Discussion
If the colour to be touched-in is highly metallic, the flatting back of the paint will likely pull the top flakes out and leave a dull, poorly matched repair. Building up the paint to an even layer slightly shallow of the original surface may leave a better finish than filling and flatting/polishing.
HTH
Tol
HTH
Tol
mneame said:
depends how brave you are and if you have access to a ptg and machine polisher? i do my own. get a colour matched touch up. fill the chip so that the touched in paint is higher than the rest of paint. then when dry sand down with 3000 grit wet and dry. then polish back up.
Trying to get hold of 3000 wet and dry is difficult, could you state where you get yours from. It is only a small amount and Meguiar’s only sell packs of 25 plus postage = £30. Thanks.Below is an article I wrote some while ago regarding paintwork care. The techniques described will not make the chips invisible, but will cover and protect them and ensure the resale value of your car is protected.
A Few Words On Caring For The Paintwork On Your Car.
I have been involved in the motor trade now for over twenty years, and for the last fifteen or so, I have been specifically involved with paintwork and exterior trim. With this in mind, I feel I should share some of my experience regarding the care of the paintwork on your vehicle.
One of the most common problems owners find on their cars are simple stonechips. The most common cause of this is following the driver in front too closely. To some people, finding a stonechip can feel like the end of the world. Their car is no longer perfect. This is a slight overreaction. Stonechips do happen, everybody knows it. As long as that chip doesn't allow rust to start, it is really not a problem. Nearly all modern cars are painted with a two stage finish, ie colour, and then a clear laquer coat on top. Many stonechips will only break the laquer, and not damage the paint below, therefore there is no risk of rust occurring. Other stonechips may break through the laquer and the paint, but there is a further primer coat below the colour (normally white or black). If the primer is visible, there is still some rust protection. Only in cases where bare metal is showing is immediate action required.
The easiest way to asses stonechips is to clean the affected area ( I have seen quite a few touched up dead flies in my time), and then wipe a damp cloth over the chips. If they seem to vanish for a moment when wet, the damage is just in the laquer, and can simply be touched up with a clear laquer touch up stick. If the chips remain when wet, then a correctly colour matched touch up paint stick will be required. It is important to use the right colour, as a slight difference can be very noticeable when it is in the middle of a large area, for example the leading edge of a bonnet. If you are not sure of the vehicle’s colour, consult your local dealer. They will be able to use the vehicle’s paint code to ensure a perfect match.
Applying touch up is a fairly simple matter. I use a small paintbrush from a model shop (a number 1 or a 0 is fine for this), as I find the brushes included with the touch ups are a little too big and clumsy. Just wash and dry the area to be touched up and carefully drop a spot of paint onto the chips. Don't try to fill the chip until it's level with the paint around it, as it will sink as it dries. The aim is to seal the outside elements out, nothing more. When the paint is dry, then a small amount of clear laquer can be applied in the same way. It should be noted that some colours, mainly metallics, will not look like they match until a laquer is applied. Do not be tempted to wash or polish the car for a couple of days after touching up, just to make sure the paint and laquer are fully dry. This is really all that needs to be done with stonechips. As long as they are touched up, the resale value of your car will be unaffected. Many dealers like to see a few touched up chips on the front of a car, as it suggests that the car has not had major bodywork repairs at the front end.
Another common problem is light scratching on the bodywork of darker coloured cars. This can happen on any coloured car, but darker colours make it easier to spot. The common causes of this are overhanging bushes dragging along the paintwork when passing other traffic in single track roads, etc. and automatic carwashes. Car wash brushes can often become impregnated with grit, which is the last thing you want rubbing against your paintwork. Jetwashing or hand car washing are safer alternatives. In either case, the effect is the same. It will be most noticeable when the car is clean and dry, and will show as lighter coloured scratches against the dark body colour. The first thing to do is assess the extent of the damage, and for this the damp cloth is required again. When laquer is scratched it tends to show the scratches as white, which is why dark colours show these marks up so much. If the scratches seem to momentarily disappear when wiped with a damp cloth, then the damage is just in the laquer.
Marks like this can be masked with a few coats of wax polish, as the wax will fill the scratches to some degree; however, to remove them completely the vehicle should be compounded and machine polished by a professional. Marks that do not vanish when wiped with a damp cloth are damage to the colour coat, and should be carefully touched up, using the same method as for stonechips. Unfortunately, there is no easy fix for long malicious key scratches, (or envy lines as they are sometimes called), and respraying all the damaged panels is often the only solution.
I should also mention bird droppings, and the damage it can do to paintwork. Bird lime is extremely rich in ammonia, and if left on a painted surface for any length of time it will eat its way into the paint, not stopping until it reaches metal. If you notice bird lime on your vehicle, soak it off with a soft cloth and hot water. Let the wet cloth sit on the area for about 5 minutes and it should wipe away easily. Failure to remove bird lime can leave you with ruined paintwork, and if it's on an area like a roof or a bonnet, respraying the whole area is the only remedy; this can be very expensive.
I am often asked what the best polish to use on paintwork is. There is no simple answer to this. There are hundreds of polishes on the market, but they fall into two broad groups; waxes and finishing polishes. For most car owners the waxes are fine. Products like Liquid Diamond or Turtle Wax give a good shiny finish and leave a protective layer behind, and some of the waxes with colour in them can give great results. Finishing polishes, on the other hand, are a little different and should be used with a little more caution. Products like T-Cut and rubbing compound are abrasive. Therefore every time they are used they will remove a small amount of the vehicles finish. This is fine when polishing out scratches or minor scuffs, but regular use of them should be avoided where possible. I saw one person buff right through a paint job to bare metal with rubbing compound and a buffing machine. A very expensive mistake, especially since the car in question was a Porsche 911!
