This method works a lot better if you just sand the edges of the chip to be a smooth transition. Like a smooth hill instead of jagged cliff. That extra step really helps blend the new paint with the old.
I had a bunch of chips on the front of the hood on a pickup truck I bought. 220,000 MI driving through Florida put a lot of bug scratches in that front of the hood. I washed it with hot water and ammonia so we had a clean base instead of a bunch of crud sanded into it. I put some spot putty on to fill the scratches instead of using paint. I sanded everything smooth very lightly and did like you did on the scratch but I was sanding down the putty. I mixed up some primer and put that on with the brush over the parts that were puttied.I taped and curled up masking paper back and I give it a couple light coats of white paint also. I let that dry for about a day I was afraid of the shrinkage on that spot putty. Then I went ahead and wet sanded it. I kind of sanded through the paint so I had had to clean it and spray it again. Look good when I was done hit it again with a spray and then was a coat of cheap clear I had laying around. I buffed it out it looked decent but I had to buff because I had overspray back towards the masking paper. That was in 2008 and that truck and I still have the truck now. It still looks real good. I thought that clear coat with a yellow but it never did.
For what it is it came out alright. Looks better than a chip. If haters want perfection then spend the $$$ and get the respray done. Thanks for sharing your upload it's appreciated by those of us curious to try
Thanks Phil - us guys have to look out for each other - no body else does! :) It's time we all start helping each other out - no envy - no competition. All of out lives are hard - not easy for anyone.
Yeah, you're correct. The new touch-up paint will usually be softer than the original, and exact color matching is a challenge, especially with metallic paints where the size of the metallic flakes vary and also affect the appearance. Filling as accurately as possible and as level as possible with the original paint saves a lot of sanding. And that also reduces the sanding pressure required and consequently reduces occurrence of deeper sanding scratches within the repair area, as well as reducing "melting" of metallic flakes (in metallic paints) due to excess sanding friction which can cast the repair paint color with a grayish hue. I found that wet sanding by hand with 600 grit followed by 2000 grit is the perfect combination. Then follow by hand-buffing with Meguiar' Swirl Remover 2.0, which works surprisingly fast even by hand because this product is just so effective. Overall this method works best from my personal experience, and the results are better than repainting an entire panel, since that usually results in the entire panel color not quite matching neighboring panels. That's visibly far worse than a small paint chip touch-up repair, and is also far more time-consuming and expensive.
What would you do with a two stage paint correction? Base and clear coat. Would wet sanding and buffing the base coat work? Then apply a layer of clear over the top and repeat the steps?
Breaking down the hard edge of the chip with some 1500 before starting works, takes away the outline when finished. I've also seen people use a rubber blade to actually fill the chip in one go, think the panel would need laying down for this. 👍
That came out a lot better than I thought it would, and definitely a lot faster and cheaper then the correct way of doing it. Another fantastic video, Sir. Thank you for making them.
You're welcome. I think if I would have been a little more careful and patient on the sanding and buffing it would have worked perfect but at least you can see the pitfalls of attempting this. Have a good weekend Eric.
After sanding you should've put some clear coat in it to level it out. But for demonstration purposes this was great. If you do this to your own vehicle. Try to use the same type of paint that is on the vehicle. Single stage, base clear, tricoat, whatever is on the vehicle. The more time you put into it, the better it can look. And it's definitely better than painting the entire panel. Especially if it's a classic car. Repairing original paint is always better than a respray. Paint is only original once
I think 2 coats of Base & 4 coats of clear would of blended better... Using All paint causes a shadow ring-- no matter what.. Also, Masking off a 1/2 inch around the Chip.. When, using less >1000 grit will prevent needlessly Scratching or Gouging up the surrounding surface. 😊👌
I just wanna say THANK YOU! Your videos have been a holy grail of learning and information ... the way your videos are detailed to the point and imformative have made it so much easier to understand and repeat the processes shown ... i have been restoring a 01 ram 1500 ( canadian rust bucket) for 4 years and im finally on the last legs to having it completed 98% done by myself / with friends and these videos have helped me so much along the way 👌🙏
That's good to hear my friend. I appreciate the kind words. Feel free to send me some pics when finished if you want - would love it. schoolvideolibrary at gmail dot com Have a great SB weekend Farmer Joe - Jerry
I'm not a detailer or body shop specialist. But I'm learning a lot as I go having to fix my own vehicle's small scratches and rock chips. I find toothpicks are helpful here. They also help remove small amounts of clear coat when wet sanding, especially if you overapply the clear coat. If the new clear goes on too thick or overruns, you can scratch it off with a toothpick before it sets up without scratching the surrounding OEM clear. If you're careful, you can roll the toothpick like a rolling pin to get a smooth, thin, even layer of clear coat. Using a Duplicolor paint/clear coat scratch fix pen I am able to somewhat match the OEM 209 black sand pearl and clear coat on my 2020 Toyota Corolla, but it takes a lot of slow, careful, tedious work. The paint and clear coat in most of these pens is way too thick for most OEM paint, but I understand the point is to protect that scratch and prevent rusting. I clean the scratch with IPA. I then dab paint in with a toothpick and let it set up for a day or two. Depending on how the paint levels, I might put on more paint then, or I might try to put on the clear. I have had times where the paint and clear are unlevel with the OEM. I sometimes add more paint on top of the failed clear attempt, then add another layer of clear. I don't want to use any Duplicolor clear or paint remover to protect the OEM paint job. I realize paint on clear is not ideal, but the spots are so small (less than a width of a fingertip) that I'm more concerned about a level, smooth appearance than any layering. The paint seems to stay on well enough even if there is some roughed up clear under it. I know a lot of detailers prefer to wet sand the paint then add clear, but the clear coat from the pen is so thick it makes more sense to add it on top then level the whole thing. It's like glue or pancake syrup. I would rather sacrifice the clear than the paint, so a bit of clear that is too thick is fine as long as it can be leveled. For that process, I wash, decon, clay, then use a light compound, polish, and then a wax. For sanding, I prefer using sanding sticks up to 7000 or even higher grit. I like to start high so I don't go too aggressive, find what works, and then work up in grits from there. I like narrow, thin sanding sticks so I only touch the area that needs to be sanded, as opposed to a block. I use DA foam and a microfiber to take it