A tutorial on using touch-up paint
Careful use of touch-up paint is a fine art. Do it right, and nobody will ever know you had a blemish in your paint. Screw it up, and the touched-up spot can look worse than the scar it's trying to replace, or like a Jackson Pollock painting.
Touching-up a scratch yourself isn't for the impatient—it's a step-by-step process that requires care to do right. If you don't have the patience, can't set aside the time, or are too afraid of messing up, take your ride to a pro or call a mobile detailer. But, if you're up for the project and want to save some scratch on repairing a scratch, get ready to detail!
This step is critical to a satisfactory touch-up job. The right paint makes life that much easier, while an incorrect color can doom your work from the start. Basic colors are easy, especially white and black, as there's little or no variation in these paints. Everything in between, though, is far more difficult.
The first step is to obtain your paint code, which is listed in one of a few common spots on your vehicle. Use this code to order the exact paint to match your color. You can order with this code online from a site specializing in touch-up paint, or take the code to your local dealer for a small amount of paint—the best way to get an exact match.
Avoid mega and auto parts stores for touch-up paint because they usually just carry a small number of universal colors for chip and scratch repair. For instance, you may need BT/WBT for Dodge's Patriot Blue Pearlcoat, but the auto parts or mega store will just have a generic navy blue. Or, even more devious, they may have a touch-up paint container labeled for Patriot Blue that contains a generic navy blue.
Be careful, patient and precise to do a flawless repair of your chip or scratch. Follow the directions for your paint, which involves the following steps:
Inspect the scratch or chip closely for rust inside the scratch, or for visible metal. If the scratch is through the primer layer, a new layer of primer will be needed to adequately protect your vehicle. If you can see the primer and there's no rust, proceed with prep work for fixing the paint.
The first task is to spot-wash the area with diluted dishwashing soap (yes, it's okay to use for this mission) or another auto soap designed to remove waxes, oils and sealers. Starting with a completely bare area free of these substances is necessary for your touch-up paint to adhere properly. Dry the area completely before getting to work.
Using auto-specific masking tape, mark off the area around your scratch. You'll be working with a few different abrasives to fix the mark, so it's best to have a buffer between you and your good condition paint.
Probe your scratch with a toothpick, matchstick or small brush handle to detect any loose chips of paint. If there are any loose spots, make sure they are removed before proceeding with the touch-up paint.
You'll need to carefully sand the scratch or chip area to take the edge off the borders of the mark. But, you can't just use a regular sanding block and wood sand paper—that's far too coarse for this mission. Instead, invest in wet/dry sandpaper of extremely fine grit (600 or finer), or get a sanding pen designed for paint repair.
Wet sanding is the preferred technique for use around scratches and chips. This highly-lubricated method of evening out finish surfaces is the safest way to save the paint around the scratch. After all sanding is done, clean the area of any dust or paint flakes and allow it to dry completely.
Most touch-up paint comes in a small container with a provided touch-up brush. Ditch the brush—it could be the worst possible way to apply touch up paint! Instead, opt for a toothpick, paper matchstick or a fine art brush to apply your paint.
Mix the touch-up paint thoroughly to ensure color consistency. Pour a small amount into the paint lid or a clean dish. Check the color against your vehicle's finish to make sure they match—this can be done by eye or by applying a tiny amount of the paint to a non-visible area of your vehicle.
Dip your painting tool into the small amount of paint, making sure not to overload or get globs of color. Dab the tool into the middle of the scratch or chip, and let capillary action go to work spreading the color. This won't be like other stroke painting you've done before, like staining your deck or "decorating" that enemy frat house in college. Do just one thin layer at a time when filling a chip or scratch.
Allow each layer to dry the appropriate amount of time as indicated on the label of your touch-up paint. This can be any amount of time between 30 minutes to 3 hours or more. The number of thin layers needed to fill your scratch or chip depends on the depth of the mark. And, if you have a late-model vehicle, you can use a clear coat for the final few thin layers for total matching consistency. Don't apply all layers at once—the top will dry but the bottom layers won't, causing the area to bubble and eventually peel off.
Once you've applied enough thin layers of paint to rise slightly above the borders of the mark, allow the area to completely dry for up to 3 days. Return to even out the area after the paint maker's recommended amount of time.
After the multiple layers of paint have dried, the filled area should be visible as a slight bump above the surrounding surfaces. Use your sandpaper to wet sand the bump flush with the surrounding paint, periodically inspecting the bump by hand for flushness with the other paint. Don't worry about scuffing the surrounding paint with sandpaper—if you use plenty of moisture as lubricant, these marks will polish right out in the next step.
Here's where the magic happens. With the mark now sanded flush but still visible, polish the area with a micro-fiber cloth and a fine-grade solution. After just a few front-to-back passes with your cloth, the mark should disappear along with any other sanding marks in the surface. Knock back a cold one and admire your work—nobody has to know there was ever a scratch or chip in your finish!
Like any automotive paint, touch-up jobs need time to cure before they take on the glass-like hardness of the rest of your finish. Paints may vary by brand, but curing will take approximately 30 days. After the paint is cured this long, apply a fresh wax coating for protection and shine.