In detail: do-it-yourself repair of bumper scratches from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.
In order to understand how damaged a part of your car is, you do not need to be a professional; it is enough to make a careful inspection of the bumper.
Scratches and abrasions are barely noticeable - these are the simplest cases, which most often do not even require staining. Moreover, in order to eliminate such a drawback, the bumper does not need to be dismantled - it is enough to polish the surface right on the spot.
Large scratches and small cracks are damage resulting from minor collisions or poor parking. In order to repair a crack or scratch on the bumper, you can apply a local (spot) painting or complete painting with the removal of the bumper.
Dents - appear with strong mechanical stress or as a result of heating. Small indentations can be removed with the same heating; for larger damage, special suction cups are used.
Tears and breaks are the most serious deformations when the integrity of the bumper is compromised. Sometimes here you can do with dismantling, welding and further painting, but most often you need to purchase a new part, so we do not consider such cases.
If you have successfully diagnosed the trouble with your car, then you can proceed to the instructions on how to remove a scratch on the bumper.
There are many ways to fix a defect if you scratched your bumper. The most elementary of them are aimed at masking damage to the top layer when the paintwork is not touched. These include polishing pastes with different sizes of abrasives, as well as pencil-type waxes that fill the cracks with a special substance.
Video (click to play).
Staining is a way to completely damage the production paint layer. With spot painting, it is enough to remove a layer of paint from one area, sand it well and then apply a new layer of a suitable color. If scratches are noticeable over the entire area of the part, the bumper must be repaired as a whole, with the complete removal of the old paint.
The deepest scratches without tears require surface restoration, for which several layers of putty are used. Instructions for using all these methods are provided below.
For those who have only scratched the bumper lightly, the purchase of a wax pencil is sufficient. Before using it, it is imperative to clean the bumper with special means, and then degrease it with a solvent.
It is best to use a wax marker at a moderate temperature in a warm, windless environment. The wax is applied in several layers, and between approaches it is imperative to take breaks so that the layers have time to dry. Smear over first with transverse movements, and then longitudinal. It is advisable that the product does not fall outside the aisles of the damaged area, and if this does happen, then you need to remove the wax with an ordinary napkin. After applying the last layer, the area to be treated must be lightly polished. In addition to filling in scratches, such a pencil creates additional surface protection - but for this it is better to choose a wax of increased hardness.
Do not forget to shake the pencil slightly before use, and then close it with a cap so that the product does not dry out.
Dyeing is, of course, a much more detailed and complex process that requires special tools and materials.Any painting begins with cleaning the bumper, it does not matter if you are going to remove it or carry out all the work right on the spot. As in the previous case, the part must be washed, dried and degreased. To polish and remove old coatings, you will need a sander and varying grit sizes of sandpaper.
First, you need to thoroughly machine the bumper around the entire perimeter; for hard-to-reach places, you will need sandpaper, which we use by hand. The surface is then primed in two coats and the bumper is allowed to dry.
When the composition has hardened, the bumper is cleaned again and then you can start painting. To make the color lighter, the part can be slightly heated beforehand.
The paint is applied using a spray gun or a special gun. It will take about 3 coats, then the surface is varnished.
For more complex damage, it is advisable to use a putty together with a primer.
The use of a putty requires additional time and manipulation. It is applied after the bumper has been cleaned, degreased and sanded with sandpaper or a machine.
The putty is applied in a small layer to the scratch so that it fills in all the damage. Then you should sand the area. This must be done very carefully so that the surface does not become thinner.
When the first layer is smooth and even, you need to repeat the procedure, this time smoothing the surface at a slower speed. Remember to use fine sandpaper for tricky areas, as no power tool replaces manual work.
After the surface takes on its previous shape, a primer is applied on top in two layers and all the above described manipulations with paint and varnishing are done.
Then it will take at least a day to dry and it will be better if the part dries naturally in order to prevent its deformation.
Now you are not afraid to scratch the bumper, because in fact, repair is a fairly simple process in which you can do without the intervention of a specialist. The most important thing is to follow the instructions clearly and calculate your skills correctly.
In this video, you can learn how the process of removing scratches on a car takes place.
Most owners are in awe of the look of their car. But alas, it is impossible to protect the paintwork of the car from accidental scratches. Most often, plastic bumpers suffer - both rear and front. There are many reasons: unsuccessful parking, pebbles on the roads from oncoming cars, tree branches and other circumstances. The question is: is it necessary to fight them? The answer is simple: any scratch on the plastic is the beginning of the destruction of the paintwork. Failure to take measures will lead to corrosion of metal products, and deep marks from "wounds" over time can destroy plastic parts. So it's best to remove them as soon as they appear.
In general passenger cars, dampers are used, which are made of high-strength plastic.