off. Nothing fancy. One of those bonnet machines with a 20v battery. Even a 5-6" bonnet polisher is a bit big for these jobs but I'm willing to compound/polish the OEM so the new clear coat feathers into the OEM without edges. After a lot of layering, patience, and many weeks of building up and taking down, it's almost flush with the OEM. The light still distorts from a certain angle due to how the clear coat went on, but close enough without going through the OEM clear works for me. The main difficulty is feathering the edge of the thick, new clear into the thin OEM clear and making it look like the same, level coat. The repair here looks good. All that worries me about it is it is such a big area to polish and buff, especially with a sanding block. I plan on keeping a car for 20+ years, so I'm always concerned about how much clear coat is left, especially on black cars. Usually, at best I only compound, polish, and clay when absolutely necessary, even if the paint is not as smooth and clear as it could be. Most of the time I just IPA and wax to protect the clear, since even a mild clay/compound/polish will take away clear over many years. I prefer non-abrasive mild chemical paint cleaners to deal with paint defects, but they seem to be getting harder to find. My hope is any glaze or clarifiers in the wax (many are AIOs and cleaner waxes now) will fix any small blemishes without even having to resort to a polish. Once that clear is gone, you can't get it back without taking the whole panel back to a body shop to be refinished properly. Generally, I will work most with the parts exposed to the elements--front grille, roof, trunk, and hood. The sides and back will often retain carnauba wax protection even for 6 months here in hot, humid Arkansas (based on water beading, anyway). Mild winters and we use sand instead of salt for icy roads. In short, I'd rather the paint look less than perfect and the OEM clear coat last than the paint look great but there be almost no clear left. I find a lot of paint correction products on the market are aggressive and for people who let their vehicles get in bad shape before they do anything. I prefer just keeping the car clean with a wash every 2-4 weeks, a wax every 3 months, and a clay/polish (and rarely a compound to fix a big problem) only if the car absolutely needs it. A little prevention is better than taking it to the body shop. Sorry for the length, but I hope this helped.
Thanks for your input - you're right about the body shops. Here's something that will help keep your car out of the shops too - th-cam.com/video/y05dNxt-nVc/w-d-xo.html Thanks again for the tips - Jerry
@@LakesideAutobody Thanks so much for reading as I put a lot of thought into it. By the way, your intro music sounds like the 80s heavy metal band Slayer. I didn't expect to hear it here. :)
@@LakesideAutobody Thanks for the info on the rust! I didn't even think of that. We don't have much problem with salt here in the South but we do get a lot of rain. Even with my relatively new Corolla water tends to set up in the driver's side door after a heavy rain or car wash. Sometimes the door has to be slammed pretty hard to get the water to start flowing out of the door drain. I have checked it for clogging but there doesn't appear to be any in the drain holes. My concerns with water sitting in the doors for days are things like mold on the inside of the door and also protecting the electronics inside the door from any water that may be inside. I haven't heard of mold and mildew coming from slow draining car doors but considering what can happen to flood ruined cars (like all those sold at auction from the big storm that hit Houston a few years ago), it might be worth looking into. I'm wondering if some kind of sanitizer put into the door drains might not be a bad idea once a year or so. Again, thank you for helping me think of the small details. Edit: It would also be nice if we had car washes that did undercarriage only (I don't use brush auto washes and brushless, touchless auto washes are rare here because they are expensive to build). My hope is my Corolla having the plastic panels of the TNG architecture underneath might keep it clean from debris better than a car without the panels, but it would still be nice to have an easier way to clean the underside of cars without having to resort to a lift, Rhino Ramps, Race Ramps, or jack stands.
I've tried this with a two stage mix from the paint shop, it's hard to get it right but better than a paint chip, couple of them were perfect, rest had outlines, even used a pin to dab the paint in the smaller ones, came out okay
It can be done perfectly, but depends on the colour. Metallixs and pearls are difficult. And you should do it 2 stage. The colour first, then the lacquer. Let the lacquer harden oroperly, build it up high. Then you need to blade it off flush before sanding it with 1200/1500 then 3000. Instead of lacquer, you can also use clear glue with activator. That speeds up the whole process. I have done this millions of times.
My car is "silver pearl". I'm amazed how professional painters can get such a perfect finish. I'm handy at most things, but I think I'd end up making an even worse finish than what I started with.
Scrape the touch up flat with a razor blade like you would a run then go through the same steps. Saves a lot of time and mitigates the risk of burning around the touch up. I've also had awesome luck mixing the paint slightly hot touching it up then using a plastic razor to scrape it flat while still wet.
I did a similar repair on my car and got similar results with the exception of it being a little higher as opposed to lower for the repair. In typical base coat clear coat have to remember there is only a tiny amount of clear to work with and while it may look close if you measure the clear its really easy to burn thru. For a cheap repair i would be happy with your end result but if your picky respray is the only way to go. Great job!
Also Larry at Ammo NYC uses a seringe for paint if you get this kind of repair often i would recommend giving that a try as it may make your life so much easier
I do the same on hoods, trunks, roofs...but I can't get that to work on the typical side panel. Too much puddling at the bottom. I'll usually fill that with glazing compound proud, sand flat, prime just over the chip perimeter, sand flat, spray a circle. Buff by hand to blend.
DAP Dynaflex 230. If you can't find it use any equivalent elastomeric latex. Dynaflex Ultra is newer and probably better as it's more flexible and UV resistant. Both are paintable within an hour, come in multiple colors (clear if unsure), and waterproof. However 230 due to being a bit less flexible is able to handle gaps up to 1 inch whereas Ultra covers up to 1/2". All these fancy fillers are using the chemical compound of this. As a matter of fact DAP makes custom colors of this very product under Dynaflex 920. For clear coat I would recommend Angelus Leathee
Hi all, in my opinion this is the correct way of fixing a chip like this, not filling and respraying the panel, because to a good eye the respray you can pick up too, either slightly different shade, gloss, coverage etc. But you have to be really patient with this method, slowly building up the paint, you can cut down a sanding block and literally just sand the area which helps. I have used this method for years and do it right, right sanding through the grades, right polishing etc I have got them just about perfect, takes alot of time though, start to finish about 3 days, not continuous of course, just building up layers, waiting for paint to dry, sanding, polishing .
