Paint chip repair ?

WAS

WAS

Driven
I've got a few paint chips that I need to repair (personal vehicle), and this might be something I want to start offering as well to the public, should I get good enough at it.



I understand the basics of paint chip repair, clean the area, fill the chip with basecoat, etc. My question to those of you who are experienced at it, how do you remove the "blob" of paint after you've filled the chip ? As in, how do you make the newly filled-in paint level with the rest of the surface ? I've seen kits around that have some sort of plastice-like-squeegee, like you'd use for decal application. Short of buying one of these kits (not really sold on them yet), anyone have any advice ?
 
IME the Langka system (solvent + straight-edge) approach works so-so. Better than nothing and it avoids opening the wetsanding can-o'-worms.



Other than that, I think you're left with wetsanding/compounding/polishing. It's not all *THAT* awful, but I gotta admit I didn't bother doing it on my S8 when I got two nasty chips...I'm just not gonna go through all that for a few square millimters of imperfection on otherwise perfect panels. OTOH, I did a few of the touchups on my M3 that way (not all of 'em by a long shot!) and it sure did leave everything perfectly smooth.



I'd try the Langka Blob Eliminator and see if it does a good-enough job for you.
 
Accumulator said:
IME the Langka system (solvent + straight-edge) approach works so-so. Better than nothing and it avoids opening the wetsanding can-o'-worms.



Other than that, I think you're left with wetsanding/compounding/polishing. It's not all *THAT* awful, but I gotta admit I didn't bother doing it on my S8 when I got two nasty chips...I'm just not gonna go through all that for a few square millimters of imperfection on otherwise perfect panels. OTOH, I did a few of the touchups on my M3 that way (not all of 'em by a long shot!) and it sure did leave everything perfectly smooth.



I'd try the Langka Blob Eliminator and see if it does a good-enough job for you.
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Hrmmmm, not really into wet sanding (actually, I've never done wet sanding before) if there's an alternative, so I suppose I'll try the Langka kit (that's actually the one I've seen from my suppliers). Thanks for the info !
 
Dr. Colorchip uses a technique where you just wipe off the excess. I know it doesn't sound extremely great, or professional, for that matter - but worth a look into?
 
I have seen the squeegee method work wonders in person but never really followed up on it. Personally, I wetsand after touching up the repair.
 
SilverJag said:
Dr. Colorchip uses a technique where you just wipe off the excess. I know it doesn't sound extremely great, or professional, for that matter - but worth a look into?
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The Langka system is pretty much the same. The problem I found was the rubbing required to level the paint blob etched the paint and required polishing.



After trying everything, I personally would use a small artists brush and to it all carefully by hand. Many small layers will give you a flat surface. If you are impatient and try to do it in one swoop, you will get a blob.
 
I use a similar method to the Dr. Colorchip method. My business is touchup. I do it for the dealers in my area. I squeegee the basecoat in and use an "overspray remover" the remove the excess. I finish off with a coat of spray wax.



Good to go!
 
Not quite a chip repair, but the approach is the same...



P1000251.jpg


Temporary scratch repair pictures by zsolo - Photobucket

It's a lacquer (extremely low solids) touch-up job. Multiple applications are

necessary to get any build as most of this lacquer is solvents (90%+).

It shrinks like crazy...what i didn't use - time constrants - was the lacquer clear

that came in the Porsche touch-up kit. I'm sure the job would have turned out

better if i did. Even still, it came out OK, and the owner eventually wants to

have the panels properly repaired and refinished (what i do).
 
WAS try this.



Overfill the chip with paint. Let it evaporate-dry for 5 min. If it is below the original paint reapply. 5 min or so (as the temp, solvent content etc. will affect drying) wipe with IPA. It should remove the top layers of paint, but not enough to remove it all.



Lacquer Thinner can be used but is much faster acting. It is not an exact system but you will get what is going on.



When the chip is close or is level, let dry for another 5 min and give it a quick polish.



Sometimes it works well and others it just makes it look better.
 
I apply the duplicolor 2in1 touch up let it set into the scratch or chip for about 10 min, then if its good enough just take a little 2000 grit and wet sand the excess till it is almost level and then buff w/ 105 and polish w/ 205 and your good. Also if the first layer didn't fill it up enough then add another layer and let it set for 10 min then follow up with the rest of the steps
 
Huh, you guys don't let it dry/cure as long as I do before polishing :think: I'm even heating it with the halogens too....
 
the dulpi color touch ups dry in 10min. thats even what the bottle tells you, and its been working great for the past 5 years
 
Accumulator said:
Tru_Shine- OK, roger that. I must be the only person here who's never used the DupliColor stuff :o
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good thread. i was just googling some vids on this and they were showing guys sanding things down to base coat and respraying the whole area then polishing...i was like NO WAY! not for a freakin scratch!
 
tssdetailing said:
good thread. i was just googling some vids on this and they were showing guys sanding things down to base coat and respraying the whole area then polishing...i was like NO WAY! not for a freakin scratch!
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Do you have a link? Sounds interesting? not sanding down to base coat though?:nervous2:
 
Here is an example of how I do scratch repair.



I tried to document it on a detail I recently did, but I still cannot figure out the proper art of taking decent photos of paint correction. (Any pointers???)



I also wet sanded a number of chips and scratches on this vehicle, a few that were already touched up at the dealership before the car was purchased. Any comments or questions are greatly appreciated!
 
automedix said:
I use a similar method to the Dr. Colorchip method. My business is touchup. I do it for the dealers in my area. I squeegee the basecoat in and use an "overspray remover" the remove the excess. I finish off with a coat of spray wax.



Good to go!
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We're the same/similar, it's great on stonechips but to be honest it's a bit limited when it comes to really bad scratches.

Ours works with a Sherwin Williams Paint system and the excess remover has been developed to work with their paint.

I've never had a lot of success with the squeegee method? We use an airbrush at quite low pressure to fill chips from the bottom up. Does the squeegee use a lot of paint?
 
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