How to Remove Runs and Sags in Clearcoat and Paint [EASY]

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So you've taken all that time to do body work, sand, sand, and sand some more. You shoot the basecoat and it looks awesome, then you shoot that last coat of clear and BAM!! All of a sudden you notice that sag starting to form and then the cascade effect creates multiple runs or drips. Let not your heart be troubled, there's an easy way to fix this. Sit back and learn how to remove runs and sage in clearcoat and paint.
Before starting any of this, make sure the clear or paint has cured for at least 24-hours. First up is to make sure that the surface and the surrounding area is very clean. Get yourself a few brand new razor blades. You should only need one, but having a few is always good. Stand the blade straight up, perpendicular to the paint surface and lightly scrape in one direction. You're just trying to scrape the high spots of the imperfection. After you make a few passes and feel comfortable, then you can start scraping in both directions (back & forth motion). Be sure to clean away residual every few scrapes.
It may take a few minutes to work the high spots down to level, but it will get there. Don't rush! You will see the high and low spots appear as you're working the sags and runs. Once you've brought the high spots down to the flat surface, then stop. Now, it's time for sanding. Get yourself a bucket of water or a spray-bottle with a little soap and fill with water. Start with 600-grit sandpaper and keep the surface wet. Sand the area your corrected and a little around it. Next, move to 800-grit sandpaper to remove the 600 scratches, then 1,200, then 1,500, then 3,000. Now, it's time for polish. You can work this by hand, but it's much easier and quicker to use a random orbital polisher. Voila, your beautiful finish is back.
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[@craigquik]

Thanks for posting this - just tried it out on a run I got and you'd never know it was there! So, thanks!!

[@Shoptoolreviews]

That's awesome, so glad to hear it. You don't know how many people say this doesn't work or it's a bad idea. It really works well, and fast. Glad it worked for you. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@craigquik]

@@Shoptoolreviews Definitely didn't take too long, and it's a hell of a lot quicker than repainting cos you sanded through the clear next to the run! 🙈

[@Shoptoolreviews]

You got that right.

[@chrisdigiuseppe7717]

Oh this is great info man, thank you!! I just touched up a spot on my car and got a nice sag in the clear. I've got those out before with wet sanding, this looks like a great method to make sure that imperfection is flat and saves time as well.

[@Shoptoolreviews]

Right on. You have a lot of haters to this method, but it works really well if you take your time and be careful.

[@thewordpress7092]

Guy. I dint know how to thank you. Really appteciate the tip bro. I have runs and now I know what to do. Keep uploading vids. Peace

[@themizefamily7429]

I actually bought this tool with the combo but I dont think this 1 is offering the combo. An they help out extremely!!! Love this tool!!!

[@Shoptoolreviews]

I think you commented on the wrong video, but thanks for watching anyway. Which tool were you referring to? This is the video on scraping paint drips with a razor blade.

[@93corvetteguy]

You are a better man than me. I never go beyond 1500 grit.... But I also have pretty low standards for my body work.

[@Shoptoolreviews]

Only for the camera. ;). Thanks for watching.

[@fredtheveteran4623]

Well I figured it out you just have to do a lot of buffing and I mean a lot. Came out great so I'm happy sorry for freaking out everybody

[@stefandenic7144]

Thank you for the simple and effective idea.

[@chzzyg2698]

This video saved my guitar project. Thanks!

[@mikenismogtr]

awesome informational video on taking out a clear coat drip. I have never tried a razor blade and will experiment today with a paint job i finished and let cure for almost 2 weeks.

[@Shoptoolreviews]

Take your time and when muscle memory takes over, it's pretty simple and quick. Thanks for watching and for commenting.

[@72442conv]

That is a 1970-1972 Olds 442 in Viking Blue, should have shown us the whole car. That is one sexy vehicle.

[@billknudson7895]

Great demo. The same technique translates to guitar finishes.

[@esssparteros6192]

If you're new and try to do this trick I'd suggest to cover the both edge of razor with tape

[@Shoptoolreviews]

That's a good trick, but just being careful works just as well. Thanks for watching.

[@TrentMRobertson]

If I could give you two likes for the two tips, I would!

[@joshualeone3345]

Thanks for the fix. Pro tip!

[@Shoptoolreviews]

Happy to help!

