Touch-up paint

[waterbaby]

Hi everyone,

My car has a few stone chips here and there, and I need some paint for it. I have got the paint code, where is a good place/website to get it from (good value and reliable)?

Does it depend on the make (it's Honda)?

Thanks

[McKneff]

I had a big scratch on mine, 3 years old, bought a matching colour pen from the main dealer which I thought was going to cost me a fortune, it was £3.78 and very MSE

[atrixblue.-MFR-.]

preperation is key to blending in a stone chip.

odds on some are deep chips and the paint alone is not good enough to fill it it will sink and if metal is exposed, water based paint will promote rust.

when filling in a stone chip, i buy upol acid etch primer (grey) and spray some of that in a cap (not the spray cap though), getting a artists small FINE brush will dip the brush in the acid etch and slowly fill up the chip till almost level with the paint allow 15 mins to dry and sink, then go ahead with the paint match doing the same but leaving longer between coats of about 25 -30mins to fully cure and sink.

for deep long scratches, 2500 grit wet and dry paper wet with a small amount of washing up liquid in bucket, get a sponge rubbing pad from alfuds, and sand down the sctrached area and approx 1 inch either side if the scratch, the idea is to expose the BASE COAT about 2MM each side of the scratch and smooth out the jagged edge of the scratch wich is either exposing primer OR metal, once your at that stage where the inside of the scratch is at metal or primer the jagged edge od the scratch is smoothed out, and base coat is exposed to about 2mm each side of the scratch and the laquer is hazed to about 1 inch either side of the scratch your ready to do some tricky work.

like above, but here where theres a deep scratch theres a dent! like a V shape in the metal, you need to fill that V (i call it a valley) so high build primer acid etch primer and laquer would be your meterials. clean down the panel so no dust or water is present.
first of all acid etch (using the paint brush method) 2 thin layers to be applied to make sure rust doesnt form your first layer 5 mins dry time (has to be slightly tacky) then the second layer (not too think just a small amount)
then move onto the high build primer (again using the paint brush method) brush on filling the gap between the scratch and the exposed base coat, allow 15-20 mins to dry up and harden, then with your 2500 grit (dry this time) lightly sand the primer down but dont burn through it into the acid etch, then after drying it out and wiping it down clean use your base coat touch up expanding into the exposed base coat (blending in) layer after layer (as many layers as you see fit here to get the correct colour match leaving time inbetween to dry to a tacky phase) once happy to stop the touch up, allow a few hours to dry and cure, then come back with your 2500 grit wet with clean water and dab of washing up liquid, then sand down the base coat level to the rest of the paint in the panel not too much pressure and dont burn through into the primer! or all your hard work and patience will be undone, then once cleaned get your laquer and again using the brush method laquer your base coat touch up dont expand to the full inch you sanded down just so the base coat is covered, leave to dry for 24 hours to fully cure and harden, then get your 2500 grit again wet sand the laquer you applied down to the same level as the laquer surrounding the scratch area.

then youll be left with a haze of about 2 inches in your panel the scratch gone and your almost complete.

cutting compound is best here, but T-cut can be used aswell it its harder work, with cutting compound cut out the hazey scratches in the laquer using some elbow grease, apply re apply and buff out till you see no more haze only a shiney panel, then you need to re-seal the panel with a good polish of your favourate product, stand back and look at your hard work scratch gone!

[vickssinex]

Originally Posted by waterbaby

Hi everyone,

My car has a few stone chips here and there, and I need some paint for it. I have got the paint code, where is a good place/website to get it from (good value and reliable)?

Does it depend on the make (it's Honda)?

Thanks

It is specific to the make I'm afraid. A Ford silver will be a different shade to Vauxhall's, for instance. Halfords sell touch up paint but they come in kits and are quite expensive (£10 or so if I recall.) The dealer is probably your best bet. Just tell them your registration number and they'll trace your car's colour from that.

