Revitalizing Dulled/Scratched Paint

[ColonelJLloyd]

Total bonehead move on my part. I've got a used Gunnar frame with factory black paint. On the underside of the down tube there was a bunch of specs of white paint overspray. I tried picking them off with my fingernail but it wasn't happening. It was late and after a few bourbons and I admit to grabbing the green Scotch Brite pad from the shop sink to remove the overspray. It was a careless move.

That dulled the paint noticeably. I have used Meguiar's Scratch X on other parts of the frame and the result is nice, but I think I've scratched the paint too deep for that to work the same on the underside of the DT. What's my best course of action here? I have some 1500 grit wet/dry paper and plenty of #0000 steel wool.

[donevwil]

Well, depending on how deep the scratches are (green Scotchbrite is pretty course) I'd likely start ~600 wet and a light touch. Once you've got a uniform finish go 1500 wet for the win, but keep it clean. Primary problem with 1500 is how quickly it gets loaded up. I use Meguiars auto polish after that to achieve the desired shine.

[ultraman6970]

What he said.

Next time you see overspray, you have a few options to fix that up, all depending on how old the overspray had been there and who thick it is.

1 - use paint thinner... just a wet cloth and pass it over.

2 - Use paint polisher...

3 - Sand paper, sand with like 600 grit wet sand paper. Sand over it.

Personally never even occur to me to use scotchbrite to clean a paint job, less to use it to clean overspray. Yes is coarse but the problem is that the surface of the pad is not even and probably could scratch the paint pretty bad, gonna have to test that over a painted panel or something.

Good luck with this one.

[ColonelJLloyd]

Thanks for the replies. I don't have any 600 grit, but I have plenty of 1500. I did find a grey Scotch Brite pad. Interwebs indicate that is 600-800 grit. I will use that then the 1500 and finish up with Scratch X.

Personally never even occur to me to use scotchbrite to clean a paint job, less to use it to clean overspray.

Ha. I did not have my thinking cap on.

[stephenmarklay]

If it were me, I would get a much more aggressive polish and finish it with the scratch x. In the Meguiars line you this is very good and leave the surface shiny rather than dull like old school polishes we use as kids.

https://www.amazon.com/Meguiars-Mirror-Glaze-Ultra-Cut-Compound/dp/B003LMGDHI/ref=sr_1_5?crid=F39O7IZH1AY2&dchild=1&keywords=maguires+compound&qid=1596024018&sprefix=meguir%2Caps%2C342&sr=8-5

[zmudshark]

For future reference, magic erasers (melamine foam) are about 3000 grit, and are great for tasks like you had.