[@zanaga1901]

I got runs today and noticed I used a 1.8 tip on basecoat put already put on clear and it is drying now but will have to fix it when I get some more razor blades.

[@Shoptoolreviews]

That's a bummer, but the blades should do the trick. Thanks for watching.

[@mattyssexydroid]

This was a sanity saver, thank you!!

[@fredtheveteran4623]

I must suck because I did exactly what he did and mine came out horrible!!! He makes it look so easy. I'm going to pay a pro to do it for me.

[@shanewatkins5636]

So I used a razor blade to get rid of a run in the paint successfully. At what grit do I stop sanding. I don't want to make it too slick and shiny since I need to still clear coat?

[@7417928020]

Very important presentation ... Thank you..Congratulations brother ..

[@fredtheveteran4623]

So do we just keep buffing and buffing and buffing and buffing with the compound until it finally comes back to normal?

[@smashinthatbass]

Dam that worked really well I'm not painting cars I am painting Bass baits and I have a run in one of them nice video man 🤙🤙👊👊

[@Shoptoolreviews]

Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@sheeznutz2254]

I dont think the bass will care about a run but it may not like fish eyes!🐟

[@garrettguitar]

Great tip; thanks! Are you using soap in your spray water?

[@mirgeo17]

Totally off subject. But it sounded like you were playing amazing Grace when you started your buffer. I said to myself, man he's good .lol

[@Shoptoolreviews]

There's a good chance that I was, or I may have been singing it. I owe it all to God and his grace. Thanks for watching.

[@fredtheveteran4623]

Okay somebody help me I did exactly what this gentleman told me to do but you can still see the scratches I have sand wet sanded I have buffed I have wet sanded I have buffed those scratches don't come out how do you get them out to make it look normal again?

[@naithenmcconnell6518]

Amazing video!

[@honeybear8485]

So basically shave them runs and sags out with a Razer blade .. I was skeptical trying this. But I think I'm going to give it a try.. but I wished my runs were small as yours mine are the size of Texas. .😊

[@Shoptoolreviews]

It works!! Just take your time, and once you get used to it, you can move pretty fast.

[@zahidsayed8399]

Wow nice! Going to give this a try tomorrow.

[@Shoptoolreviews]

Let us know how it turns out.

[@Nagalandrumpum]

I was about to remove the whole paint and start a fresh paint untill u saw this video. Well, i hope this helps i will be trying after my clear dries off. Any more advice and tips will be helpful. Thanks

[@Shoptoolreviews]

Just take it slow and make sure you have a brand new razor blade. Let us know how it works out. Thanks for watching.

[@timmy1845]

Very helpful sir thank you for this video

[@mohamedalhalimi9210]

Can o just use the razor blade and the polish it

[@troyfall6573]

excellent. exactly what I needed. thanks

[@dan3nad]

How long should I let clear dry if its around 60-65 degrees during day & 45 night, before I decide to sand & buff it out

[@fredtheveteran4623]

I'm freaking out because I can't get the scratches out I did everything exactly like he said to do. Idk what to do!!!!!

[@dstndwns]

Great vid! Gonna try it myself.

[@Shoptoolreviews]

let us know how it goes.

[@dougimlach1037]

Some times it's better to. Block away and re clear or respray = perfectly done save time just mask up scotch paint and clear or unknown finish all runs are visible if you look

[@aaronamarok]

Wow what a great tactic. I'm gonna try this out- I thought I was screwed haha

[@Shoptoolreviews]

Thanks so much for watching and we hope it works as well for you as it does for us.

[@jamiepalzeaird3013]

Great video just wondering would this blade technique work on rounded surface like a helmet thanks to answers👍

[@Gargoyle786]

I usually go straight to 1000 grit for the runs...don't want to burn through the clear...only 2 coats of clear applied and when I need to knock down stuff on cars i didn't paint, never know how thin the clear is...I have burned through some clear with a compound pad on an A pillar...not good having to reapply clear

[@kevinmerrill8074]

Thank you for vid , solid info

[@Shoptoolreviews]

No problem 👍

[@Lucas-LeFever]

Hey, when you wet sand... did your water solution also have soap? I've just been wet sanding with water but yours had a soapy type feel

[@Shoptoolreviews]

Yes, I like to add a couple of drops of dish detergent (Dawn) to a spray bottle of water or in the bucket. This just breaks the surface tension of the water. You don't have to do this, but it helps. Thanks for watching.

