Best way to touch-up stone chips

[JimmyPop]

Hi,

On the advice of the guy in the local dealer's service department I bought the spray paint touch-up set - paint and lacquer - to fix a couple of small stone chips/scratches. He suggested i should spray it in to a pot and use a fine brush to apply it to the areas rather than use the touch up pen which would leave a thicker blob of paint.

Off I went to do this yesterday after washing my car - filled in a couple of small chips with paint (unfortunately smudging it over the edges slightly). When I applied the lacquer a bit later in the same manner, it seemed to dissolve the paint I had applied, leaving no mark on the surrounding paint work. Overall, the chips look slightly better but are still visible as though it needs to be built up in layers - is this the case? Does the lacquer actually dissolve the paint and make it blend a bit better? If so, should i just keep on applying alternating coats of pain and lacquer until I'm happy with the result or will it damage the surrounding paintwork?

Thanks

 

[ksher]

I always use touch up pen. I agree that it's easier to have a thick paint over the small chip. So I always try to get only very little paint on the brush before applying it on the chip.

 

[Russ59]

I always use a piece of rolled masking tape to a point or a cocktail stick and as you said build up a little at a time.
Dont fill the chip in one go.
When you've dabbed in a few times with colour then repeat with a dab of laquer.

You will always see where the chip was.

 

[aquazi]

I use a toothpick to get a very small dab, apply a dab of lacquer then once its hardened over a couple of day just give it a light compounding + a polish and wax.

 

[Darren M]

I never bother with lacquer because when applying that is usually when the repair ends up sticking out higher than the surrounding paint

 

[JimmyPop]

Cheers guys. I know it will never be perfect but just want to make a couple of them less noticeable. Especially the one I picked up on my way home from the garage

 

[GAZA62]

Get the Halfords kit much better than OEM one.

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/SearchCmd?catalogId=10151&storeId=10001&categoryId=-1&langId=-1&action=listrefine&constraints=ese%7C%7Ci%3A1%3B256%3B%3Bbmw%2Ctouch%2Cup%2Ckit%3B%3Abmw%2C%3Atouch%2C%3Aup%2C%3Akit%3B1%2C1%2C2%2C1%2C3%2C1%2C4%2C1%3B%2B0+%2B1+%2B2+%2B3%7C%7Csea%7C%7Cbmw+touch+up+kit%7C%7Cpag%7C%7C1

 

[WaZZZZman]

You may want to try this product to repair rock chips. I used it on one of my cars, and it worked great, however colors that have a great amount of metallic flaking, the results have not been so spectacular. What happens is that as the chip paint dries, the metal floats to the top and when you rub the blob off you wipe the metallic part off and you can see the chip. If you have a color that is not metallic, you will not be able to see the chip at all. Take the link and see what you think.

http://www.langka.com/

 

[Woots]

WHATEVER YOU DO...DO NOTTTT USE A BOTTLE OF T-CUT!
Thats my advice :lol:

 

[mcbeee]

WHATEVER YOU DO...DO NOTTTT USE A BOTTLE OF T-CUT!
Thats my advice :lol:

Will do Woots, I have one to fix right now so thanks for the tip.

 

[stirz]

Have a read ......... http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=20127

 

[JimmyPop]

Wow! Great write up but I'm a bit too timid to try something as involved as that...

Had a look at the Scratchmaster kit which looks like it may well be something I could cope with. Thanks for the link and everyone's advice!

 

[TO//M]

This product works amazingly well. But, personally, I prefer to protect the paint with a clear mylar product. Good luck.

http://www.drcolorchip.com/

 

[erapaints]

It is very important that you test your paint on the test card or in an inconspicuous place on your vehicle for confirmation of correct color applying paint to your vehicle

 

[Thermaltake]

I just used this to do mine

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Loew-Cornell-Fine-Painting-Other-Multicoloured/dp/B004YZXV8U

Found a video of AMMONYC on youtube do a classic Porsche with it and it came out great as did my car. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uz-zW-cLdUs

The paint comes out so fine, that it takes multiple little dabs to fill a 1mm stone chip and even more to bring it up to level with existing paint, But if your a keen hand you can almost blend it in perfectly.

My bonnet and top of front bumper now look great, up close you can still see as its impossible to get everything level unless you go down the wetsanding route which i didnt want to do. this gets you 90% of the way for 10% of the work.

I got my paint from paints4u.com, Seems reccomended alot from detailingworld, its pricier than elsewhere, But 100ml of paint with pre mixed laquer was about £17 next day, Match is perfect, Cant see any colour difference on the areas i filled, Just the slight step in paint level where I couldnt get it just right. Their website is naff though.

Only problem with the loew-cornell is it only works vertically from what i found because of the reservoir, Have a chip on my door which could be filled easily but the paint wont come out the loew-cornell as the tip if that fine if held horizontally. Will have to use a toothpick or something similar.

 

[BRC]

Thanks Thermaltake, very useful information especially as this is something I intend to apply myself to over the winter months.

 

[buzyg]

Some great advice and tips. Need to have a go a few on mine.