I did a simler repair on chip a few years ago, turned out very good, only thing I did different I built up the chipped area up with a little primer 2 coats
I’ve learned that a lot of us have been taught wrong, adding uv clearcoat in equal parts to the paint and premixing yields incredible results and you can fix to nearly perfect results.
That not bad for doing that way. The stuff I get good results from is Langka blob remover. You have to use the touch up paint in the bottle but works good no sanding needed. Doesn’t hurt the clear coat. Worked better on my Mustang than my Subaru the Subaru touch up paint dry too hard.
Probably would work better. I think I should have buffed it by hand - the new paint was soft - the old paint was harder so I think it took more off of the new thus lowering it a bit. Not sure but I do know that body shops never try this so this must be the reason :)
Using a razor blade works much better to cut it down to the surface. Do the sandpaper draw trick to the razor blade to give it a hook on the edge and just drag it across. Peels off runs very well and dead flat.
I really like this concept since anybody can do it and the end result is much better than a rust spot that will only grow. I’m by no means a body repair technician, but I would’ve sanded very lightly with a dremel first and perhaps put a dab of rust eliminator, or trim clad in the hole before the finishing paint.
Great video! Following your advice, building up the paint and letting it dry for a while might yield slightly better results, but for the cost of this touch up? Looks substantially better than before. Going to give this a try in the spring! I can’t possibly make my bumper and worse than it is! 🤣
I wanted know if I use touch up paint, after sanding should I then apply a clear coat or just use the buffing compound like what used in the video. I guess I’m a little confused on the difference between clear coat and buffing compound. Like do the touch up paint, then sand and then do clear coat. After all that then I do the buffing?
You can give it a coat of clear - especially if you are using metallic paint. Buffing compound shines anything - plastic, old paint, old clear coat, etc. Clear also adds shine to something but it is a coating not rubbing. Hope that helps a bit :)
This was a great video!!! I have a 2004 Toyota matrix that has a lot of paint chips on the hood from a salt truck. I’m gonna do this myself because I don’t have money to go to a body shop and be charged hundreds of dollars. Thank You !!🎉
I've been doing touch up and paint repair for 25 years, almost all customers are happy because they don't want to repaint a large portion of their car.
the result you got is usually about the best you are going to get from single stage paint, something i used top do was clean the chip with take a new soft toothbrush dipped in grease and oil solvent to make sure there was no contaminants that could highlight the edge of the chip and a lot of the time i would dab in a layer of color tinted primer to build up the chip then after that dried i'd spray the chip and surrounding paint with Jam it door jamb prep then dab in a layer of base followed by multiple layers of clear to bring surface level, wet sanding and buffing clear works way better then sanding and buffing color coat, do they even make anything like jam-it anymore???
I don't think they do make Jam-It - never used it myself. What was it some sort of paint softener or something to get the new paint to stick? Thanks for you input my friend :)
Thank you! You've given me the confidence to take on my 92 c1500 rockers and cab corners! Love your videos! What kind of body filler do you use? And where do I get it? Thanks!
Glad you enjoy the videos Jeremy. I use Auto Body Master light weight body filler from the local Auto Value auto parts store $21/gal. You don't need anything expensive.
Ain't that crazy! That's how thick the Paintforcars.com Trinity Acrylic Enamel is straight out of the can. It may be a little thicker because it is a couple years old but it is really thick. If you do buy that stuff, make sure you purchase a gallon of reducer - not just the quart they send in the kit. You're welcome and have a good weekend :)
I've had similar results. We used to do it with gel coat on boats all the time, it was a lot easier because gel coat is a whole lot thicker than paint and gives you more to sand down before going through
It would depend a lot on the age of the boat. Gel coat yellows over time and most boats are white or off white. We'd usually get the gel coat from the manufacturer and if the boat was relatively new, you wouldn't be able to tell. Older boats is was more noticeable. A lot of times we could tint it enough that you couldn't see it unless you were looking for it.
A friend of mine said that a ziptie pointed end is perfect for touch ups. Try it! =) Also, a shark blade by Mirka might be useful for cutting the paint down flat. Particularly if you fix a base clear scratch, I'd guess you would sand the spot lightly to dull the clear, dab your touch up into the chip, fill with clear, cut down if possible with the shark blade or festool blade (carbide blade) and then lightly sand and polish. I bet you could do pretty well with that technique. Nice vid, appreciate it. A basic touch up is plenty for many cars.
I've filled in smaller chips on Mercedes black pearl metallic paint that was practically imperceptible. It takes time and patience. The key was to let the paint dry thoroughly before building up the next lacquer layer. When I was near level, I filled in the rest of the way with the OE clear coat paint. Hand/finger buffed to level- no sanding. In a shop it might take 3-7 days, so that may not be suitable for a production environment.
heat gun the area first before painting it may help, curing the paint quickly to dry faster. tape around the area before sand will help from damaging paint in the area you are sanding
Hello I really need help like what is the benefit of sanding off the scratch before applying touch-up paint compared to this video wherein the paint was used to "fill-in" The scratch?
Good question. This is actually the wrong way to do it - period. Don't let anyone fool you - you will almost always notice the repair if done this way. I just wanted to do the video 'cause some folks were asking about it. The reasons are many: the repair will shrink back into the shape of the chip, the paint won't match, you may see an indention, dullness, etc. The right way is to sand it flat or "feather edge (taper) it out, prime, block sand, prime, finish sand and finally paint. Feel free to ask more questions if needed. I will make a video on the right way to fix a chip one day soon :)
I agree. The glazing putty after the paint hardened makes taking it flat easier. I also think if the paint was allowed to cure longer the color difference and difference in level would be better. Really hard to get perfect, I never have. There's always something I can see afterwards, but a repair like this saves from doing the whole door.
I couldn't help but wonder why you did not tackle the chips on the edge of the door at the same time. Also, any follow up recommended regarding clear coat? Thanks.
Yes - I thought someone would catch that. Good eye. It's just a demo door though. Do you mean what type of clear coat would work? If so, any automotive grade clear will work fine. You might be able to get away with some clear enamel nail polish - that's probably not good advice though. Myself - I would give it a try without worry though. You can always dig it out and try again.
