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Finished Etched from Bird Droppings

Claying, polishing, waxing... share your secrets in here.
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javis20
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Finished Etched from Bird Droppings

Post by javis20 » Sat Nov 10, 2018 9:59 pm

My silver paint has some dull spots, here and there, that appear to be areas where bird droppings may have etched the clear coat. Is there a sealant or some other way to repair the finish, rather than polish it away?

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TitanTim
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Finished Etched from Bird Droppings

Post by TitanTim » Sun Nov 11, 2018 1:57 pm

Afraid not, the acid in the droppings eats at the clear coat so depending how bad the etching is the only way is to machine polish. I have heard applying heat to the affected area can expand the clear coat and make it less obvious.

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Finished Etched from Bird Droppings

Post by ph001 » Sun Nov 11, 2018 5:41 pm

Even a machine polish won’t get it back to the gloss level of laquer. The only remedy is to apply more clear coat. Pretty hard to get a good result if you don’t have the proper gear. You could try your hand with a rattle can but watch out for the runs!
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Post by TitanTim » Sun Nov 11, 2018 6:43 pm

With my od MINI Cooper s which had a black roof, I had some bird Sh1t nicely dolloped on it, it was only there for a few hours and it made a right mess of the clearcoat which had crinkled shrivelled to a size of 50p piece. I tried machine polishing but literally took away the clearcoat completely, the etching was that deep. Ended up getting a Union Jack roof flag :) I always carry some bird poop removal foam now, spray it on and leave it a few minutes and gently wipe off.

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Finished Etched from Bird Droppings

Post by ph001 » Mon Nov 12, 2018 10:38 am

Bird s**t is awful. Especially seagull s**t as not only is it massive & very acidic but is also extremely abrasive. I remember once doing an emergency clean up with an old cotton t-shirt and just wiping it off with water from a water bottle left a ton of fine scratches. Still, at least that CAN be polished out. Less so the dissolved clear coat.
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Post by Gazza51 » Mon Nov 12, 2018 8:18 pm

TitanTim wrote: Sun Nov 11, 2018 1:57 pm Afraid not, the acid in the droppings eats at the clear coat so depending how bad the etching is the only way is to machine polish. I have heard applying heat to the affected area can expand the clear coat and make it less obvious.

Tim.
Applying heat may work, I’ve seen it done (by a professional) with a heat gun very close for a few seconds. You’d need to be brave to do it yourself 😉
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Post by buzyg » Mon Nov 12, 2018 9:02 pm

Heat is what causes the marks in he first place. White bird cr%p heats up and cools down at a completely different rate than clear coat,. It also sets like concrete, as it gets hotter, just as the clear coat is at it's softest. So on a baking hot sunny day it can take just a couple of hours to completely wreck your paint work. The same cr%p on a cool cloudy winter day could be there ages and do next to no damage. So I can quite understand how warming the clear coat could literally melt the problem away. Simple Physics :wink:
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Post by Beedub » Mon Nov 12, 2018 10:52 pm

Heat gun.... just be careful.
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Post by Silverzedtom » Tue Nov 13, 2018 1:05 am

A wash and polishing compound would be your best bet. I couldn’t take a heat gun to the paint myself and I’d find it difficult to watch someone else do it too :cry:
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Post by Silverzedtom » Tue Nov 13, 2018 1:06 am

Wax / sealant will help it come off easier, even if it does strip it straight off.
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Post by Beedub » Wed Nov 14, 2018 3:52 pm

Silverzedtom wrote: Tue Nov 13, 2018 1:05 am A wash and polishing compound would be your best bet. I couldn’t take a heat gun to the paint myself and I’d find it difficult to watch someone else do it too :cry:
tom i think the damage has already been done, and i believe we are discussing how to rectify the damage to the clear coat.
Last edited by Beedub on Thu Nov 15, 2018 10:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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javis20
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Finished Etched from Bird Droppings

Post by javis20 » Wed Nov 14, 2018 10:30 pm

I'm wondering if dabbing on some thinned clear coat and then wet sanding and polishing would do the trick.

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Post by Darkangelv2 » Thu Nov 15, 2018 1:41 pm

3000 grit and then polish :thumbsup:
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Finished Etched from Bird Droppings

Post by javis20 » Fri Nov 16, 2018 6:03 pm

I'll give it a try when the weather warms up.

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