One other tip is to pour the paint you're going to use into a yoghourt pot and apply it with a cocktail stick. This gives you better control than using the brush included in the stick. Remember to give the stick a good shake to mix the paint to start with.

[vaio]

Originally Posted by atrixblue.-MFR-.

preperation is key to blending in a stone chip.

odds on some are deep chips and the paint alone is not good enough to fill it it will sink and if metal is exposed, water based paint will promote rust.

when filling in a stone chip, i buy upol acid etch primer (grey) and spray some of that in a cap (not the spray cap though), getting a artists small FINE brush will dip the brush in the acid etch and slowly fill up the chip till almost level with the paint allow 15 mins to dry and sink, then go ahead with the paint match doing the same but leaving longer between coats of about 25 -30mins to fully cure and sink.

for deep long scratches, 2500 grit wet and dry paper wet with a small amount of washing up liquid in bucket, get a sponge rubbing pad from alfuds, and sand down the sctrached area and approx 1 inch either side if the scratch, the idea is to expose the BASE COAT about 2MM each side of the scratch and smooth out the jagged edge of the scratch wich is either exposing primer OR metal, once your at that stage where the inside of the scratch is at metal or primer the jagged edge od the scratch is smoothed out, and base coat is exposed to about 2mm each side of the scratch and the laquer is hazed to about 1 inch either side of the scratch your ready to do some tricky work.

like above, but here where theres a deep scratch theres a dent! like a V shape in the metal, you need to fill that V (i call it a valley) so high build primer acid etch primer and laquer would be your meterials. clean down the panel so no dust or water is present.
first of all acid etch (using the paint brush method) 2 thin layers to be applied to make sure rust doesnt form your first layer 5 mins dry time (has to be slightly tacky) then the second layer (not too think just a small amount)
then move onto the high build primer (again using the paint brush method) brush on filling the gap between the scratch and the exposed base coat, allow 15-20 mins to dry up and harden, then with your 2500 grit (dry this time) lightly sand the primer down but dont burn through it into the acid etch, then after drying it out and wiping it down clean use your base coat touch up expanding into the exposed base coat (blending in) layer after layer (as many layers as you see fit here to get the correct colour match leaving time inbetween to dry to a tacky phase) once happy to stop the touch up, allow a few hours to dry and cure, then come back with your 2500 grit wet with clean water and dab of washing up liquid, then sand down the base coat level to the rest of the paint in the panel not too much pressure and dont burn through into the primer! or all your hard work and patience will be undone, then once cleaned get your laquer and again using the brush method laquer your base coat touch up dont expand to the full inch you sanded down just so the base coat is covered, leave to dry for 24 hours to fully cure and harden, then get your 2500 grit again wet sand the laquer you applied down to the same level as the laquer surrounding the scratch area.

then youll be left with a haze of about 2 inches in your panel the scratch gone and your almost complete.

cutting compound is best here, but T-cut can be used aswell it its harder work, with cutting compound cut out the hazey scratches in the laquer using some elbow grease, apply re apply and buff out till you see no more haze only a shiney panel, then you need to re-seal the panel with a good polish of your favourate product, stand back and look at your hard work scratch gone!

Wow

So I'm guessing you wouldn't approve of my method which involves a felt tip pen or wax crayon of the appropriate colour?

[neilmcl]

I've heard good things about http://www.paints4u.com/default.aspx , their scratch master kit is supposed to be very good value. Also look at http://www.chipex.co.uk/index.php for a slightly less fuss solution.

[atrixblue.-MFR-.]

Originally Posted by vaio

Wow

So I'm guessing you wouldn't approve of my method which involves a felt tip pen or wax crayon of the appropriate colour?

all about preferances. i dont dissaprove of touch in pens or wax pens either but if you have a nice clean car, i wouldnt want something to be noticable.

most counter bought products are water based and very thin.

to find a auto paint shop that will make a touch in pot with acrylic (cellulose replacement) base coat is better, dries harder more durable and more forgiving than water based products.

[waterbaby]

Thanks everyone for your help, very useful.