weakens, branches, hard grass and flying stones leave marks on the case, scratches and small cracks appear. Consider how to remove scratches from the body yourself, how to remove damage from plastic and headlights.

We remove small scratches and scuffs on the varnish

The finish of the case is varnished. Scratches on the lacquer layer are usually barely visible because the paint has not been touched. Damage is only noticeable on a wet body and at a certain angle. Most car owners do not contact the service with such a problem, they decide for themselves.Before starting the repair, you should examine the defect with a magnifying glass to make sure that the paint is intact, lies in an even layer, only the varnish is spilled.

Wax polish

To remove scratches from varnish at home, use a synthetic wax polish. The industry produces compounds in small packages that fill the cracks, protect the body from exhaustion, street chemicals, sand and stones.

Lack of composition - coverage will need to be regularly updated. Budget funds can withstand 1-3 washes, the most expensive - up to 10. Then the scratches appear again, you need to reapply the varnish.

Polisher

A polishing machine helps to completely remove damage to the varnish layer. If you are polishing at home, you will also need:

• fine abrasive paste (polish);
• 2000R sanding sheet, waterproof;
• water, towels.

Before work, the car is washed and dried. The damaged area is rubbed with a moistened sandpaper, wiped, dried. Then a thin layer of paste is applied to the machine and polishing begins. Rules of operation :

• treat the scratch and the area around it;
• the car is driven in different directions - up and down, left and right;
• they don't drive in the same place for a long time.

The treatment site and the circle are washed as they become dirty. Keep working until the scratch disappears.

How to properly remove paint scratches yourself

If the paint is chipped on the body, polishing is not enough. We will have to restore the coat of paint. For these purposes, products are produced that are restorers - pencils, markers, paint bubbles and a brush. Even Mercedes-Benz produces dyes for minor repairs. They can be matched with the color of the car.

The base of the pencils is resin over acrylic, filling in spilled areas. They have increased adhesion, reliably adhere to the body.

The scratch is washed, dried, treated with a degreasing solution. Then the agent is applied, trying to accurately hit the paint chip. The drying time is 15-20 minutes, but within 5-7 days it is better not to touch the restored area, refrain from washing the car.

Look at Also

What types of stretch ceilings are painted with their own hands and is it possible

Treat deep scratches and chips

If the paint is spilled on the metal body, you will need a whole set of tools that can be purchased in the kit. He understands:

• acrylic paint;
• degreaser;
• primers, including anti-corrosion;
• colorless varnish.

Repair sequence:

• rinse and dry the scratch;
• remove rust with sandpaper;
• degrease the site;
• primary anti-corrosion treatment;
• apply a coat of a conventional primer to adhere the dye;
• painting on stripes in 2 coats.

The last step is to cover with transparent varnish. Before applying each coat, wait until the previous coat is completely dry.

DIY plastic restoration

The interior of the car is plastic. During operation, scratches and dents inevitably appear on the doors, sills, torpedoes, giving the car a sloppy look. You can deal with these problems yourself.

Special restorers

Restorers (polish) are produced to fill and smooth scratches on plastic. The following ready-to-use forms are available:

• milk;
• spray (aerosol).

Products have high adhesion, fill cracks and level plastic surfaces. They are applied to a cleaned and degreased part, wait until they dry.After buffing to shine with a microfiber cloth (use polish). Some preparations contain dyes that additionally update and refresh the interior, give the details a shine and shine.

Hair dryer or lighter

Heat is another popular remedy for flattening plastic parts and tightening scratches. Use a hair dryer or an ordinary lighter.

Interior details are carefully warmed up, trying to act only on the damaged area (they protect the upholstery with heat-insulating material). Small scratches are smoothed, deeper ones are reduced. In this way, minor faults can be repaired; in case of significant damage, heating will take a long time. As a result, the plastic can deform.

Help: to remove scratches from plastic, they also use a gel-plasticizer, blackener, gluing with a film.

How to fix car glass scratches with your own hands

Scratched car windows interfere with visibility; poor visibility can affect driving safety. The windshield absorbs most of the stones that fly from the road. Functional wipers draw small scratches with sand and fine debris.

Deep chips and large cracks cannot be removed by yourself, but small flaws in the glass can be removed by polishing. Sequencing:

1. The glass is washed and wiped.
2. To facilitate the work, the fault must be visualized. For this, a stripe is drawn on the glass with a shiny marker on the side of the passenger compartment.
3. For work you will need - a polishing machine (drill with a circle), paste (cerium oxide).
4. Cover the wheel with paste and start polishing at medium speed.
5. During polishing, the glass and the circle are washed several times with water and it is checked whether the scratch is reduced.
6. High revolutions do not light up, make sure the surface does not overheat, cool the glass of the spray bottle. Take breaks during polishing to avoid overheating.

The work will last 30-60 minutes. Strong pressure or overheating can cause the glass to warp, bend or cloud. As a result, changes in transparency will degrade visibility. The duration of the work depends on the depth of the cracks. When polishing, abrasive pastes are used, which eliminate small cracks and turbidity.

Important: Grinders are not used to remove scratches from glass.

Car headlight restoration

To remove scratches from the headlights, use the same methods as for glass. If the headlight glass has lost its transparency, craftsmen use toothpaste, but this will not give a noticeable long-term effect. It is better to use polishing, purchasing a special kit for work. The first step is to clean the headlights from dirt, wash them and dry them. To protect the body, all surfaces around the headlight are covered with masking tape.