The main role of this device is the decorative design of the appearance of the car. Most machines use impact-resistant thermoplastic (ABS plastic) as an element of passive protection. But there are dampers made from polypropylene, polyurethane and fiberglass. This can be indicated by the marking that is applied to their inner surface. The plastic is lightweight, easy to stamp, holds the paintwork perfectly. The protective functions of the bumper are of secondary importance. They appear only in collisions at low speed:
as a result of maneuvering in a confined space when parking;
when driving over rough terrain.
In Russia, male car owners are jack of all trades. For them, removing scratches from a plastic bumper is a feasible, somewhat familiar, not very difficult task. Life itself makes such tricks go - not everyone has enough money to go to a car service on every occasion.
But first you need to assess the scale of the damage in order to choose the right strategy for your actions. Having carefully studied the defects of the bumper, you need to attribute them to one of the points of the accepted classification:
Slightly noticeable, shallow abrasions and scratches do not require removing the bumper and painting. They do not cause any harm to the plastic, but they cause frustration to the owner of the car because of the spoiled appearance. This flaw is corrected by polishing this place directly on the car.
Scratches to the depth of the paintwork and small cracks are the result of minor accidents and inept parking. In this case, special restoration methods are used - heating, wax crayon, local or complete staining - of the bumper. Small defects are repaired on site. The damage is more serious - on the removed buffer.
Deep Scratches and Dents are formed by violent collisions. Here you will need to putty damage on the removed bumper. In this case, a special technique is used to restore the original state of the plastic part.
The destruction of the integrity of the damper with the formation of ruptures, breaks, through cracks most often requires the purchase of a new part. In cases where repairs are possible, welding is used. But this work can only be done in a car service, so such defects will not be considered in this article.
The whole process of getting rid of the flaw is divided into two stages:
polishing with the removal of the thinnest layer of paintwork (paintwork) plastic;
restoration of paintwork using wax polishes without the use of abrasives.
The procedure is as follows:
clean, wash and degrease the defective area with a solvent;
polish the scratches with a fine-grained sandpaper with abundant watering until they disappear completely;
treat damaged paintwork with felt, without abrasive wax pastes (in difficult cases, you can use tooth powder);
Wipe dry with a woolen cloth.
When heated, the plastic becomes fluid. This property is used when getting rid of surface damage in the bumper in the form of deep marks from sharp objects. This method can only be used for unpainted products. The high temperature will destroy the paintwork and instead of benefit, harm will result. A large area, including an area with scratches, is gently gradually heated with a construction hairdryer. This process should go slowly, evenly, consistently. The danger here is that the plastic under the influence of high temperature can behave unpredictably: instead of tightening the defective traces, its surface will "float". In this case, such depressions are formed, which will be very difficult to liquidate in the future. Mindfulness, neatness, and slowness will help to stop at a critical moment.
This method can correct only the defect of such marks, the depth of which extends to the layer of varnish, paint and bumper primer. A wax stick is a versatile polymer synthesis tool. They create a strong protective layer that is not inferior to the strength and uniformity of the bumper paintwork. A wax crayon has the following benefits:
its composition is durable, therefore it easily endures several dozen car washes using car shampoos;
it is easy to use, so an inexperienced driver can easily use it;
it will not harm any kind of primer and paint that was used when painting the bumper at the factory.
There are two types of wax crayons:
Marker. Reminds of a regular felt-tip pen. They just need to paint over a scratch or chip.The amount of released substance depends on the force of pressing. The content of the marker is similar in consistency to the composition of the paintwork. A colorless wax crayon can be used for any paint color.
Corrector. Consists of a bottle and a brush. Requires an individual selection of a suitable pencil for a specific color of the bumper paintwork. When using a brush, an intact area may also be caught. In this case, it is necessary that the colors of the paintwork and the corrector coincide by 100%.
For cases of damage only to the paintwork, you can also use a colorless corrective pencil. Colorless paint is poured into it, so there will be no negative consequences from its use. In a situation where the ground layer is damaged, a colorless wax pencil will not be able to help eliminate the defect.
Procedure for using a wax crayon:
the damaged area of the bumper is thoroughly washed, degreased and dried;
a pencil on a scratch should be carried out gradually, evenly, consistently;
deep chips are painted over in several steps;
after finishing work, it is necessary to remove the remnants of the contents of the pencil with a paper towel or napkin.
If the area of the defective section of the bumper is significant, complete painting of the entire product will be required after the flaws have been eliminated. In such cases, the buffer is removed from the vehicle. It is thoroughly cleaned from dirt and washed. The problem area is sanded with a small grinder, as well as the use of flexible abrasive wheels: emery skins, belts, petals, brushes. In this way, scratches can be removed, the depth of which is limited by damage to the primer. Then the cleaned area is washed, degreased, primed. Then the entire surface of the bumper is painted, then varnished. After drying, the damper regains its original appearance.
Video: how to remove scratches on the bumper with your own hands?