how to smooth out touch up paint on car

Clear coat is essentially a protective layer. Touch up pens are meant for dealing with scratches and chips that are the size of a pencil eraser or smaller. Spread the primer around the small chip with a tiny brush. Don’t be afraid to give it a shot. These are people that aren’t as passionate about their vehicle as you or I am. Help Us & Share it. Next, paint 2-3 layers over the area, letting the paint dry for 1 hour between each layer. They’re typically priced a little over $100 for a good one which isn’t too bad considering they’re great for polishing out swirls and scratches when the need arises. These 3 methods of touching up scratches or chips are meant for different applications. You should apply a few coats allowing a minimum of 20 minutes between each application. Once the primer has dried, spray on the right color auto paint. A good DA polisher is a must-have tool for any serious detailer. It’s very inexpensive and if you’re purchasing paint in a bottle because you have spots that are bigger than a pencil eraser that you need to brush paint into but also have some small spots to address, it’s a good addition to your touchup arsenal.

Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. There are some particular touch-up paints that don't need primer underneath them and the packaging will state that if it's the case. A leveling solvent is a specially formulated paint thinner of sorts. It’s best to let touch up paint cure for at least 30 days before you apply a fresh coat of wax, paint sealant, or ceramic coating. Apply a bit of your chosen touch up paint to something with a shiny surface that you can use to compare the color to your car or truck finish. Wet sanding involves using different very fine grades of sand paper with water sprayed onto the surface to wear away the excess touch up. Others may even require special equipment to spray the touch up paint. Rubbing compound is my preferred method because I find it to be the easiest and safest personally. This article was co-authored by Chad Zani. Touch up pens are my preferred tool. How to Remove Scratches from a Car by Painting, https://www.consumerreports.org/car-repair-maintenance/how-to-wash-your-car/, https://www.familyhandyman.com/automotive/diy-car-paint/car-paint-repair-touch-up-painting/view-all/, https://www.angieslist.com/articles/how-touch-car-paint.htm, https://www.partcatalog.com/how-to-find-car-color-code, https://www.paintscratch.com/touch-up-paint-directions/, https://www.edmunds.com/car-care/it-takes-more-than-the-occasional-wash-and-wax-to-keep-your-car-looking-its-best.html, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Instead of a liquid it’s on a piece of material. Some people swear by this paint chip repair tool. You don’t want to rush to put additional coats on top of others without allowing adequate time for drying. If you don’t have properly matched and high quality paint and all the tools you need then you’re wasting your time. Next gently work the sandpaper across the area to knock down high spots to in line with the surrounding clear coat. If you’re nervous about trying to fix these blemishes yourself, don’t. Use isopropyl alcohol or a good degreaser to remove these protective coatings in and around the scratch or chip. References. To touch up car paint, start by washing the spot on your car that you need to touch up, using a wax and grease remover to remove any residue, and sanding the area with 220-grit sandpaper. The painted area should be raised so that it can be sanded down smooth with the rest of the paint job once it is dry.

You can choose whether you want to use a touch up pen, brush, or spray. The paint will either be in the form of a paint pen or comes in a small container or jar. Leveler solvent for leveling touch up paint. Tip: Sand the area with 220-grit sandpaper. It is safe to use and shouldn’t damage your original clear coat.

If you haven’t tested how the paint flows from the pen you can easily apply too much paint. Just be sure to take your time, this is a project that could take a lot longer to complete if you are rushed. Follow the directions that came on your top-coat container. The best compounds are from the Chemical Guys. Be sure to respray the area with water to keep the sandpaper free of grit. Unless you NEVER drive your car or truck in the real world, you have small chips and scratches on your finish. Here are some questions that you can ask: Did you avoid dirt and particles sticking to the surface between coats? Some use a touch up pen, which is my personal preference. Images from Alexander Parker’s Instructional Video. All trademarks property of their respective owners. This pack of assorted sandpaper gives you everything you need to knock down lumpy touchup paint blobs easily. This is especially true of plastic bumper covers. Chad is based in the Los Angeles, California area and uses his passion for auto detailing to teach others how to do so as he grows his company nationwide. These rust removal products are made specifically for removing rust on the bodies of cars. It's important to get an exact match to your car's color, so don't settle on a color that is just close to your car's. For small chips and scratches you don’t need to worry about the metallic flakes and matching. It’s a good idea to give your car a good wash prior to attempting to touch up a scratch or chip. Did you apply the touch-up paint evenly? Touch up paint comes in several types of containers. Last Updated: December 5, 2019 That being said, you should also get back to the job no more than 24 hours after finishing the application of your primer or base coat.

Tip: Shake the paint well before testing it. It isn’t really much better than a paint pen in my opinion but it is great if you have touch up paint in a bottle and need a way to easily control applying paint into small chips and crevices. This will remove a lot of contaminants that could get trapped in the touch up paint and make it look rough. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. You can interchange these somewhat. The only way to get the metallic flake to lay properly is to spray the paint onto the surface. Be sure not to build the layers up above the rim of the scratch or chip to leave room to apply clear coat. Help Us & Share it. Trust me. Fixing ugly touch up paint blobs – Meguiar’s Online. When applying the clear coat either with a pen or a brush you should end up with some clear coat above the level of the rest of the clear coat that was originally applied to the car. To touch up car paint, start by washing the spot on your car that you need to touch up, using a wax and grease remover to remove any residue, and sanding the area with 220-grit sandpaper. We’re going to stick with touch up paint that is applied with a touch up pen or brush. As I mentioned earlier, rubbing compound is my preferred method for leveling touchup paint. This website allows you to order the same color paint that the factory uses to paint your vehicle. The water is applied to help keep buildup from clogging the sandpaper and causing more damage to your finish. You may be more willing to attempt to tackle larger jobs on your own but if you do you’ll have more success if you’re using the proper tools. In addition to how the paint is applied, another big difference is how the touch up paint is leveled when applied. Visit our partner Detailed Image and use our Coupon Code to save Today! Tri-coat paint is similar to modern paint but adds an additional layer of paint called the mid coat. This might seem like a step you can skip but it’s worth taking the 30 seconds it takes to make sure you get a feel for the paint flow. You spend too much time taking care of your car to let a ding ruin it. This is because in most vehicles the paint will not be an exact match. Allow your top coat to dry for 10 to 20 minutes between coats. 3 - the touch up paint will be removed [I have seen it remove touch up paint that is up to a year old] 4 - the original factory paint/clear coat will not be effected. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/9\/97\/Touch-Up-Car-Paint-Step-1-Version-4.jpg\/v4-460px-Touch-Up-Car-Paint-Step-1-Version-4.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/9\/97\/Touch-Up-Car-Paint-Step-1-Version-4.jpg\/aid1405962-v4-728px-Touch-Up-Car-Paint-Step-1-Version-4.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"