If I have some touch up paint I bought from Amazon that does match my paint code but it seems to string when dragging does that mean it’s been exposed to air and is starting to cure and coagulate?
@@LakesideAutobody great idea and I didn’t want to do that as I figured it was supposed to arrive decent and I had a Subaru paint pens for 5 years that did that but expected. I’m just going to order some new touch up.
I wondering why you wouldn't lay the scratched surface horizontally before you start adding paint, then allowing gravity to to assist rather than to have to fight with it
You could do that but want to keep the door in it's position so that the video could be more of a "real life" situation. Good suggestion though - I think it would work well :)
When you are doing this with white paint do need to use a particular colour sand paper or block? I am using black sand paper and seems to stain the area I am fixing
Interesting.... As long as you are using quality automotive grade wet sand paper you should be fine. Try not using a block - maybe it's the block. I've never run across that issue before. Let me know what you find out :)
@@LakesideAutobody will do. I thought it was the “ black” of the paper that was causing and I should go for the white or cream version. I’ll be honest I don’t know the difference between dry and wet sanding so perhaps that’s the issue
I have used this method a few times with varying rates of success. To ensure I kept on top of the new paint when sanding, I used the Dolphin Glaze trick that is used for paint runs. Some colours work well, others don't. In some cases I am sure it would be quicker to repaint the panel, but this way costs nothing.
There's actually a decent tool for filling chips - called a Fine Line Painting Pen. It really helps to not over-fill the chip - less risk of cutting through the paint around the chip when you're blocking and buffing.
I tried something like this for days. Unfortunately the chip/scratch was on the plastic bumper. After several attempts I gave up. Fortunately, the scratch was on a part of the bumper that would look good with a small vinyl decal. Hid the scratch and personalized my car. Not the optimal solution but as a friend said. Hey it looks factory...😃
Thanks GN - good to hear from you. You are a very good teacher - I check out your vids often - don't always make a comment though. You do nice work my friend. Enjoy SB 56 if you watch it :)
I think that would work. After you let the paint dry, take it nice and slow. Maybe even buff it by hand or go real slow with a power buffer. I was not patient enough :)
Metallic paints are tough to work with as you will have a hard time getting the metallic flakes to match. The paint may look much darker or lighter depending on what the met flakes do :)
theres a outline cause you didnt build up the base coat. Let the base coat overlap factory paint then come in sand it down, blend it in and then polish and add clear coat.
This method works a lot better if you just sand the edges of the chip to be a smooth transition. Like a smooth hill instead of jagged cliff. That extra step really helps blend the new paint with the old.
That's a good tip AR - thanks for sharing :)
Exactly
@@anthonyring123
Great tip!
What grid do you start with?
And some UV putty would save a ton of time filling that crater.
@@jasonjones6919 when will they make UV base coat?
I had a bunch of chips on the front of the hood on a pickup truck I bought. 220,000 MI driving through Florida put a lot of bug scratches in that front of the hood. I washed it with hot water and ammonia so we had a clean base instead of a bunch of crud sanded into it. I put some spot putty on to fill the scratches instead of using paint. I sanded everything smooth very lightly and did like you did on the scratch but I was sanding down the putty. I mixed up some primer and put that on with the brush over the parts that were puttied.I taped and curled up masking paper back and I give it a couple light coats of white paint also. I let that dry for about a day I was afraid of the shrinkage on that spot putty. Then I went ahead and wet sanded it. I kind of sanded through the paint so I had had to clean it and spray it again. Look good when I was done hit it again with a spray and then was a coat of cheap clear I had laying around. I buffed it out it looked decent but I had to buff because I had overspray back towards the masking paper. That was in 2008 and that truck and I still have the truck now. It still looks real good. I thought that clear coat with a yellow but it never did.
Looks darn good. I think most people would be happy with this kind of repair. I know I would.
For what it is it came out alright. Looks better than a chip. If haters want perfection then spend the $$$ and get the respray done. Thanks for sharing your upload it's appreciated by those of us curious to try
Thanks Phil - us guys have to look out for each other - no body else does! :) It's time we all start helping each other out - no envy - no competition. All of out lives are hard - not easy for anyone.
Yeah, you're correct. The new touch-up paint will usually be softer than the original, and exact color matching is a challenge, especially with metallic paints where the size of the metallic flakes vary and also affect the appearance. Filling as accurately as possible and as level as possible with the original paint saves a lot of sanding. And that also reduces the sanding pressure required and consequently reduces occurrence of deeper sanding scratches within the repair area, as well as reducing "melting" of metallic flakes (in metallic paints) due to excess sanding friction which can cast the repair paint color with a grayish hue. I found that wet sanding by hand with 600 grit followed by 2000 grit is the perfect combination. Then follow by hand-buffing with Meguiar' Swirl Remover 2.0, which works surprisingly fast even by hand because this product is just so effective. Overall this method works best from my personal experience, and the results are better than repainting an entire panel, since that usually results in the entire panel color not quite matching neighboring panels. That's visibly far worse than a small paint chip touch-up repair, and is also far more time-consuming and expensive.
Does touch up paint always stay soft no matter how long you wait before sanding?
What would you do with a two stage paint correction? Base and clear coat. Would wet sanding and buffing the base coat work? Then apply a layer of clear over the top and repeat the steps?
@@mrsemifixit it stays pretty soft until you add clear coat
@@allseeingeyezz So without clear coat it wouldn’t sand right to blend?
@@AdiusOmegamix 30% clear into base.
Same with pearl, mix approx 70% pearl with base
Breaking down the hard edge of the chip with some 1500 before starting works, takes away the outline when finished. I've also seen people use a rubber blade to actually fill the chip in one go, think the panel would need laying down for this. 👍
Finally. someone doing a video with paint, not a kit. Kits don't work with custom colors. And extra points for using safety goggles!
Thanks for watching Andrew and the support :)
Sanding the edges lightly and using a couple coats of filler primer, then paint and then clear would probably give better results
Thanks my friend - good to help each other out - 'specially in today's USA :)
I used this approach a couple weeks ago and it worked great.
That came out a lot better than I thought it would, and definitely a lot faster and cheaper then the correct way of doing it. Another fantastic video, Sir. Thank you for making them.
