How to Fix ETCHING from Bird Droppings! (Clear Coat Damage Repair)

[@neilwalker5041]

Always a pleasure to learn from Mike and Yancy! I have learned taking the extra fifteen minutes to remove etchings from the hood, if possible, really makes people happy!

[@mikephillipsrealworlddetailing]

Thanks for watching and commenting Neil! -Mike Phillips

[@ratton5028]

Hi Mike 🖐 Great job! Thanks for sharing and teaching us how to do it. Cheers!!.. 😎

[@Chingiztyumenskiy]

You are real men👍

[@mikephillipsrealworlddetailing]

I like to think of myself as more of a blue collar working class dog. Woof woof. Thanks for watching and commenting. -Mike Phillips

[@btbd2785]

the Eagle Abrasives sandpaper you are using is the Super Bufles. Correct? the best when it comes to "minimize the buffing or polishing time. in addition it removes less clear coat than your normal. sandpaper.

[@mikephillipsrealworlddetailing]

Yes, I'm using Eagle Abrasives Super Buflex. Eagle has some interesting words to brand their different grades and types of sanding tools, takes some work to get used to. Thank you for watching and commenting. -Mike Phillips

[@btbd2785]

@mikephillipsrealworlddetailing Yes they do. They have 10 different names/categories of sanding media. The material they use for both the sanding media and the material of the backing is crazy!

[@dereksims6128]

I work at a higher end dealership. We use 3M 1500 wet sand. Then 3000. Diamond cut compound, machine polish then swirl remove. They come back sometimes which is super annoying

[@mikephillipsrealworlddetailing]

That's a good approach and "yes" sometimes the etchings come back or visibly show-up again. I've been told this is because the acids in the bird droppings were never fully neutralized, but I don't know if this is accurate. The tough part is for people doing this type of work on FACTORY THIN paint. You just don't have a lot of film build to work with. Thank you for watching and commenting. -Mike Phillips

[@dereksims6128]

@@mikephillipsrealworlddetailing We also have the wet sand scratches come back sometimes also. Any advice?

[@mikephillipsrealworlddetailing]

@@dereksims6128 - My advice? buff more. If sanding marks are coming back - this simply means they were not fully removed the first time you tried. Use a wool pad on a rotary polisher and cut until they are 100% removed. Use a panel wipe to inspect your work.

[@bjimsondetailing]

nice job sir. can a foam pad do this kind of correction too as the wool did if yes how ?

[@mikephillipsrealworlddetailing]

Yes. Think about it, if a foam pad can remove normal swirls and scratches, then a foam pad can remove sanding marks. In my experience, if you want the repair to be absolute, then if you're going to use a foam pad on either a rotary or an orbital, you should sand out to a high grit and even consider finishing out with something like the 3M Trizact 3000 or 5000 grit 3" sanding discs. I've seen full car sand jobs where someone used a foam pad on a rotary to remove the sanding marks and while it may have looked right the day of the buff, down the road it never looks right. Because I own a rotary and I'm comfortable with a rotary, I tend to always use a rotary with a wool pad to cut sanding marks and THEN switch over to foam to create a hologram-free and swirl-free flawless finish. In our training garage right now is a 1968 Camaro that I did full sand and buff. I used a wool pad on a rotary for the cutting step. The owner picks it up tomorrow. I'm confident he will be pleased as not only are all the sanding marks removed, there's no blue basecoat on any of my buffing pads. That's a *good* sign. :) Thanks for watching and commenting. -Mike Phillips

[@entasis.fifty-four]

The dreaded crinkled bird-dropping etching. Some birds are aces at producing them.

[@mikephillipsrealworlddetailing]

Yeah, you have to wonder what the birds are eating? LOL Thanks for watching and commenting. -Mike Phillips

[@danalee32]

What is a good paint thickness gauge that you would recommend? Do you have a link to one? And also what is a number on the gauge that you should go below when checking for wet sanding or dry sanding?

