How To Remove Scratches From A Car’s Interior Trim

In many cars, especially luxury cars, there is an accented wood-like interior trim accenting the car. These surfaces scratches not only look unpleasant but can also hurt the value of your car whether you are attempting to sell it or returning a lease. So let’s learn how to remove scratches from a car’s interior trim.

Materials

Blue Painter’s Tape
Meguiar’s Scratch X 2.0: Fine Scratch and Blemish Remover
Meguiar’s Ultimate Paste Wax: Pure Synthetic Polymer
2 Microfiber cloths (we recommend two colors to make distinguishing them easy)

(*Disclaimer: We chose these items and are not sponsored by Meguiars in any way.)

Step One

Applying scratch remover to the cars interior trim.

The first step is to take the blue painter’s tape and outline the trim of the car. You do not want to get these compounds onto the surrounding materials. It will be very difficult to remove and may stain the leather.

Step Two

Apply a small amount of the scratch remover to the first microfiber cloth. Make sure you don’t over do it here, there only needs to be enough on the cloth to lightly cover the entire trim area. Then simply rub the compound back and forth across the area until the compound is evenly dispersed and any swirl marks and scratches are no longer visible. If after a couple minutes you still see scratches, you may need to apply more of the compound. Once you have filled in all of the scratches, move to a dry area of the microfiber cloth and wipe down the area to remove any extra compound that was not used.

Step Three

Using wax on a cars interior trim.

Now switch to the other microfiber cloth and apply a small amount of compound wax to the cloth as well. Apply the wax in the same way you applied the scratch remover to the trim only. Remember not to get the wax on anything else, especially leather.

Step Four

Wait. Give the wax a minute or two to dry (maybe longer in shaded areas). You will start to see the excess wax starting to haze. Switch to a clean dry area on the microfiber cloth and with gentle pressure wipe off the excess wax. After you wipe it down the first time, choose another dry area and repeat the wipe down.

Conclusion

Cars interior trim after scratch removal.

Now that your scratch remover has been applied, the wax compound has be applied and excess has been cleaned off the only thing left to do is remove the blue painters tape and enjoy your brand new (looking) car trim. Now that you know how to remove scratches from a car’s interior trim, car enthusiasts and beginners alike can use to make their interior car trim look as beautiful as the day they bought it.

Can I Install A Rivet In An Over-Sized Hole?

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Can I Install A Rivet In An Over-Sized Hole?

A common question we get from our customers is “Can I install a rivet into an over-sized hole?” We set out to find out why this was such a common question and realized that it often occurred during the drill out process. While removing a rivet is a straight forward process, it is often hard to tell by the hat what size the rivet is.

Add in other factors such as the rivet spinning or being loose during removal (we made a video on how to remove spinning rivets you can check out) and it is likely that a rivet removal can result in an oversize hole. To mitigate the risks of over-drilling we recommend always starting with a slightly smaller drill bit than you think will be necessary. This will allow you to increase the size if necessary without increasing the size of the hole itself.

Already Drilled Too Large?

What happens when the rivet is already drilled out and the hole is now too large? is there a way to install a rivet in this over-sized hole? The short answer is yes and there are three basic ways to do this.

Option #1

The first option is the best option and the one you should go with if your project is being held to standards and specifications. Simply figure out which size of rivet will fit into the new larger hole and go buy one. Rivets are available in many different sizes and varieties and it is likely that you can find a larger diameter rivet that will still fit the depth of the material.

Option #2

Option two will work in a pinch but we do not recommend relying on it for very long or at all if it has potential to cause harm if failure occurs. This option requires what is known rivet installed into an oversize hole with no washer as a tri-fold or exploding rivet. These rivets split out when installed into three folds that provide strong retention. Due to the three folding prongs, the grip of the rivet can be asserted across a wider surface area. This will allow the rivet to tighten against a hole that is too large for the rivet. Although hard to tell in our picture, the prongs actually started to get sucked into the hole. This type of connection is likely to loosen and should not be used for a long period.

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Option #3

placing a rivet backup washer onto a rivet in an oversized hole

The third option only works as long as you have access to the back of the installation surface (something not always common when dealing with rivets). This method requires the use of a rivet backup washer and a tri-fold rivet. First, insert the tri-fold rivet into the hole. Next, go to the other side of the installation and slide the rivet backup washer onto the exposed portion of the rivet. Then you need to ensure the washer stays pressed against the surface while you install it. If you do not have someone to help you, you can add a bit of glue to the washer and press it against the installation surface to hold it in place. Then install the rivet. As the three wings expand out they will grip hard against the new correctly sized backing. This results in a much stronger hold than using a tri-fold rivet without a washer.

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Conclusion

While it is possible to use a smaller rivet in an over-sized hole, the best option is always to just buy the correct rivet for the new hole. Adding a backup washer, some glue and a tri-fold rivet will yield strong results but if the job has specific standards it needs to pass for this method will not work. Finally, you can get away with using just an exploding rivet in many cases but they should only be used short term, checked frequently and should be replaced as soon as possible.