With wax polish, there is no danger of damaging the paint. Try a few out. Some are easier to get a good finish than others. It's really personal preference, although I will say that some of the very expensive waxes are a questionable investment. In my experience they are no better than some costing a fraction of the price.
Mod edit, link emoved, no advertising in the forums please
A Few Words On Caring For The Paintwork On Your Car.
I have been involved in the motor trade now for over twenty years, and for the last fifteen or so, I have been specifically involved with paintwork and exterior trim. With this in mind, I feel I should share some of my experience regarding the care of the paintwork on your vehicle.
One of the most common problems owners find on their cars are simple stonechips. The most common cause of this is following the driver in front too closely. To some people, finding a stonechip can feel like the end of the world. Their car is no longer perfect. This is a slight overreaction. Stonechips do happen, everybody knows it. As long as that chip doesn't allow rust to start, it is really not a problem. Nearly all modern cars are painted with a two stage finish, ie colour, and then a clear laquer coat on top. Many stonechips will only break the laquer, and not damage the paint below, therefore there is no risk of rust occurring. Other stonechips may break through the laquer and the paint, but there is a further primer coat below the colour (normally white or black). If the primer is visible, there is still some rust protection. Only in cases where bare metal is showing is immediate action required.
The easiest way to asses stonechips is to clean the affected area ( I have seen quite a few touched up dead flies in my time), and then wipe a damp cloth over the chips. If they seem to vanish for a moment when wet, the damage is just in the laquer, and can simply be touched up with a clear laquer touch up stick. If the chips remain when wet, then a correctly colour matched touch up paint stick will be required. It is important to use the right colour, as a slight difference can be very noticeable when it is in the middle of a large area, for example the leading edge of a bonnet. If you are not sure of the vehicle’s colour, consult your local dealer. They will be able to use the vehicle’s paint code to ensure a perfect match.
Applying touch up is a fairly simple matter. I use a small paintbrush from a model shop (a number 1 or a 0 is fine for this), as I find the brushes included with the touch ups are a little too big and clumsy. Just wash and dry the area to be touched up and carefully drop a spot of paint onto the chips. Don't try to fill the chip until it's level with the paint around it, as it will sink as it dries. The aim is to seal the outside elements out, nothing more. When the paint is dry, then a small amount of clear laquer can be applied in the same way. It should be noted that some colours, mainly metallics, will not look like they match until a laquer is applied. Do not be tempted to wash or polish the car for a couple of days after touching up, just to make sure the paint and laquer are fully dry. This is really all that needs to be done with stonechips. As long as they are touched up, the resale value of your car will be unaffected. Many dealers like to see a few touched up chips on the front of a car, as it suggests that the car has not had major bodywork repairs at the front end.
Another common problem is light scratching on the bodywork of darker coloured cars. This can happen on any coloured car, but darker colours make it easier to spot. The common causes of this are overhanging bushes dragging along the paintwork when passing other traffic in single track roads, etc. and automatic carwashes. Car wash brushes can often become impregnated with grit, which is the last thing you want rubbing against your paintwork. Jetwashing or hand car washing are safer alternatives. In either case, the effect is the same. It will be most noticeable when the car is clean and dry, and will show as lighter coloured scratches against the dark body colour. The first thing to do is assess the extent of the damage, and for this the damp cloth is required again. When laquer is scratched it tends to show the scratches as white, which is why dark colours show these marks up so much. If the scratches seem to momentarily disappear when wiped with a damp cloth, then the damage is just in the laquer.
Marks like this can be masked with a few coats of wax polish, as the wax will fill the scratches to some degree; however, to remove them completely the vehicle should be compounded and machine polished by a professional. Marks that do not vanish when wiped with a damp cloth are damage to the colour coat, and should be carefully touched up, using the same method as for stonechips. Unfortunately, there is no easy fix for long malicious key scratches, (or envy lines as they are sometimes called), and respraying all the damaged panels is often the only solution.
I should also mention bird droppings, and the damage it can do to paintwork. Bird lime is extremely rich in ammonia, and if left on a painted surface for any length of time it will eat its way into the paint, not stopping until it reaches metal. If you notice bird lime on your vehicle, soak it off with a soft cloth and hot water. Let the wet cloth sit on the area for about 5 minutes and it should wipe away easily. Failure to remove bird lime can leave you with ruined paintwork, and if it's on an area like a roof or a bonnet, respraying the whole area is the only remedy; this can be very expensive.
I am often asked what the best polish to use on paintwork is. There is no simple answer to this. There are hundreds of polishes on the market, but they fall into two broad groups; waxes and finishing polishes. For most car owners the waxes are fine. Products like Liquid Diamond or Turtle Wax give a good shiny finish and leave a protective layer behind, and some of the waxes with colour in them can give great results. Finishing polishes, on the other hand, are a little different and should be used with a little more caution. Products like T-Cut and rubbing compound are abrasive. Therefore every time they are used they will remove a small amount of the vehicles finish. This is fine when polishing out scratches or minor scuffs, but regular use of them should be avoided where possible. I saw one person buff right through a paint job to bare metal with rubbing compound and a buffing machine. A very expensive mistake, especially since the car in question was a Porsche 911!
With wax polish, there is no danger of damaging the paint. Try a few out. Some are easier to get a good finish than others. It's really personal preference, although I will say that some of the very expensive waxes are a questionable investment. In my experience they are no better than some costing a fraction of the price.
Mod edit, link emoved, no advertising in the forums please
Edited by missdiane on Sunday 30th March 09:51
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