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Okay, gurus. I need to touch up a few rock dings on the bonnet, bumper, mirror caps, etc. I got the factory touch up kits the other day.
Now, in the past with other cars, rather than deal with those stupid brushes that come with the touch-up paint, I would take a pin, dip the head of it into the paint, and then lightly apply to the car by one, simple touch. I'd reapply with a new pin if needed and used a new pin for every chip. The amount of paint is about the right amount for a rock ding, it seemed to flow right into the chip itself, and it not "spill" over the edges of the hole.
I'm not planning on messing with the clear coat application that comes with the kit. Probably just give it a good coat of wax after the paint has cured for a day or so.
Any other methods that you all have tried and liked? Thoughts? Ideas? Arguments? Comments?
Discuss and thanks!
__________________ MMC#127 Adam Ferguson
02 CR/W MC
I just had a rock hit me on hwy 40 the other day that left a nice little bonnet chip. I think I stared at it in disbelief for about 20 minutes.
I've been looking around for the same info that you are and I found a *great* writeup at BetterCarCare.Com
It goes through all of the tools that you need (quite a bit more that I would have thought) as well as the step-by-step process. It all seems fairly easy and do-able except for the last part (Level and Buff). The final step is to "sand" the touched up paint with a Sanding Block and then polish it out. It makes sense in that you need to level out the "blob" of touchup paint. Yet, I just don't know if I'm going to be able to bring myself to rub a sanding block over my bonnet. *Very Scary*
Check the article out and let me know what you think!
The sanding part is not really that bad. (Ok, just a little scary) Just get the 1500 or 2000 grit sandpaper. Be sure to use it wet. It's very fine. Almost like rubbing notebook paper on your finish. The marring it leaves is easily buffed off with a swirl mark remover in a few minutes. Even by hand.
TIP: if you want to take the sissy way out (just kidding) try this: Substitute the sandpaper for a light abrasive like a gentle polishing compound. I like to use 3M Finesse It II. (This is VERY fine. It's not a gritty rubbing compound like the Turtle Wax junk) Take a thin, smooth cloth. I like to use a sheet or pillow case material. It has a smooth, thin texture. Then get something to use as a "sanding block" so to speak. I like to use a rubber art erasor. They are flat and relatively hard, but conform to the curves of the sheetmetal. The plastic Bondo spreaders are also good. Take this and wrap in a couple times with the cloth. Saturate the cloth with the compound or abrasive you choose. Now rub the dried blob of paint back and forth until you flatten it. It takes longer than sanding but it will work reasonably well. And it's safe.
Another TIP: I get my touch up brushes from the art supply store. Artists brushes come in different sizes and shapes to match the chip and hold the paint better. I have 5-6 different brushes. All of them are MUCH smaller than the standard brush that comes in the bottle cap. Those things are useless! Clean them out with alcohol.
__________________ Bloomquist Garage! '04 PW Mini Cooper S....Gone but still here in spirit! My Other Rides.
...The marring it leaves is easily buffed off with a swirl mark remover in a few minutes. Even by hand....
Well, I guess it doesn't sound that bad. I'll try it out on a shelf in my garage first. What swirl mark removers have you had the best experience with?
fwiw, I've heard lots of good stuff about this product on various sports car boards. I bought some but haven't tried it yet (no chip big enough to fuss about... yet!).
My far the best swirl mark remover is 3M Swirl Mark Remover. Choose the light or dark based on your paint color. It's the same formula with a different pigment tint base.
I have Langka as well. The instructions I gave previously is exactly the same thing they tell you to do with Langka and will produce exactly the same results.
__________________ Bloomquist Garage! '04 PW Mini Cooper S....Gone but still here in spirit! My Other Rides.
I do the 2000 grit sandpaper wet sand regularly. Until you get the hang of it:
1. Wet surface
2. Do 5-10 strokes
3. Rinse with plenty of water
4. Dry
5. Examine
6. Repeat
The first time you do this, you will probably have step 7: Freak out. Don't worry. The scratch remover will buff all of the haze out with a few minutes of hand work (I use Meguiars Scratch-X and a cheap cotton wax applicator).
the touched up paint with a Sanding Block and then polish it out. It makes sense in that you need to level out the "blob" of touchup paint. Yet, I just don't know if I'm going to be able to bring myself to rub a sanding block over my bonnet. *Very Scary* 