You're welcome. I think if I would have been a little more careful and patient on the sanding and buffing it would have worked perfect but at least you can see the pitfalls of attempting this. Have a good weekend Eric.
After sanding you should've put some clear coat in it to level it out. But for demonstration purposes this was great.
If you do this to your own vehicle. Try to use the same type of paint that is on the vehicle. Single stage, base clear, tricoat, whatever is on the vehicle. The more time you put into it, the better it can look. And it's definitely better than painting the entire panel. Especially if it's a classic car. Repairing original paint is always better than a respray. Paint is only original once
Yep, clear coat is the trick to a better match and hiding the repair.
I think 2 coats of Base & 4 coats of clear would of blended better...
Using All paint causes a shadow ring-- no matter what..
Also, Masking off a 1/2 inch around the Chip..
When, using less >1000 grit will prevent needlessly Scratching or Gouging up the surrounding surface. 😊👌
You're right Jerry..it looks better than a big chip. Have a great weekend..
I just wanna say THANK YOU! Your videos have been a holy grail of learning and information ... the way your videos are detailed to the point and imformative have made it so much easier to understand and repeat the processes shown ... i have been restoring a 01 ram 1500 ( canadian rust bucket) for 4 years and im finally on the last legs to having it completed 98% done by myself / with friends and these videos have helped me so much along the way 👌🙏
That's good to hear my friend. I appreciate the kind words. Feel free to send me some pics when finished if you want - would love it. schoolvideolibrary at gmail dot com Have a great SB weekend Farmer Joe - Jerry
Will do and again thanks so much 🙏
Good stuff Bud!! I've done that a few times, it works good but it's a process that can't be rushed!!☻
Thanks RK - enjoy SB 56 if you watch it :)
I'm not a detailer or body shop specialist. But I'm learning a lot as I go having to fix my own vehicle's small scratches and rock chips.
I find toothpicks are helpful here. They also help remove small amounts of clear coat when wet sanding, especially if you overapply the clear coat.
If the new clear goes on too thick or overruns, you can scratch it off with a toothpick before it sets up without scratching the surrounding OEM clear. If you're careful, you can roll the toothpick like a rolling pin to get a smooth, thin, even layer of clear coat.
Using a Duplicolor paint/clear coat scratch fix pen I am able to somewhat match the OEM 209 black sand pearl and clear coat on my 2020 Toyota Corolla, but it takes a lot of slow, careful, tedious work.
The paint and clear coat in most of these pens is way too thick for most OEM paint, but I understand the point is to protect that scratch and prevent rusting.
I clean the scratch with IPA. I then dab paint in with a toothpick and let it set up for a day or two. Depending on how the paint levels, I might put on more paint then, or I might try to put on the clear.
I have had times where the paint and clear are unlevel with the OEM. I sometimes add more paint on top of the failed clear attempt, then add another layer of clear. I don't want to use any Duplicolor clear or paint remover to protect the OEM paint job.
I realize paint on clear is not ideal, but the spots are so small (less than a width of a fingertip) that I'm more concerned about a level, smooth appearance than any layering. The paint seems to stay on well enough even if there is some roughed up clear under it.
I know a lot of detailers prefer to wet sand the paint then add clear, but the clear coat from the pen is so thick it makes more sense to add it on top then level the whole thing. It's like glue or pancake syrup. I would rather sacrifice the clear than the paint, so a bit of clear that is too thick is fine as long as it can be leveled.
For that process, I wash, decon, clay, then use a light compound, polish, and then a wax.
For sanding, I prefer using sanding sticks up to 7000 or even higher grit. I like to start high so I don't go too aggressive, find what works, and then work up in grits from there. I like narrow, thin sanding sticks so I only touch the area that needs to be sanded, as opposed to a block.
I use DA foam and a microfiber to take it off. Nothing fancy. One of those bonnet machines with a 20v battery. Even a 5-6" bonnet polisher is a bit big for these jobs but I'm willing to compound/polish the OEM so the new clear coat feathers into the OEM without edges.
After a lot of layering, patience, and many weeks of building up and taking down, it's almost flush with the OEM. The light still distorts from a certain angle due to how the clear coat went on, but close enough without going through the OEM clear works for me. The main difficulty is feathering the edge of the thick, new clear into the thin OEM clear and making it look like the same, level coat.
The repair here looks good. All that worries me about it is it is such a big area to polish and buff, especially with a sanding block.
I plan on keeping a car for 20+ years, so I'm always concerned about how much clear coat is left, especially on black cars.
Usually, at best I only compound, polish, and clay when absolutely necessary, even if the paint is not as smooth and clear as it could be. Most of the time I just IPA and wax to protect the clear, since even a mild clay/compound/polish will take away clear over many years.
I prefer non-abrasive mild chemical paint cleaners to deal with paint defects, but they seem to be getting harder to find.
My hope is any glaze or clarifiers in the wax (many are AIOs and cleaner waxes now) will fix any small blemishes without even having to resort to a polish. Once that clear is gone, you can't get it back without taking the whole panel back to a body shop to be refinished properly.
Generally, I will work most with the parts exposed to the elements--front grille, roof, trunk, and hood. The sides and back will often retain carnauba wax protection even for 6 months here in hot, humid Arkansas (based on water beading, anyway). Mild winters and we use sand instead of salt for icy roads.
In short, I'd rather the paint look less than perfect and the OEM clear coat last than the paint look great but there be almost no clear left.
I find a lot of paint correction products on the market are aggressive and for people who let their vehicles get in bad shape before they do anything. I prefer just keeping the car clean with a wash every 2-4 weeks, a wax every 3 months, and a clay/polish (and rarely a compound to fix a big problem) only if the car absolutely needs it.
A little prevention is better than taking it to the body shop.
Sorry for the length, but I hope this helped.
Thanks for your input - you're right about the body shops. Here's something that will help keep your car out of the shops too - th-cam.com/video/y05dNxt-nVc/w-d-xo.html Thanks again for the tips - Jerry
@@LakesideAutobody Thanks so much for reading as I put a lot of thought into it.
By the way, your intro music sounds like the 80s heavy metal band Slayer. I didn't expect to hear it here. :)
@@LakesideAutobody Thanks for the info on the rust! I didn't even think of that.
We don't have much problem with salt here in the South but we do get a lot of rain. Even with my relatively new Corolla water tends to set up in the driver's side door after a heavy rain or car wash.
