badsix wrote:are we sure this is what we want to do?

No. I said that the front should be repaired and resprayed while the rear could be touched up. OP wants to take the cheaper option but, as I've already warned him, the result on the front won't be that good.

s-c-3-1-3 wrote:That's the short of it. I think the whole point is that "Acrylic dries glossy if you use a high quality, slow drying thinner."

Correct.

s-c-3-1-3 wrote:Your comment/question has me second guessing, though. Is this a bad idea? Suggestions?

See above.

NFT5 wrote:

badsix wrote:are we sure this is what we want to do?

No. I said that the front should be repaired and resprayed while the rear could be touched up. OP wants to take the cheaper option but, as I've already warned him, the result on the front won't be that good.

s-c-3-1-3 wrote:That's the short of it. I think the whole point is that "Acrylic dries glossy if you use a high quality, slow drying thinner."

Correct.

s-c-3-1-3 wrote:Your comment/question has me second guessing, though. Is this a bad idea? Suggestions?

See above.

Do you have any suggestions or tricks on how to keep the paint inside the damaged area? I tried taping the surrounding area, and ended up with some ink getting outside the damaged area and a few spots inside the damaged area not having paint...I tried taking a few photographs:



This touch-up is proving mroe complicated than expected and am half debating just removing the paint altogether. =P

my concern is that the O/P talks about LACQUER THINNER this is most likely going to cause more problems.
Jay D.

badsix wrote:my concern is that the O/P talks about LACQUER THINNER this is most likely going to cause more problems.
Jay D.

Hi, yes, I mixed as follows:
5 ml of paint
0.2632ml of retarder
4.7368ml of standard thinner
Bad idea? What do I do?

badsix wrote: this is most likely going to cause more problems.

Not necessarily. The trick is to put the first coat or two on a bit thin and let them flash off, giving a seal to the edge.

s-c-3-1-3 wrote:Bad idea? What do I do?

No, the mix sounds about right. It's not set in stone - I adjust depending on temperature, colour, depth of damage etc.

s-c-3-1-3 wrote:suggestions or tricks on how to keep the paint inside the damaged area?

Practice, practice and more practice. You want to use the brush to put the paint inside the damaged area and then kind of push it towards the edge. When I dip the brush in the paint I wipe off to push the paint towards the end of the bristles so there's like a drop there but the end of the brush is flattened somewhat, not round. Then you can just touch one corner, allowing very accurate placement. You need to move fairly quickly so it doesn't start drying and skin over. Just touch the brush end to the damage. Never stroke - always just touch the brush and let the paint flow, using surface tension, into the chip/scratch.

Some people use a toothpick instead of a brush but that isn't much good for bigger scratches - for those I actually use a Paasche pen, like this with full strength (not reduced) paint. This is excellent when you have to build up thickness and have a lot of chips or scratches to do, but can be duplicated with a brush. If you put a bit too much in around the edge and it starts lifting or wrinkling then wait until it dries and shrinks, then use a razor blade to just shave off any high spots. Carefully, it's like brain surgery. Keep building, coat by coat until the paint forms a dome slightly above the old paint surface level. Allow to dry, may take 24 hours and if it's still a bit low then put in another coat and repeat. Polish down the highs, but not too far because you'll expose the edges. The final result should be slightly domed, like a scar.

NFT5 wrote:

badsix wrote: this is most likely going to cause more problems.

Not necessarily. The trick is to put the first coat or two on a bit thin and let them flash off, giving a seal to the edge.

s-c-3-1-3 wrote:Bad idea? What do I do?

No, the mix sounds about right. It's not set in stone - I adjust depending on temperature, colour, depth of damage etc.

s-c-3-1-3 wrote:suggestions or tricks on how to keep the paint inside the damaged area?

Practice, practice and more practice. You want to use the brush to put the paint inside the damaged area and then kind of push it towards the edge. When I dip the brush in the paint I wipe off to push the paint towards the end of the bristles so there's like a drop there but the end of the brush is flattened somewhat, not round. Then you can just touch one corner, allowing very accurate placement. You need to move fairly quickly so it doesn't start drying and skin over. Just touch the brush end to the damage. Never stroke - always just touch the brush and let the paint flow, using surface tension, into the chip/scratch.

Some people use a toothpick instead of a brush but that isn't much good for bigger scratches - for those I actually use a Paasche pen, like this with full strength (not reduced) paint. This is excellent when you have to build up thickness and have a lot of chips or scratches to do, but can be duplicated with a brush. If you put a bit too much in around the edge and it starts lifting or wrinkling then wait until it dries and shrinks, then use a razor blade to just shave off any high spots. Carefully, it's like brain surgery. Keep building, coat by coat until the paint forms a dome slightly above the old paint surface level. Allow to dry, may take 24 hours and if it's still a bit low then put in another coat and repeat. Polish down the highs, but not too far because you'll expose the edges. The final result should be slightly domed, like a scar.

Thanks! I will let this attempt dry and upload pictures. Perhaps it may be the case I will need multiple attempts to reach the desired level of perfection.

Meanwhile...

1. The least abrasive polishes and compounds I have are Meguiars Ultimate Polish and Ultimate Compound, as well as Griots Garage correcting cream. Would Ultimate Polish work for the leveling stage? Can I use a microfiber towel?
2. How important is it that the vehicle not be driven for the 24 hour period? Maybe this was just my assumption, but is it safe to drive during that period? The only 24 hour time period I have where I don't need to use it is on the weekends. Otherwise I can manage quite easily at least 12 hours in the garage. If I drive it during this period, do I need to wrap it up or tape some sort of paper towel or something around it to protect it?
3. Am I correct in that using the DA polisher when it comes time to paint correction is just going to remove the paint such that I need to tape it up when that gets to that point?

Tip: No need to quote the entire post you're responding to. Just the relevant bits, where necessary.

1. When polishing down I use Gelson T47 or T57 which is a swirl remover and polish so has a very slight abrasive action but also slightly oily so that it provides lubrication because most of the cutting action comes from the cloth. For this I use flannelette. Then just rapid finger motions.

2. Drive it after a couple of minutes if you like. Acrylic paint dries very fast. Probably wouldn't leave it out in the snow overnight...

3. If you've cleaned it with soap and water then Prepsol before applying the touch up and allowed it to fully dry then not much will damage the touch up. Partially dry touch ups can be still soft in the bottom, so be careful of tearing it out initially.