Touch Up Suggestions?

I have learned if they are very thin scratches to chew the end of a toothpick and use that as a brush.

 

There's a thread on PriusChat, I seem to recall, about the right way to touch up paint chips. It is very difficult, particularly with the "Pearl" and Silver colors, i.e., not black or white. Try a search on paint chips.

It's pretty easy to make your car look like it's got a pox.

 

Tideland, where can one get those pens? I've asked at a couple of dealers and they only have the "nail polish" tubes. And I swear the Silver they sold me isn't the color of my car, unless the light is just right.

If it's just a few fine scratches and polish doesn't fix it, you can also try 12000 grit sanding sponges and some gentle pressure with lubrication.

 

http://www.chipmender.com/

 

Thanks Patrick. I think this is exactly what I was looking for. Here are all my points as a thank-you!

 

You are welcome.

I have the Chip-Mender link in my Firefox bookmarks. I'm just waiting until I have saved up enough chips - unlike PriusChat points, which I get rid of quickly.

Don't worry, your points went to a good cause . . . someone who appreciates them and will "put them in a decorative wooden box on my nightstand as a keepsake."

 

Thanks for sharing the chipmender.com link.

This is a great product to use with touchup paint too, maybe the 2 can be used together with better results?

http://www.langka.com

 

Thanks for this link too! Have you used this product, Areometer?

 

I have a black prius and used the toyota touchup paint and the lanka blob remover. My kids put some 10+ scratches along the side of the car with their bike handles, when it was about a week old. I used the toyota paint to touch up which left ugly blobs due to using the brush included and a heavy hand at painting. The color matched really well.

Then I took the lanka stuff (weeks later) and was able to get rid of the blobs. Worked great. Most of the scratches were gone, except where I didn't get quite enough paint to begin with. I was very happy with the result. YMMV

 

Hi Bill, nope sorry, I haven't personally used the Langka although I once owned a tube. Many on the 4Runner forums swear by the Langka though. And it has been around for many many years.

Edward

 

thanks for those links! i've got dings galore on both sides so i'm seriously looking into touch-up paints. the toyota touch-up paint is useless (well to me anyway... it's hard to apply).

here's another link that i hope helps:

http://www.paintscratch.com/

 

Soft99 AIR-Touch

Excellent input folks.

I might as well throw this link in as well. Diable your ZoneAlarm cos' this following link requires Flash Player to view properly:

>> Soft99 AIR-Touch

I have been eyeing on carrying this but importing compressed canisters isn't easy.

To summarize what this product does, it includes this main compressed air source & their own touch up paint collection. The beauty is that the spray pattern is very fine. They also have a clear coat spray for you to finish up the job nicely.

Here are some pics:

[Broken External Image]:http://www.soft99.co.jp/products/car/point/airtouch/02.jpg
[Broken External Image]:http://www.soft99.co.jp/products/car/point/airtouch/03.jpg

 

What's Possible, What Isn't

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 600 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 or 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 pursuit 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 Eagle One Scratch Remover (a medium grit compound) followed by 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.