Sometimes the door has to be slammed pretty hard to get the water to start flowing out of the door drain. I have checked it for clogging but there doesn't appear to be any in the drain holes.
My concerns with water sitting in the doors for days are things like mold on the inside of the door and also protecting the electronics inside the door from any water that may be inside.
I haven't heard of mold and mildew coming from slow draining car doors but considering what can happen to flood ruined cars (like all those sold at auction from the big storm that hit Houston a few years ago), it might be worth looking into.
I'm wondering if some kind of sanitizer put into the door drains might not be a bad idea once a year or so.
Again, thank you for helping me think of the small details.
Edit: It would also be nice if we had car washes that did undercarriage only (I don't use brush auto washes and brushless, touchless auto washes are rare here because they are expensive to build).
My hope is my Corolla having the plastic panels of the TNG architecture underneath might keep it clean from debris better than a car without the panels, but it would still be nice to have an easier way to clean the underside of cars without having to resort to a lift, Rhino Ramps, Race Ramps, or jack stands.
I've tried this with a two stage mix from the paint shop, it's hard to get it right but better than a paint chip, couple of them were perfect, rest had outlines, even used a pin to dab the paint in the smaller ones, came out okay
The Immediate answer is literally yes you can!! Literally the exact way to fix a chip.
It can be done perfectly, but depends on the colour. Metallixs and pearls are difficult. And you should do it 2 stage. The colour first, then the lacquer. Let the lacquer harden oroperly, build it up high. Then you need to blade it off flush before sanding it with 1200/1500 then 3000. Instead of lacquer, you can also use clear glue with activator. That speeds up the whole process. I have done this millions of times.
My car is "silver pearl". I'm amazed how professional painters can get such a perfect finish. I'm handy at most things, but I think I'd end up making an even worse finish than what I started with.
I have this exact problem in white on a fully restored 67 Bonneville convertible. Thanks!
Scrape the touch up flat with a razor blade like you would a run then go through the same steps. Saves a lot of time and mitigates the risk of burning around the touch up. I've also had awesome luck mixing the paint slightly hot touching it up then using a plastic razor to scrape it flat while still wet.
Never hurts to try something new! I'd be happy with that repair on all but my newest vehicle. Good content as usual.
Dr. Color Chip. Their paint match is excellent. Great results in minutes.
Thanks for the info Paul :)
I did a similar repair on my car and got similar results with the exception of it being a little higher as opposed to lower for the repair. In typical base coat clear coat have to remember there is only a tiny amount of clear to work with and while it may look close if you measure the clear its really easy to burn thru. For a cheap repair i would be happy with your end result but if your picky respray is the only way to go. Great job!
Also Larry at Ammo NYC uses a seringe for paint if you get this kind of repair often i would recommend giving that a try as it may make your life so much easier
Good video. I am in the process of attempting this on a motorcycle fender right now.
have anyone tried using filler to build it up and finishing with spraycan? specially for metallic paints
Good enough for my 07 Taurus !
Going to try this with stone chips on my single stage gloss black paint, see if its good enough save on a respray
I've always wondered about this process. You saved me alot of time. Thanks
Glad to help - your welcome :)
I have gotten a syringe and used that to fill in the chips, works nice.
I do the same on hoods, trunks, roofs...but I can't get that to work on the typical side panel. Too much puddling at the bottom.
I'll usually fill that with glazing compound proud, sand flat, prime just over the chip perimeter, sand flat, spray a circle. Buff by hand to blend.
Change comes from trying new things, thank you Jerry!
USE A HEAT GUN BETWEEN COATs......it will dry faster so you can build it thicker.
Not always, if its urethane then it needs to gas out before drying
DAP Dynaflex 230. If you can't find it use any equivalent elastomeric latex. Dynaflex Ultra is newer and probably better as it's more flexible and UV resistant. Both are paintable within an hour, come in multiple colors (clear if unsure), and waterproof. However 230 due to being a bit less flexible is able to handle gaps up to 1 inch whereas Ultra covers up to 1/2". All these fancy fillers are using the chemical compound of this. As a matter of fact DAP makes custom colors of this very product under Dynaflex 920. For clear coat I would recommend Angelus Leathee
Interesting... I'll look into these products - thanks for the comments :)
Hi all, in my opinion this is the correct way of fixing a chip like this, not filling and respraying the panel, because to a good eye the respray you can pick up too, either slightly different shade, gloss, coverage etc. But you have to be really patient with this method, slowly building up the paint, you can cut down a sanding block and literally just sand the area which helps. I have used this method for years and do it right, right sanding through the grades, right polishing etc I have got them just about perfect, takes alot of time though, start to finish about 3 days, not continuous of course, just building up layers, waiting for paint to dry, sanding, polishing .
Interesting. Thanks for the input NA - I do think it would work well if you had the patients :)
Try the factory touch up paint and the Langka kit.
I did a simler repair on chip a few years ago, turned out very good, only thing I did different I built up the chipped area up with a little primer 2 coats
That seems like it would work a bit better. Thanks for your input - Merry Christmas 🎉🎅🎄
I’ve learned that a lot of us have been taught wrong, adding uv clearcoat in equal parts to the paint and premixing yields incredible results and you can fix to nearly perfect results.
Good tip - thanks for the input :)
@yourpalcraig, that sounds interesting, can you explain further?? I have some chips I have to fix
Alot better then just dabbing the paint in. Might guve this a try on some paibt chips I got.
Good experiment. That could be an acceptable fix for a daily driver.👍
What about a heavy duty dropper or a small turkey baster to pour on the paint/harder mix, granted while the door is on a level surface. Just a thought
👍
That not bad for doing that way. The stuff I get good results from is Langka blob remover. You have to use the touch up paint in the bottle but works good no sanding needed. Doesn’t hurt the clear coat. Worked better on my Mustang than my Subaru the Subaru touch up paint dry too hard.
As you said, trying to get the right level with paint is difficult. What is your opinion of filling with a glaze putty on a deep chip before paint?
Probably would work better. I think I should have buffed it by hand - the new paint was soft - the old paint was harder so I think it took more off of the new thus lowering it a bit. Not sure but I do know that body shops never try this so this must be the reason :)
Make me think of the old saying, "You never know till you try."
