Paint Chip
John C. Wilson
ever avoid this. Anyway, my question is in regards to repair. Has anyone
ever used Nissan stock touch up paint? Was it any good? Are there any
better alternatives? Thanks in advance!
John C.
gregs
I recall my own bottle of 280Z touch up metalic lacquer. Oh what fun.
Consider the paint may be some exotic formulation complete with top clear
coat, well regardless, its almost impossible to completely patch a chip
so you can't see it. I bet that thing really looks big to you, and can even
see it a block away, right??
greg
Buckaroo Banzai
bought both the brush touch up paint and the pen with clear coat and paint.
My scratch was too deep, although i put the paint on, you can see the
scratch still. If it's down to the primer, it's better than nothing. I'm
going to take mine to a body shop later and have the scratch repaired since
they will have to fill it and then sand it down and paint it again and
re-clear coat it, but i'll wait and see if i get anymore first. The touch
up paint will good enough till then.
KG
ready for the eventual ding or chip. Is the paint pen better than the
bottle of touch up paint?
"Buckaroo Banzai" <isln...@yahoo.spam.com> wrote in message
news:b3eo31$7u0$1...@slb6.atl.mindspring.net...
John C. Wilson
and yes, you can only see it if you're washing the car or looking for it.
I'm also curious if the pen is easier to apply than the brush. I'm going to
pose this question over at autopia.org Those guys are nuts about detailing.
If I learn anything worth passing on I'll post it here.
John C.
"Buckaroo Banzai" <isln...@yahoo.spam.com> wrote in message
news:b3eo31$7u0$1...@slb6.atl.mindspring.net...
John C. Wilson
detailed, but gives excellent direction. Hope it helps anyone.
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by David W. Bynon
Copyright©, 1999-2002, Autopia Car Care -- All Rights Reserved
You'd be hard pressed to find a car on the road that does not have paint
chips and parking lot scratches. While good detailing practices can't
prevent
nicks and scratches, repairing them will restore your car's "like new"
appearance. In this article, I discuss the methods I've used for years to
repair chips and minor scratches.
What's Possible, What Isn't _
Touching up small nicks and scratches is well within the skill of most
do-it-yourself car enthusiasts. Some nicks can be quickly repaired with a
small
dab of touch-up paint, while others will require more time, effort and
skill. It's important to know what you should and shouldn't tackle based on
your knowledge of paint and tools.
By far the easiest colors to repair are black and white. Black and white are
very forgiving on shade variations. Conversely, metallic paints (those
with metal flakes) can be quite difficult to match perfectly.
Before you get started repairing nicks and scratches, you should know what
to expect. Small nicks are easy to repair by filling the nick with paint,
leveling the filled area, and buffing the repair area to blend and restore
luster. Repairing small scratches, from a key or shopping cart, is similar,
but more time consuming. Fixing a ding (a small dent which may or may not
have a nick out of the paint) is not commonly possible by the
do-it-yourselfer.
Here are some other things you should know:
If you know your car's factory paint code, you can purchase an exact color
match touch-up paint from your local dealer. If you don't know the factory
paint code, look in your owner's manual for the location of the code, or ask
your dealer. If you have a late model car, chances are you will find a
color match at your local auto parts store.
Use a small artist's paint brush (#2 is ideal) or a round, wooden toothpick
to apply the touch-up paint, not the fat brush included with the bottle of
touch-up paint.
Always test the touch-up paint for color match in an inconspicuous area.
The area to be repaired must be perfectly clean and free of wax, rust and
oils.
Don't attempt a touch-up if the temperature is below 60 degrees F._
Here's what you need to properly repair nicks and scratches:
* Color matched touch-up paint
* Automotive or metal primer
* Citric acid based cleaner like P21S Total Auto Wash
* Prep solvent (Prepsol) or denatured alcohol
* Foam swabs (from electronics supply) or pop swabs containing alcohol
* Meguiar's Unigrit Sanding Block and 3M 1200 grit wet & dry sand paper
*_Medium grit hand rubbing compound
*_#2 Artist's paint brush and round toothpicks (wood)
*_Cotton terrycloth towels
*_New Pencils with unused erasers
*_Rubber cement
*_Plastic cups
*_Blue masking tape (easy release type)
*_Large diameter paper hole punch (hand type)
Preparation Process _
Before applying paint, you must prepare the chip to accept paint. Although
paint may adhere for a while to a chip with rust, dirt or oil, eventually
the repair will fail. The preparation process begins the day before you
repair the paint chips and scratches.
The afternoon before starting your chip repairs, wash your car. After
washing with your normal car wash, spray the areas you plan to repair with
P21S
Total Auto Wash, allow to sit for a minute, then scrub well with your
sponge. P21S Total Auto Wash will remove all wax and oil from your paint.
Dry
your car thoroughly and put it away for the night.
After washing your car, make up several sanding pencils. Use a hole punch to
punch out a few dots from the 600 grit wet and dry paper. Apply the
sandpaper dots to the end of your pencil eraser with rubber cement. Allow
them to dry over night. You will use the sanding pencils to scuff-up and
clean out nicks._
To make a chip ready for touch-up paint, you must make sure it does not have
loose edges, clean it and sand it. I use a toothpick to check the edges
of a chip. If loose or lifted, I use the toothpick to knock off the loose
paint. To clean, I like to use denatured alcohol or Prepsol and a foam swab.
