Touch up paint and clear coat fix

Discuss anything after that final masking comes off.



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PostPosted: Sat Sep 05, 2015 4:17 pm
Initially, I tried to fix two deep scratches by using Quixx Scratch Remover. But that didn't quite work, so as instructed by the product, I applied touch up paint and clear coat before trying again (I applied two coats of each). After 1 week, I used the Quixx Scratch Remover again, but the job didn't come out quite right. There are little tiny bubbles, if you can see in the pictures. Any suggestions?
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 05, 2015 6:58 pm
That type of scratch really needs to be taken down, repaired and the panel repainted and blended. There's really no quick / easy fix, sorry to have to say that.

You could try wet sanding it flat and buffing it, but that can also be a recipe for ruining more of your finish if not done right, or if the clear coat on the car now is thin.



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PostPosted: Sat Sep 05, 2015 7:21 pm
What's causing the bubbly appearance? Anything I can do to alleviate that? It might have been from the sanding, not sure.

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PostPosted: Sun Sep 06, 2015 1:57 pm
The uneven surface is because you didn't lay the paint evenly in the scratch and didn't overfill to allow for shrinkage as it dries. Quickly wipe over with a cloth dampened with acrylic thinners to smooth off and remove excess then reapply using surface tension to draw the paint off the brush into the scratch. Build up in multiple coats using the touch up paint thinned 1:1 with thinners and allow to dry well between coats. You want to aim for a repair that is slightly convex and doesn't really extend beyond the boundaries of the scratch but fully fills it, right to the edges.

Don't do in in direct sunlight or the paint will boil and you'll get pinholes in the surface. If the touch up paint is a good match I wouldn't bother about clear - it's too difficult to apply without disturbing the surface of the colour coat.

Use the best quality, slowest thinner you can get and the touch up paint will flow and dry glossy.

Once it's fully dry, polish down with a polish that has a very mild cut, not the scrtach remover - that's too coarse. Use a little polish on a soft cloth and polish with your finger using almost no pressure but moving quickly back and forth. Keep the polish wet so it works as a lubricant. Make sure you rub only on the repair - the surrounding clear may already be thin so you don't want to risk further damage. It takes time. Remove excess every 20 strokes and keep checking your progress. Don't polish down to completely level or you'll expose the edges of the scratch - leave it very slightly domed.

On a darker coloured car or a solid colour you can achieve almost invisible repairs with this technique, but it does take some practice.
Chris



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PostPosted: Sun Sep 06, 2015 4:23 pm
Could you suggest the proper paint thinner and polish products? Thanks.

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PostPosted: Mon Sep 07, 2015 10:14 am
Chances are that you can't get these in the US but I use PPG Dulon AAA thinner for acrylics (both spraying and for touching up). PPG over there may be able to tell you if they have an equivalent. As an alternative, although it's not quite as good, the best acrylic thinner you can get and then add Dupont/Axalta 3979S Retarder. The AAA thinner is expensive at close to $200 for 20 litres but nothing else comes close when spraying. Add some 3979S and it sprays almost like a two pack urethane, especially in the Dupont 380S clear with a 1:1 mix.

For polishing down I use Gelson T47 (light colours) or T57 (dark colours). These are swirl removers in a silicone free polymer polish so the abrasive is very fine. Probably any decent swirl remover polish would work. Cotton flannelette works best as a polishing cloth.
Chris

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