Using a razor blade works much better to cut it down to the surface. Do the sandpaper draw trick to the razor blade to give it a hook on the edge and just drag it across. Peels off runs very well and dead flat.
I really like this concept since anybody can do it and the end result is much better than a rust spot that will only grow.
I’m by no means a body repair technician, but I would’ve sanded very lightly with a dremel first and perhaps put a dab of rust eliminator, or trim clad in the hole before the finishing paint.
You could give that a try too 😊
Great video! Following your advice, building up the paint and letting it dry for a while might yield slightly better results, but for the cost of this touch up? Looks substantially better than before. Going to give this a try in the spring! I can’t possibly make my bumper and worse than it is! 🤣
If you remember, let me know how it goes for you :)
I wanted know if I use touch up paint, after sanding should I then apply a clear coat or just use the buffing compound like what used in the video. I guess I’m a little confused on the difference between clear coat and buffing compound. Like do the touch up paint, then sand and then do clear coat. After all that then I do the buffing?
You can give it a coat of clear - especially if you are using metallic paint. Buffing compound shines anything - plastic, old paint, old clear coat, etc. Clear also adds shine to something but it is a coating not rubbing. Hope that helps a bit :)
Always enjoy the education! Thumbs up!
I wonder if you finished off with a bit of lacquer would it look better ?
Possibly... thanks for the input Steven :)
This was a great video!!! I have a 2004 Toyota matrix that has a lot of paint chips on the hood from a salt truck. I’m gonna do this myself because I don’t have money to go to a body shop and be charged hundreds of dollars. Thank You !!🎉
You're welcome - if you take your time and be patient - you'll be fine :)
What’s the music at the beginning .. great video
Just little riffs I come up with - like it? or no? Quieter/louder/less/more/different? Let me know what you really think :)
@@LakesideAutobody more sounded great
I've been doing touch up and paint repair for 25 years, almost all customers are happy because they don't want to repaint a large portion of their car.
👍💯😊
@@joelkoonce8559 where u at
Only see it if your looking for it .awesome man
the result you got is usually about the best you are going to get from single stage paint, something i used top do was clean the chip with take a new soft toothbrush dipped in grease and oil solvent to make sure there was no contaminants that could highlight the edge of the chip and a lot of the time i would dab in a layer of color tinted primer to build up the chip then after that dried i'd spray the chip and surrounding paint with Jam it door jamb prep then dab in a layer of base followed by multiple layers of clear to bring surface level, wet sanding and buffing clear works way better then sanding and buffing color coat, do they even make anything like jam-it anymore???
I don't think they do make Jam-It - never used it myself. What was it some sort of paint softener or something to get the new paint to stick? Thanks for you input my friend :)
Great job! Thanks for your practical paint repair tips for Common Folks- You earned my subscription-
Thanks for subbing Jack - hope the videos help you out :)
Great job Jerry once it is outside i'm sure it won't be noticeable!
Thank you! You've given me the confidence to take on my 92 c1500 rockers and cab corners! Love your videos! What kind of body filler do you use? And where do I get it? Thanks!
Glad you enjoy the videos Jeremy. I use Auto Body Master light weight body filler from the local Auto Value auto parts store $21/gal. You don't need anything expensive.
Nice result. With more drying time and less aggressive buffing could be phenomenal.
You're right. If I would have taken my time and been patient it would have turned out better :)
Look much better than the chip especially on white thank you for the video Jerry sty safe
You do the same Husky - enjoy the weekend my friend :)
Very nice job! May I ask how you made the paint so thick? Thanks
Ain't that crazy! That's how thick the Paintforcars.com Trinity Acrylic Enamel is straight out of the can. It may be a little thicker because it is a couple years old but it is really thick. If you do buy that stuff, make sure you purchase a gallon of reducer - not just the quart they send in the kit. You're welcome and have a good weekend :)
@@LakesideAutobody Thank you! I’ll definitely give it a try
Great video! It kind of looked like the new paint in the gouge continued to shrink after it was sanded flat.
I think the buffing took a little too much new paint with it. I might try buffing with a very small buffer or even by hand next time :)
Wouldn't it be better to feather out the edged before adding paint? Idk I'm not a painter
We know why
I've had similar results. We used to do it with gel coat on boats all the time, it was a lot easier because gel coat is a whole lot thicker than paint and gives you more to sand down before going through
Did those boats come out nearly invisible or could you still see it if you were looking very closely ?
It would depend a lot on the age of the boat. Gel coat yellows over time and most boats are white or off white. We'd usually get the gel coat from the manufacturer and if the boat was relatively new, you wouldn't be able to tell. Older boats is was more noticeable. A lot of times we could tint it enough that you couldn't see it unless you were looking for it.
@@BruceLyeg Thanks for the response Bruce - have a good week my friend :)
Not using a paint file at 3:10? Looks incredible. I think you did great, thank you for the walk through!
You're welcome - thanks for checking it out my friend :)
A friend of mine said that a ziptie pointed end is perfect for touch ups. Try it! =)
Also, a shark blade by Mirka might be useful for cutting the paint down flat. Particularly if you fix a base clear scratch, I'd guess you would sand the spot lightly to dull the clear, dab your touch up into the chip, fill with clear, cut down if possible with the shark blade or festool blade (carbide blade) and then lightly sand and polish. I bet you could do pretty well with that technique. Nice vid, appreciate it. A basic touch up is plenty for many cars.
Thanks Spencer - appreciate your input. Good ideas - have a good end of the week :)
I've filled in smaller chips on Mercedes black pearl metallic paint that was practically imperceptible. It takes time and patience. The key was to let the paint dry thoroughly before building up the next lacquer layer. When I was near level, I filled in the rest of the way with the OE clear coat paint. Hand/finger buffed to level- no sanding. In a shop it might take 3-7 days, so that may not be suitable for a production environment.
Forgot to add, that was on a 1992 model Mercedes. In my experience paint was a lot thicker back then.
You're right on the process. My mistake was buffing with a machine - should have done it by hand.
I watched all of these types of videos it's never perfect
heat gun the area first before painting it may help, curing the paint quickly to dry faster. tape around the area before sand will help from damaging paint in the area you are sanding
Good ideas PJR - I like the heat - maybe a heat lamp :)
Adding some layers of clearcoat would help build up thickness and help with the sanding and polish matching.
