Hey guys,
I would appreciate some advice.
I have tried to seek the answers to my questions but have been unable to find precise answers.

Firstly, my car has some scratches. Not bad at all. In fact small and thin. I have read up on using primer first before using the touch up pen and then finally waiting a month before waxing.

1.What I would like to know is how long do I need to let the primer dry before I can use the touch up pen?
2. And how long do I need to wait between touch up coats?
If possible I would like to get this done in one day- because I cant guarantee it wont rain!

Secondly, I need to spray paint a small part of my plastic bumper. The scratches aren't so big but it requires more than a touch up. Again I have read up on what to do here. Do I apply the same drying times that will be recommended for a small touch up pen?

Lastly,
A small part of clear coat has peeled off my car. I was going to apply some clear coat to fix this problem. What is the recommended drying time before the car can be exposed to the elements?

Many thanks:)

pictures, must have pictures.
Jay D.

Here are the photos

neil4374 wrote:Firstly, my car has some scratches. Not bad at all. In fact small and thin. I have read up on using primer first before using the touch up pen and then finally waiting a month before waxing.

Don't believe everything you read.

The first rule of touching up is to only put paint in the scratch. Using a touch up pen makes this almost impossible when you have fine, albeit deep, scratches like the one near the badge since the tip of the pen is way bigger than the width of the scratch.

Second rule is touch, don't brush or stroke. You want an action that is similar to that used when welding - touch, lift, move, touch and if you do this right the surface tension of the paint will keep drawing it out of the end of the brush, which must not be overloaded or you'll find large drops will be drawn down.

Thin your paint. Usually 1:1 with a premium thinner so that it will dry glossy.

Unless you can clearly see metal, don't bother about primer. On a repair as small as a scratch, sealing the surface is sufficient, although it's a good idea to wipe over the scratch with Prepsol first to remove any contaminants.

1.What I would like to know is how long do I need to let the primer dry before I can use the touch up pen?

If you really have to use primer then an hour in the sun should do. really not recommended though.

2. And how long do I need to wait between touch up coats?

In the sun, temperatures around 20-25C, 30-60 minutes depending on thickness of paint.

If possible I would like to get this done in one day- because I cant guarantee it wont rain!

I'd hope so. A pro will do a dozen cars (average damage) a day. Rain really isn't an issue - touch up paint skins over very quickly - on hot days it's difficult to get it from the pot to the panel without it drying on the brush.

Secondly, I need to spray paint a small part of my plastic bumper. The scratches aren't so big but it requires more than a touch up. Again I have read up on what to do here. Do I apply the same drying times that will be recommended for a small touch up pen?

No. Sprayed on paint is much thinner, per layer, than you can achieve with a brush or pen. Observe the flash times given in the TDS for the paint you're using.

Lastly,
A small part of clear coat has peeled off my car. I was going to apply some clear coat to fix this problem. What is the recommended drying time before the car can be exposed to the elements?

You cant clear over a section where the clear has come off the base. It needs to be rubbed back, primed and base coated first.

As with that bumper repair, it may be a candidate for a spot or smart repair, but if you have no experience doing these then look at doing the whole panel (at least with clear).

One more tip:
Silver cars are some of the most difficult to touch up. If the scratch disappears when you wet with Prepsol then don't use the silver paint at all. Just wet it out with some acrylic clear - it will virtually disappear.

Thank you so much for the time you took to advise me.
Well appreciated:)