T Cut A Stratch?

[Argrdnr]

I have a LONG key like mark when I bought the car, it has been prepped on half, the drivers door had been poorly done, what would be the best DIY job? Would you suggest t cut?

 

Thanks

[acecard]

If your finger nail stops momentarily when dragging it across the scratch, then it is too deep for t-cut to remove, neither have I found various other products to be any good except for minor surface scratches.

I have a fairly deep one about two feet long made some few weeks after buying the gal by a jealous neighbour (no absolute proof, but you just know , don't you!). At the time, I was eager to get it sorted, took it to Ford thinking about £30 in my naivety, and they quoted something like £300.

Another option could be the chips away type people, less expensive but varying reports on them.

 

Prefer to attempt it myself, but concerned about making more of a mess if using something too abrasive. If you find something that works, please post!

[Argrdnr]

I have heard that t cut does work, but on the drivers door someone has painted over the stratch but not very well, best way to remove this paint? Sandpaper maybe? Wet and dry one?

Thanks

[sparky Paul]

T-cut will work on a surface scratch, but not a deep scratch as acecard describes. Anything that is down to primer will need to be prepared and painted, or you can hide it reasonably well with one of the colour waxes that comes with a solid wax filler stick. It will need reapplying regularly though.

 

T-cut is most successful on a shallow scratch in solid paint. If it's a metallic colour, you need to take very great care not to cut through the lacquer as the colour coat is very thin, and you will very quickly go through to the primer.

 

You may be able to remove overpaint with t-cut if it was done recently. If it's stubborn, careful application of a very fine grade of wet&dry, say 3000 grit, and lots of soapy water should remove it, followed by a polishing compound. Take care though, you will be removing surrounding paint too, and it's easy to make it look a pig's ear.

 

Decent key scratches are not easy to repair properly without painting panels.

Edited November 4, 2012 by sparky Paul

[seatkid]

What I do....

 

If the scratch hasnt gone deep into the colour layer which is below the top lacquer layer, i.e. only the lacquer is scratched

 

Clean it carefully and thoroughly, using a solvent cleaner to remove wax etc, then blow over some car lacquer over it. (maybe mask off around the scratch if you are a bit scared or not great with a spray can) The idea is to fill up the scratch in the lacquer coat. If it needs more than one pass to fill the scratch, allow 10 mins between passes to avoid runs. Allow to dry for at least 24 hours, then T cut, or better still use proper fine rubbing compound to polish the lacquer/ overspray. This cuts/removes the overspray, but leave the scratch filled, which should just disappear........

 

Always works for me.

Edited November 29, 2012 by seatkid