I pour a little bit into a plastic cup and use a foam swab to clean the
chip and surrounding area.
Next, I use a sanding pencil to cleanout the chip and rough-up the edges.
Simply dip the sanding pencil into a cup of clean water, dab a few drops of
water on the chip, and gently rotate the sanding pencil over the chip. Keep
the area you sand as small as possible. Rotating the sanding pencil back
and forth in your fingers 8-10 times should be enough to do the job. If the
chip has exposed bare metal, or if you can see rust forming, use the edge
of the pencil erasure to remove the rust. When finish sanding the chip, dry
it with a terrycloth towel and clean it again with Prepsol and a foam
swab.
The Touch-Up _
Once the damaged areas are cleaned and prepared, you can begin the touch-up
itself. If a chip exposed bare metal, you must primer the chip before the
color touch-up. After mixing thoroughly, pour or spray a small amount of
your primer into a plastic cup. Next, use a clean toothpick to apply the
primer. I do this by dipping just the tip (2-3 mm) of the toothpick unto the
primer. If I get a blob, I wipe it back.
Next, I touch the tip of the toothpick to the center of the chip and allow
the paint to flow off of the toothpick into the chip. You will be amazed
how well the capillary action works. _If you prefer, you can use the #2
artist's brush. Do not allow the primer to overflow the sides of the chip.
Allow the primer to dry for 2-3 hours. You can speed dry the primer with a
hair dryer after allowing it to air dry for one hour. Simply wave the hair
dryer 3-4 inches over the primered chip for 30-40 seconds. Do not touch the
chips with your hands, as the oils from your skin will prevent the color
coat from adhering.
Now, mix your color-matched paint thoroughly and pour a small amount into a
clean plastic cup. As with the primer, use a clean toothpick or #2
artist's brush to apply the color coat. Touch the toothpick or brush to the
center of the chip and allow capillary action to pull the paint into the
chip. Apply a small dab at a time and allow it to dry for 2-3 hours. You
must repeat this process several times, so don't try to fill the chip in one
pass. Apply several thin layers, and you will get much better results.
The color touch-up process is complete when you have applied enough coats to
slightly overfill the chip onto the roughed up area surrounding the chip.
Once you've filled the chip, allow it to dry for another 24 to 48 hours.
The longer the better.
I'm often asked if it's necessary to apply a clear coat over chip repairs. I
don't think it's necessary of adds any noticeable difference. If you get
the proper touch-up paint from your dealer, it will match without using a
clearcoat. However, if you're a purist in persuit of perfection, substitute
a clearcoat for the last 2-3 coats.
Level and Buff _
Until you level or mill the paint repair down to the same plane as the
original paint, all you'll have is an ugly looking blob. This is easily done
using the Meguiar's Unigrit Sanding Block, which helps remove sags, runs and
other isolated defects with surgical precision. Don't forget to soak it
over night before use as the directions indicate.
To level your paint chips, use you finger to put a small dab of car shampoo
on the chip repair for lubrication. Next, use the Unigrit Sanding Block to
mill the high spot off of the chip repair. I always pull the sanding block
towards me. Never rub it back and forth or in a circle. When the block
dries out, dip it into your bucket of water again. Keep the area well
lubricated with water and shampoo. The sanding block will dull the paint.
Don't
fear, as your polish will easily restore the luster. When the surface looks
level, dry it with a clean towel and inspect with your finger tips. If you
can feel a high spot, it needs more work.
The final step is to buff out the repair with a good hand polish. I like to
use 3M Perfect-It Rubbing Compound or Eagle One Scratch Remover (a medium
grit compound) followed by 3M Perfect-It Swirl Mark Remover or Meguiar's
Hand Polish. Apply the compound or polish to a clean terrycloth towel or
applicator pad, rub into the paint area using a short back and forth motion
(not in circles), then buff out with a clean terrycloth towel. Tada! The
blemish is gone.
Many of the products mentioned in this article are available from Classic
Motoring Accessories and are used at the buyer's own risk. Autopia Car Care
is not affiliated with and does not represent Classic Motoring Accessories
or the manufacturers of the products mentioned.
"John C. Wilson" <john_c...@biltmorecom.com> wrote in message
news:b3h12...@enews2.newsguy.com...
Buckaroo Banzai
of paint off, so applying with the brush was easier, i just masked with the
blue masking tape they sell at any hardware store and started dabbing away.
The bad thing was, i was trying to build up the paint so it's about even
with the clear coat and wanted to try the clearcoat pen on top of that.
Well, the clear coat pen made the color a little darker and i'm not sure
why, it's like it pushed the metal flake or something so it didn't look like
same color anymore. What i wanted to do was build up the paint with the
brush touch up paint, use some wet/dry super fine sand paper and just sand
the part i painted, then apply the clearcoat, but it seems harder than i
thought. I'll re-attempt this, but next time i'm gonna let the layers dry
way more thoroughly before the next coat. If you just chipped the
clearcoat, maybe you should try the pen.