What is welding spatter on car paint?
Welding spatter, grinding sparks and firework debris land hot. They melt into the clear coat and cool there. That is why each one has a small raised rim and will not wipe off. Rail dust looks similar, but it lands cold and comes off with a chemical.
What kind of repair does it need?
Each particle is lifted out, then the clear coat is polished level around it. Where a particle went through the clear into the colour, that spot needs painting. How many of those there are decides whether this is an afternoon or a panel.
Polishing cuts the surrounding paint back to match. If the difference is more than the clear coat can give, the panel is painted instead.
What to do next
Say welding or grinding when you book, not rust spots, so nobody reaches for the wrong fix. If this happened near a workshop, a building site or a neighbour's project, raise it with them before you pay for the repair yourself. Photograph it in low side light, where the rims show.
Sources
- Standoxpaint maker
Contamination of the surface by very small pieces of metal
- Sherwin-Williams Automotivepaint maker
a minimum film thickness of the clearcoat (2 mils) is required to maintain adequate ultraviolet protection
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