Tips on touch up paint
 

Does anyone have any tips on using touch up paint? I was driving today, and a rock hit my hood, then bounched on my winshield. It left a really nasty mark on my hood! :( This really sucks, since the rock missed my magnetic bra by a inch or so :(. I have some Mazda touch-up paint, and I want to touch it up. What is the best way to go about this? Multiple coats? How long to dry? Thanks :)

that really sucks.. missing your hood by a bit...
I was considering getting one like yours but now that u tell me this story :(... btw do I need to form it? or does it come formed??

I used the paint to fix a chip on my hood too... I think one tip is DON"T USE THE BRUSH THAT COMES WITH THE BOTTLE.... its way to big for the job... I had a real hard time trying to get the paint to be smooth with the unchipped areas... :(

u might wanna try something with a reallly fine head, or maybe like a toothpick end... u might wanna hear what others have to say before trying my idea....

also that stuff is tricky to use.. kinda sticky and forms threads when it dries... so u might wanna experiment a bit on some not so visible areas first... also I think for a good finish you gotta be pretty patient, apply a bit, let it dry completely then apply another layer.

Well, none of the bras/deflectors wouldn have stopped it. It comes rolled like a poster, and you have to form it to fit your hood. This is not a that hard to do, and using a hair dryer is a MUST! After you get it conformed to your hood, then you should leave it on a week or so. Next time you take it off, it will be easy to put back on. I usally take mine off every other week, to wash underneath it.

Im going to see if I can get a better brush to use with the paint. Thanks for the tips :)

ANyone has any others??

MnkyBoy,

use the touch-up paint, and for a brush use a paper match. it works great...this is an OLD painters trick I learned a long time ago....yes, use mulitple layers to build it up, wait a day between coats...you can then get some super fine (1000 grit) wet dry paper at a paint shop and lightly buff the area back flat....then use some polish and glaze to shine it back up....just take your time and be careful and before you know it you won't be able to tell where the chip was. :{D

won't sandpaper scratch the finish? :dunno:

Thanks for the tips Sir Nuke, but what is the best way to sand that chip? Since the chip is not very big, it will be hard to sand just on the one spot.

yeah, i need to re-do my little chip as well cause i can see it. but i'm thinking about the sandpaper too... won't it scratch? i mean it's so small an area. :dunno:

I didn't say it was easy....but guys...you already have a HOLE in your paint! lol

after you build up the chip to at least the level of the surrounding area...just us a very small piece of paper and buff it flat...sure its going to buff up the surrounding paint as well...but after you use the polish and glaze you won't be able to tell the difference.

:D

As for me, I finger-pinch-rolled paper napkin into a pointy end. Dip a little bit of touch-up paint and do thin layers between coats. If you want a smoother look, use a rubbing compound lightly over area after a day or two. A 1000 grid sandpaper (wet) may take off more clear around it than rubbing compound. I guess is use your descretion.

See this website: How to fix paint chips

It will give you everything you ever wanted to know (and more) about repairing chips the RIGHT way.

I think we should all have that site in our "Favorites" menu.......

:eek: .........WOW! seems pretty intense. very informative though. sounds like very good advise too. :nod: patience daniel son...... patience.

WHAT A SITE!! Has anyone use this tutorial? Sounds like ALOT of work, but also sounds like it will WORTH the effort!!

Thanks for the site!!!

CTRL-D for this one :bt:

you better make sure you take that bra off , on very hot days , or it will discolor the paint ...
Bruce

Your hood was discolored? How long did you keep it on?

All bras will eventually discolor the paint.

The traditional ones trap the water (and the acid and sediment in the water) underneath, and that eats away at the paint. Also, vibration of the cover with any type of grit in there will do lots of damage - I remember reading about a guy with a brand new Miata who drove around with a bra for 6 months or so, and then took it off to find that it was down to bare metal in a few spots from abrasion.

Yours is the magnetic, so water/grit is not really the issue (as long as it is sealed real well to the hood) - but UV rays are. All cars' paint ages and fades a little in the sun over time. If you leave the bra on, the sun doesn't get to the covered part, and when you take it off, you will definitely see where it was - the covered paint won't match the uncovered paint on the rest of the car - looks crappy.

I installed the bugshield to try to get the best of both worlds - no water or UV worries, and still I get some protection for the hood. Click the link in my sig, and look in the "My Protege5" folder for pics.