[@rimundocachero6266]

Thank you

[@franklexington2586]

Learned this b4 thx for confirming

[@Shoptoolreviews]

Thanks for watching.

[@OperatorGhostShadow]

Hey can I just use 1500 grit and 2000 to sand it?

[@sekharp333]

Will this method work for fixing clear coat added after applying touch up paint for rock chips where there is excess clear coat and it didn’t dry evenly, even if it’s not a vertical run?

[@shyamvenky]

Nicely done! :) You mentioned that this particular car had the clear coat cure for a few weeks.. How log do you recommend to wait on fresh clear coat to do this?

[@Shoptoolreviews]

Depending on the clear, but probably at least a few hours.

[@keithhughes4616]

Hi will this work also if I have a drip in actuall paint not clear coated yet? Cheers

[@mrsalazar3205]

Can you do this on the paint beforehand applying clear coat?

[@Shoptoolreviews]

No, not if it's base coat. If you're spraying a regular solid enamel and then clearing, it may be ok.

[@enthusiastsigaming8426]

Hell yeah! you knocked that shit out quick.

[@Shoptoolreviews]

Thanks, I appreciate it. Thanks for watching.

[@joshteplica5224]

What would i do differently with paint,not the clear coat

[@Shoptoolreviews]

Not a thing different, the same process. Thanks for asking and watching.

[@Ifnatecandoitsocanyou]

Dang that’s nice

[@robertokatindig1354]

This is awesome thanks

[@Shoptoolreviews]

No problem!Thanks for watching.

[@sciencexl]

I am looking to fix a run/sag on my blue 71 cutlass. It looks like you are working on a fender on the same car.

[@Shoptoolreviews]

That's exactly right. This is a '71 442 rear quarter. Thanks for watching

[@ModorFix]

How long should it air dry (2k clear coat) before doing this?

[@Shoptoolreviews]

Depending on your hardener and type of clear, you could do this within a few hours. However, we like to give it a few days to shrink up before doing this. Thanks for watching.

[@wildestcowboy2668]

Just remembered keep razor blade level

[@gustavette8487]

Great technique! What polish and pad did you use?

[@Shoptoolreviews]

I think we used Meguiars 101 and 201 compound and polish. Probably a lake country pad. Thanks for watching.

[@gustavette8487]

@@Shoptoolreviews Exactly what I use. Thanks!

[@kevinhhn]

I have similar drip. You think grits: 1000,1200 and 1500, then polish would be ok as well? Thanks.

[@Shoptoolreviews]

Yes, if it's smaller, but you will be sanding for a while with 1,000 grit. You might want to back up to 600 first, then go to 800 and so on. Thanks for watching.

[@stephenrothman6058]

how long do you have to let the clear coat harden before you can start that process with the razor blade, sanding and polish?

[@Shoptoolreviews]

It really depends on the clear and the hardener, but I would say 24-hours should be safe. Thanks for watching.

[@thehondarice]

My runs are in the base coat. Was your clear coat runs? I painted my motorcycle fairings and the front fairing is the only one with runs so I didn’t clear it yet so would this still work? Should I clear it then do this or do it before clear and then just re paint those spots?

[@dill5500]

Lil late jist sand andnre spray

[@jtroutt19]

Does that water have soap in it?

[@Shoptoolreviews]

Yes, just a few drops in a spray bottle. The soap is just to break the water tension. Thanks for watching.

[@SoytiChannel]

Do you think this might be works on guitar?

[@Shoptoolreviews]

Sure, it should work on any surface that's been painted. Thanks for watching.

[@DeltaOps3]

Good deal 👍

[@Shoptoolreviews]

Thank you for watching and for the comment.

[@cjthedj2168]

Saved my life lol

[@willware271]

Do you wait till the car is dry?????

[@Shoptoolreviews]

YES!! You have to wait until the clear is dry before you use the razor blade method.

[@thomashumphrey5426]

Lol damn it man put masking tape over the edge of blade first keeps the corners from digging in

[@Brenny627]

Sucks that mine is in a terrible spot (b pillar in between the windows

[@Shoptoolreviews]

Just be careful and this should work.

[@cjtsn466]

But it won’t look good on a newer car.You will have wavy or too smooth spot and won’t match the orange peel of the rest of the car

[@mamastern]

that sounds tho. 😅