[@mikephillipsrealworlddetailing]

To be honest, technology is being introduced so fast, I can't say for certain what the *best* Paint Thickness Gauge is currently. What I can say is go with an *ESTABLISHED BRAND* with a reputation for accurate, professional quality tools. The PTG I'm using is a Defelsko. This is an American-made PTG and very high quality. It's a 3% gauge meaning it's very accurate. It's also easy to use and calibrate. Do some research and remember, you get what you pay for. Buy once, cry once. Thanks for watching and commenting. -Mike Phillips

[@danalee32]

@@mikephillipsrealworlddetailing how low of a number on thickness is too low to wet sand the paint?

[@mikephillipsrealworlddetailing]

@@danalee32 - It's less about the measurement and more about the type of paint. None of us should be sanding on FACTORY paint jobs, the paint is simply too thin. Sure you can get away with spot repairs like you see me doing on this CUSTOM paint job, but to try to sand down a brand new Corvette because you don't like the Orange Peel is super risky because sooner or later, somewhere on the car, you're either going to sand-through the clearcoat and expose the basecoat or you're going to buff-through the clearcoat and expose the basecoat and then it's game over. For CUSTOM paint jobs like you see on this Camaro and you also see in my sanding classes, these types of cars have custom paint, and this usually means more paint. MY normal protocol when someone asks me to sand their car is to ask the owner if they will give me the name of the PAINTER and if they do, I call them, introduce myself, describe the car they painted and then simply ask them, *How much paint or how many coats of paint did you spray onto the car?* In every case I've done this, the painter was super polite and told me the answer. And in all cases, the answer was good, and I sanded the cars with no problems. So sanding down a car or doing spot repair first starts with some research into the car and the paint job. Instead of me guessing? Here's two questions for you. *What are you working on?* * *What are you trying to accomplish?* Mike

[@AnisBoukebouche]

Some times it comes back a few days later no?

[@mikephillipsrealworlddetailing]

Sometimes. The first step is to neutralize the acidic bird dropping etching. This happened MONTHS of from the time I was brought the car. I did wash it using a pH neutral car wash soap before doing any work on the car. Sanding like I show in the video was thorough - the paint was completely flat and I'm confident that the results were permanent. -Mike Phillips

[@matiusteddyc.856]

In 21st Century, we actually have "Dermatograph Pencil" you know, but I supposed "Crayola will do as great" 😃 nice tips Mike. Cheers

[@mikephillipsrealworlddetailing]

Ha ha - never heard of such a thing but I'm a pro with Crayola Crayons! I'll do a Skynet Search, (Google). -Thanks for watching and sharing the Dermatograph Pencil. -Mike Phillips

[@live.drive.mod.7290]

Will a chinagraph pencil work as well as a crayon?

[@matiusteddyc.856]

Technically we use Dermatograph Pencil, but a Crayolla will do just fine (and easier to find)

[@MyGuyKirby]

Very nice car and better now without those etchings.

[@mikephillipsrealworlddetailing]

Totally agree, super nice build. Thanks for watching and commenting. -Mike Phillips

[@platinum.mobile.detail]

Where do you get the kovax sanding discs from?

[@mikephillipsrealworlddetailing]

I normally source them on Amazon. -Mike Phillips

[@clints8888]

paint thickness gauge doesn’t really work on a custom as you still have no idea what’s under there! e.g u might have 7 of bondo 2 paint and 2 clear but comes up 11. So different to a 1 year old car

[@mikephillipsrealworlddetailing]

Exactly what I think and teach in our classes. Years ago, I coined the terms, *"Go"* and *"No Go"*. When measuring paint to "decide" what you're going to do, (if anything), a Paint Thickness Gauge can really only give you a tick of insight as to whether the OVERALL paint thickness is thin or thick. In the *BIG PICTURE* - use common sense and then use great abrasive technology and then use the right tool for the job. I've detailed thousands of cars since the 1970s and *MOST* of those *DECADES* I never owned or used a PTG and yet, mistakes were not only far and few between, but the exception to the rule. Knock on paint. Here's the other deal, anytime I'm making a video, if I *DON'T* use a Paint Thickness Gauge, all the *EXPERTS* in the KZbin, Facebook and Instagram world come out and share their hate. Thank God for all the social media experts. LOL Thanks for watching and commenting. -Mike Phillips

[@1stfrompuertorico568]

First!!!!

[@mikephillipsrealworlddetailing]

Ha ha - thanks for watching Humberto!