small fingernail scratches from debadging...

[songa]

hey guys, forgive me for my novice questions...but i just pulled off the toyota and yaris badges off the back of my car using fishing line and my fingernails to take off the adhesive. however, i can notice very small, shallow scratches that look like have been left from my fingernails (there may be tiny pieces of adhesive left behind too). whats the best way to get rid of these marks and make it look new again? do i use polish? wax? whats the difference? i dont believe i need to sand because these are very very small blemishes. any suggestions on how/what to do? thanks!

[yarisugi]

If it's just surface scratches, I usually just put some carnuba wax and rub it into the scratch with a cloth. It should buff out good.

[Chupacabra]

scratches can't be removed with carnuba. Use some mild compound/polish and repeat as necessary. Then cover with a sealant or carnuba.

[yarisugi]

My bad. Yes, I used a polish - not wax.

[adamkane]

To truly remove a scratch you must use a cut polish, degree of cut depends on the depth and severity of the scratch, use a orbital polisher-cut compounds do not work so well when used by hand, When the scratch is removed then you will use a quality wax ie a Carnuaba based wax. Using only a wax on a minor scratch or scuff generally only hides/camouflages the blemish, when the wax wears away the scratch will again become visible.

[Tapper]

I always pour boiling water on the badges before removing them. It heats up the adhesive and they come off much more easily.

[texkid]

Originally Posted by Tapper

I always pour boiling water on the badges before removing them. It heats up the adhesive and they come off much more easily.

Hmmm...now thats an idea. I just used a hair dryer and floss.

As far as the scratch, without looking at an actual picture, I use a small bead of Meguiars Scratch-x and rub. Add a little as I go until I think its enough before I strip off a good layer of clear coat and screw up the paint job all together.

[Kaotic Lazagna]

I use Scratch-X, which works well for surface scratches. I remove the finger nail scratches behind the door handles from time to time. It also works wonders on the headlights.

[Chupacabra]

scratch-x fills the scratches though....doesn't remove them. For that you need a cut polish.

[Kaotic Lazagna]

Yeah, I forget what the category it's in called. It takes the surrounding paint/clear coat, and blends it into the scratch.

[Chupacabra]

Originally Posted by Kaotic Lazagna

Yeah, I forget what the category it's in called. It takes the surrounding paint/clear coat, and blends it into the scratch.

no...it just fills it, hence the reason to wax over it or else the filler will wash out. A cut polish removes clear coat.

[Kaotic Lazagna]

Originally Posted by Chupacabra

no...it just fills it, hence the reason to wax over it or else the filler will wash out. A cut polish removes clear coat.

hmmm, gotta buy another bottle of Scratch-X and read the back again. I thought it had said that it blends the surrounding???

Anywho, any recommendations on cut polish? I have some scratches that Scratch-X can't deal with.

[Chupacabra]

There are products that work with a random orbital but for decent scratches...you will likely need to have them removed by a body shop with professional wheel/product.

[Kaotic Lazagna]

Originally Posted by Chupacabra

There are products that work with a random orbital but for decent scratches...you will likely need to have them removed by a body shop with professional wheel/product.

Bah. hmmm...I don't use anything except for my hands. So I have no other choice but Scratch-X????

[_S7V7N_]

For the glue you can pick up some New Car Solvent / adhessive remover for automobiles, also they sell plastic razors that if used correctly won't scratch the paint. For the hairline scratches you can use some polish compound, if they're a lil deeper in there but not past the clearcoat you can mix some polish compound with some regular compound then wax over the area, Wax is recommended over any area compound or solvent is used.

[Chupacabra]

nothing wrong with it....just keep some protectant on there.

[Kaotic Lazagna]

Cool. Thanks for the info.