Look at Also

How to paint chipboard with your own hands at home, 5 best compositions

Then proceed directly to polishing. To start, take the coarsest grit sandpaper (starting from the P600) or the coarser grit polish. The machine runs at medium speed. The abrasive of the headlight and the wheel is washed off after 30-40 seconds of polishing and replaced with a new one. Gradually switch to a fine grit abrasive. At the end, the headlights are washed, dried, UV varnish is applied, which will protect against the sun, cloudiness and add shine.

Other methods

Depending on the size and especially the depth of the scratches on the bodywork, different repair methods are used. The industry produces special products that are convenient to use at home. Damage that affects the metal base of the body is the most difficult to repair. The vehicle may require a complete repair. Let's take a look at the popular and available methods for repairing scratches.

Spot painting

Minor bodily injuries are combated with spot painting methods. The damaged area is washed, treated with a degreasing compound so that the paint adheres better to the body, and the agent is applied. To use:

• for the scratches of the first level (only the varnish was damaged) - marker pens;
• the second level (varnish and paint are scratched) - pencil, paint in a bottle with a thin brush.

To camouflage the scratches and make them invisible, you'll need to look for the right color paint. The dye is put in 2 layers, waiting for the first to dry completely.

Polishing

For polishing, special machines are used which, when the wheel turns, rub the wax paste and smooth the scratches on the varnish layer. Since the wax protection is gradually washed away by sediment and at the sink, the damage can only be polished for a certain time. In the future, they will reappear. With professional body treatment, the scratches can be completely sanded off, they will disappear forever. Many car owners prefer to use the services of a service so that they do not apply the wax coat on a regular basis.

Paintings with brushes

Small bottles of paint are available from many car manufacturers. From the markings you can choose a color that exactly matches the color of the machine.A thin, dense brush helps locate the paint on the scratch. The dye has high adhesive properties, contains fiberglass, protects the body from rust. The paint dries in a few minutes, but it's better not to risk it - do not wash the car for several days.

Before applying stain, you need to remove rust, treat the surface with a degreaser. Brush paints are popular with motorists, as they help to carry out minor repairs at home, without spending extra money on the services of professionals.

Spray paint

Spray stain is another way to paint over scratches. The color is chosen according to a special catalog. An instruction is attached to the box, which must be followed. The paint is sprayed on previously prepared areas. Lack of funds - inability to correct color and texture (you cannot dilute the dye). The distance, layer thickness, angle of inclination of the ball will have to be chosen independently. Beforehand, it is worth trying the dye on a metal sheet to check its quality.

Look at Also

How to paint tulle with your own hands at home, features and technique

Repair kit

The body restoration kit includes several products to fill and paint cracks and paint chips. The car owner does not have to collect them himself.The composition of the repair kit depends on the manufacturer, it may contain the following components:

• primers;
• Sandpaper;
• degreasing composition;
• Polish;
• masking tape;
• gloves;
• paint with the indication of the number according to the corresponding catalog;
• varnish.

The price of the repair kit depends on the number of components included. The kit is designed for several applications.

Special means

The rating of the most demanded means for the restoration of the body includes:

• marker wax crayons - fill in scratches with a polymeric, fast-hardening substance;
• gel - in a bottle with a brush;
• anti-scratch paste for bodywork and bumpers, the paste contains abrasive particles;
• polishing milk;
• paints in bottles with a brush, in the form of a spray can.

To hide deep scratches, PVC stickers are also used, which adhere tightly to the body, hide flaws and prevent rust from spreading due to lack of oxygen.

The scratch remover is selected depending on the degree of damage to the paint layer.

How to completely restore the paint layer

During operation, small flaws appear on the body, which spoil the appearance, can lead to rusting of the metal body. You can restore the coating in the workshop or yourself. Depending on the depth of the damage, different scratch treatment methods are used:

1. For minor injuries, wax and polish are sufficient.
2. In case of scratches of considerable depth, the body is polished and floated. Use tools - polishing machines, drills with round nozzles, grinders. The use is justified when the paint layer is removed and the bodywork is threatened by corrosion.

In case of deep damage, it is imperative to remove rust, use anti-corrosion primers, zinc coatings for protection. Only then are the flaws repainted. The work is carried out in a closed warm room, the body must be warmed up before painting to improve adhesion. Masking tape is used to cover adjacent areas of the enclosure. The final stage of paint repair is the application of varnish, which performs decorative and protective functions.

Additional tips and tricks

Some advice from experienced professionals:

1. When repairing deep scratches, if the paint layer is damaged, you cannot pull - the body will begin to rust.
2. Varnishes have different characteristics. Abrasives are used to remove the surface layer of paint, polish with wax and protect from the external environment. Remove oxidized paint with synthetic types.
3. For painting the chips, it is better to use dyes from the car manufacturer.
4. Damaged bumpers, sills are more convenient to paint from a spray can.

Expensive varnishes are more profitable than cheaper ones, they do not wash off longer, they hide flaws better.

Most motorists are faced with the need to repair cracks and scratches on the body. It is not necessary to contact a professional service. Repair kits, paints, varnishes can be used independently. You need to familiarize yourself with repair technology and be patient. Even inexperienced drivers can remove scratches from a car.