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Benefits Of Using Aluminum

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Benefits of Using Aluminum

Aluminum is an extremely popular material for many fastener assemblies. However, even with all of its benefits, many people don’t know about the big benefits that make it a must have for many projects.

Strong Weight to Strength Ratio

Aluminum Fasteners are recommended in applications where light weight matters. Boasting a weight of 1/3 that of mild steel, it has the best strength to weight ratio of all common metals. This makes it particularly desirable in applications where the weight needs to be kept to a minimum.

Cost

Another benefit of aluminum being light is that it will push down transportation costs making it cheaper than other materials. Apart from Aluminum being cheaper to ship, it is also most abundant metal making it relatively cheap compared to other materials less readily available.

Cleanliness

Aluminum is both Corrosion resistant and easy to clean making it a must have for sterile environments. The low maintenance level can also save the user money over time.

Conclusion

Aluminum has many qualities that make it a popular choice among the different materials available. It’s no real question that it can be one of the most versatile materials available. Aluminum is strong, lightweight, cost effective, non-magnetic, easy to maintain and even looks great when polished. We do recommend using aluminum with stainless steel as galvanic corrosion is likely to occur. Of course, you still need to make sure the material you choose is optimal for your application.

How And When To Use ThreadLocker?

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What Is Threadlocker and Why Do I Need It?

threadlocker solution

Threadlocker is a solution used to seal (lock) fastener assemblies together to prevent accidental loosening of fasteners over time. To use threadlocker with fasteners, a small amount of the adhesive should be placed on the threading of a bolt where the nut is going to rest prior to installation. Once dry, the adhesive forms a bond that will hold the fastener assembly in place even when exposed to constant vibrations.

Threadlocker solutions are designed to become solid with little air exposure. This means that even between the threading of the fastener that solution will dry. Threadlocker solution can also protect the fastener and extend its life where covering the metal.

Choosing The Correct Threadlocker

Threadlocker is an excellent tool for creating a strong hold on fasteners but there are factors that need to be taken into consideration before application. Listed below are the things you need to know before buying and applying threadlocker solution to your fasteners:

Hold Strength – Some solutions can create a minor hold while others can create a very strong (and difficult to remove) hold. It is important to know if you will need to remove the fastener again before installing.
Conditions That Effect Performance – The biggest condition that matters to threadlocker solution is temperature. Be sure if you are in a high heat environment you are using a solution that can handle those temperatures.
Vibration – Intense vibrations can result in the loosening of fastener assemblies even with solution on them if they do not have enough hold strength.
Contact With Chemicals – Harsh chemicals may have a degrading effect on the solution. If the threadlocker is going to be exposed to chemicals, make sure to choose a solution rated for those chemicals.

Do I Need Threadlocker?

By far, the best reason to use a threadlocker solution is to prevent the accidental back off of fastener assemblies due to vibration. While not necessary in all applications, solutions can also be used any time a nut and bolt are placed together. We suggest using a threadlocker solution any time an assembly is going to be under strain or vibration that may result in unintended back-off or in situations where the assembly is not going to be checked for long periods of time.

Self Tapping Vs. Self Drilling Screws

What Are Self Tapping Screws?

Unless you are planning on through bolting something (the process of sliding a bolt through a hole and connecting a nut to the other side to hold it in place), almost every situation involving a bolt requires a tapped hole. A tap is a tool that can be inserted into a hole after it has been drilled and creates threading for the screw to fasten into.

Self tapping screws eliminate the need for a tap by having sharp cutting threads that can tap the threading themselves while being fastened. There are two large benefits of using self tapping screws. The first is that they save time and money by eliminating the need for a tap. The second is that the resulting threading they create is much more precise and creates a tighter stronger connection. It is common to see self tapping screws used in steel and masonry materials but they can also cut into plastic or wood.

What Are Self Drilling Screws?

Self drilling screws are a commonly used variety of screw for quick drilling into both metal and wood. A self drilling screw can typically be identified by its point and flute (notch) tip. This tip acts as a drill bit for the screw making it much faster to install then having to switch between a drill bit and driver bit.

The notched area in the tip acts as a reservoir to receive wood chips or metal filings. This creates the space necessary to drill/screw the screw all the way into place.

Self Drilling Screws are almost always made out of hard steel or some metal that has been treated to increase its hardness (such as 410 stainless steel). Always make sure when using self drilling screws, the material you drill into is softer than the screw material itself. Otherwise, the screws drilling tip will dull and not cut into the material. All self drilling screws are also self tapping by the nature of how they work.

Self drilling screws are a time saver eliminating both the steps of drilling (in most cases) and tapping a hole prior to installation. This also eliminates the need for drill bits and taps and switching between them for each hole.

*While these screws are able to drill their own holes, we still recommend using a standard drill bit first especially when going through very thin wood. This step will limit the amount chance of splitting/cracking significantly.

Self Drilling Vs Self Tapping: Which Is Better?

In the world of fasteners, the usual answer for which is better comes down almost entirely to the situation the fastener is being used for. From a time saving point of view, a self drilling screw is the better choice because it can eliminate the need for a drill bit making installations a one step process. However, both have their place and it comes down to knowing which to use in the situation at hand.