👍😊
Hello I really need help like what is the benefit of sanding off the scratch before applying touch-up paint compared to this video wherein the paint was used to "fill-in" The scratch?
Good question. This is actually the wrong way to do it - period. Don't let anyone fool you - you will almost always notice the repair if done this way. I just wanted to do the video 'cause some folks were asking about it. The reasons are many: the repair will shrink back into the shape of the chip, the paint won't match, you may see an indention, dullness, etc. The right way is to sand it flat or "feather edge (taper) it out, prime, block sand, prime, finish sand and finally paint. Feel free to ask more questions if needed. I will make a video on the right way to fix a chip one day soon :)
@@LakesideAutobodyplease make a video about it asap
@@daylangio I will :)
on little chips I found it better to use a dremel to even and polish out before using a bigger mop
Good suggestion Tony - I think the "bigger mop" dug out some of my paint :)
Did you add additional hardener to paint after you got it or did you have to prep the paint yourself cause it didn't have hardener in it ?
I added the hardener myself :)
do u need clear over it? I know they have clear in those touch up pens
Clear would have probably helped but not necessary - maybe on metallic colors. I think it would really fail on metallic paint though :)
I liked it. When it was high I was thinking that the glazing putty trick they do with runs may have helped. Good vid though.
Thanks 67 - have a great weekend 👍
I agree. The glazing putty after the paint hardened makes taking it flat easier. I also think if the paint was allowed to cure longer the color difference and difference in level would be better. Really hard to get perfect, I never have. There's always something I can see afterwards, but a repair like this saves from doing the whole door.
I couldn't help but wonder why you did not tackle the chips on the edge of the door at the same time.
Also, any follow up recommended regarding clear coat? Thanks.
Yes - I thought someone would catch that. Good eye. It's just a demo door though. Do you mean what type of clear coat would work? If so, any automotive grade clear will work fine. You might be able to get away with some clear enamel nail polish - that's probably not good advice though. Myself - I would give it a try without worry though. You can always dig it out and try again.
If I have some touch up paint I bought from Amazon that does match my paint code but it seems to string when dragging does that mean it’s been exposed to air and is starting to cure and coagulate?
It's probably old. Sometimes it's on the shelf too long. You could try getting some lacquer thinner and thinning it down just a bit.
@@LakesideAutobody great idea and I didn’t want to do that as I figured it was supposed to arrive decent and I had a Subaru paint pens for 5 years that did that but expected. I’m just going to order some new touch up.
No free lunch , nice experiment !
Good skills, you should have used primer and clear coat to make it perfect. I did it and it's lasting well. Harder with the grey color
I was going to do this on my car. No clear coat?
No - I think even if your car has clear coat on it, you'll be fine :)
Assume same process for those door dings on edge of door?
Yes - but this is just a practice door. Thanks for watching Terry :)
Nice tip that I'm going to try.
I wondering why you wouldn't lay the scratched surface horizontally before you start adding paint, then allowing gravity to to assist rather than to have to fight with it
You could do that but want to keep the door in it's position so that the video could be more of a "real life" situation. Good suggestion though - I think it would work well :)
When you are doing this with white paint do need to use a particular colour sand paper or block? I am using black sand paper and seems to stain the area I am fixing
Interesting.... As long as you are using quality automotive grade wet sand paper you should be fine. Try not using a block - maybe it's the block. I've never run across that issue before. Let me know what you find out :)
@@LakesideAutobody will do. I thought it was the “ black” of the paper that was causing and I should go for the white or cream version. I’ll be honest I don’t know the difference between dry and wet sanding so perhaps that’s the issue
very thoughtful
Do you need to apply clear coat on top of the base?
I didn't in this video - it was single stage paint not BC/CC but it may even work better :)
I have used this method a few times with varying rates of success. To ensure I kept on top of the new paint when sanding, I used the Dolphin Glaze trick that is used for paint runs. Some colours work well, others don't. In some cases I am sure it would be quicker to repaint the panel, but this way costs nothing.
Thanks for your input my friend - very helpful :)
There's actually a decent tool for filling chips - called a Fine Line Painting Pen. It really helps to not over-fill the chip - less risk of cutting through the paint around the chip when you're blocking and buffing.
Good info Sno - thanks for your input :)
I think adding primer or bondo first would help blend it.
Thanks for the input Steve - have a good weekend :)
In theory, would it be better to sand first and apply paint product so the paint levels?
That may work better. I'm sure there's a few good tricks out there for this type of repair - thanks for checking it out DJ :)
I tried something like this for days. Unfortunately the chip/scratch was on the plastic bumper.
After several attempts I gave up. Fortunately, the scratch was on a part of the bumper that would look good with a small vinyl decal.
Hid the scratch and personalized my car. Not the optimal solution but as a friend said. Hey it looks factory...😃
Good point. Sometimes you have to be happy with good enough 👍
Great video! I do something similar but use clear to build it up works pretty well. Keep up the good work!
Thanks GN - good to hear from you. You are a very good teacher - I check out your vids often - don't always make a comment though. You do nice work my friend. Enjoy SB 56 if you watch it :)
@@LakesideAutobody Thank brother!
So just a tiny amount of scuffing, a small amount of filler then doing the rest the way you did; what kind of result would that be?
I think that would work. After you let the paint dry, take it nice and slow. Maybe even buff it by hand or go real slow with a power buffer. I was not patient enough :)
Looks alot better.
Does this work on rock chips on silver metalic paint?
Metallic paints are tough to work with as you will have a hard time getting the metallic flakes to match. The paint may look much darker or lighter depending on what the met flakes do :)
I usually apply clearcoat over it after it dries. Then sand and buff
👍🏻Looks good! For a Low cost alternative.
theres a outline cause you didnt build up the base coat. Let the base coat overlap factory paint then come in sand it down, blend it in and then polish and add clear coat.
Has anyone tried an inkwell pen instead of a brush?
What speed setting is your buffer set to?
Right around 3 on this HF buffer.
Angelus leathee clear coat. Better than any of these companies
Thank you Jerry . Love your videos. Beautiful job .
Thanks for watching Jon - I appreciate the support :)