Dr. ColorChip

[Accumulator]

SYMAWD- More of my Autopian Heresy: at some point you might decide "real cars have stonechips" and quit touching `em all up

[rlmccarty2000]

I`m glad someone else has had problems with Dr Colorchip. I worked for days filling and wiping until I gave up. It still looks better than no touch up at all, but not perfect.

[Stokdgs]

I do pretty much as stated above by Accumulator and Stokdgs but I do use SealAct just a bit. Leaving the paint `high` in the chip. Then I use a polishing pad with something like M205 and buff the spot(s) level. So far no marring or scouring.

I even tried using an airbrush. Got a hold of a hole punch and would punch holes on masking tape to surround the chip. Problem is the masking tape wouldn`t cut clean. Left jagged edges `cause of the adhesive. Still working out the airbrush bugs ...

The way to spot in a repair using an air gun say, in the middle of a panel, etc., is to prepare the entire area around the panel by buffing it with compound to flatten and clean it up really nicely, then wiping it down for the last time, and then you "Back Tape" around the repair with paper and masking tape..

If you do this correctly and are good with controlling your gun and the amount of paint in it, no one will ever be able to tell you did it..

Back Tape ---

Get some painters paper if possible, or use something clean and not porous to paint bleed through

Run a length of masking tape down the edge of the paper, leaving equal amount of tape on paper and free.

Now, the most natural thing to do would be to place the tape around the repair and the paper drapes backward around the panel to protect it from overspray, right ?

If you tape and paper around the repair and spray the paint, when you lift the tape off, there will be a definite tape line of paint build up around the repair = a no-no..

Compound it off later ? Really ? No one would want to do that extra step and try to get the paint level...

What you have to do is take the paper with the taped edge, with the tape at the top and the paper hanging down for example, on top of the repair, you tape away from the repair, the paper is hanging down over the repair, then you carefully fold the taped edge UP, so it is now a nice round tape edge, and the paper goes up and over that edge and you use some more tape to hold it backwards over the spot..

Get it ??

If you do this right, you will be able to spray that small spot, and any overspray will hit the rolled up over, tape edge, and when you pull the paper and tape off, there will be no line of paint build up to deal with..

You have to go all around the repair area Back Taping the same way, leaving yourself enough room to work on the repair ..

Of course, it goes without saying that you know how to control your gun so that when your come off of the edge of the repair you are spraying paint on, you gradually release trigger pressure and fan out and away from the repair, so that the paint is not ending in a straight line of paint at the end of the paint stroke..

Did tons of these the same way for years when I was a young kid and then older and working in a couple of Shops.. Never had an issue with this process..

Good luck with your project, if you decide to continue to pursue the airbrush !
Dan F

[Accumulator]

The way to spot in a repair using an air gun say, in the middle of a panel, etc., is....[good detailed explanation]...If you do this right...Of course, it goes without saying that you know how to control your gun .

Heh heh, I did a fair bit of painting with various things back in the day, and there`s zero way I could pull that off now. Probably could`ve have done it to my satisfaction *ever* though I know two painters who can/do (and props to them, they`re *really* good).

IMO some of you guys have a real knack for such stuff that we mere mortals don`t, easy for us [unskilled individuals] to mess stuff up in a huge way so I always think such methods are in the "don`t try this at home, kids!" category.

..Did tons of these the same way for years when I was a young kid and then older and working in a couple of Shops.. Never had an issue with this process..

I bet those tons-of-`em helped contribute to your successs! I remember when Brad B. did something similar on his silver Porsche, and I was impressed as all get out. While the whole idea just gives me the willies, I`d be really interested to hear how this would go for some neophyte...somebody who`d never done it before. Maybe he`d be off to a bodyshop for a Pro`s fix, or maybe it`d turn out great and I`d be eating my words!

[Stokdgs]

Accumulator -
Tks for your comments ..

Lucky for me, was blessed to be around all things automotive since a little kid at my Dad`s shop.
I was always very interested in these things anyway and to be around them and get taught by some really great men certainly helped me to get better at all things mechanical, etc..

For sure, the Body Shop was always more interesting for me because I was fascinated by the processes that took real steel vehicles back then that were wrecked and made new again.

Perhaps it was the smell of lacquer thinner in the morning??? And the real Masters would repair sometimes with melted lead - Lead Finishing - fascinating - but Im sure toxic as heck.. I came away from that learning how to Solder anything and still try to use solder as much as possible in wiring, etc..

You are absolutely correct in that not everyone can do this really well; it takes some talent, a lot of time spent learning, and hopefully being taught by really good people along the way..

There are some really great Painters in the world and I was so blessed to be around a few who taught me and let me learn through my mistakes and figure out how to fix the problem and know now to never do that again..

The key word of the day - every day - Innovation -

You had to figure out how to do this, fix this, undo that, and make it better, find a better solution, and on and on..

No Internet, no Video, no You Tube to watch...

We actually communicated - a lot - and that alone really made the difference and I believe still makes the difference today..

There were steps - levels to go through - Helper, Apprentice, Journeyman, etc...

I loved all that and here now a zillion years later, I still love it... Must be in my genes?
Dan F

[Accumulator]

Stokdgs- Yeah, the scents of thinner/reducer and bondo bring back pleasant memories as well. Eh, I finally decided to get a bit serious about college and never got back into DIYing the cars. I hope I don`t sound like I give up easily, but a lot of this stuff I simply won`t try to DIY. I like to think of it as knowing my limitations

The best paint/body guy I have, who won`t work on my "modern" stuff no matter what I offer to pay, still does lead on most things as opposed to bondo/putty. Speaking of having it in the genes, hopefully his son, who works with him, will keep up with stuff like that. They sure do turn out some amazing work, all out of a little shop on their family farm.

[Stokdgs]

Accumulator ---

Yeah, I know, we all had to get serious - well, more serious, about our life`s ambitions and ultimate goals - grow up, , get higher education, get married, have children, hold all the family together, have grandchildren to love, teach, and spoil, , retire someday, live happily ever after...

Totally on board with recognizing and knowing one`s limitations. Surely, we can see the bar at the current level and take steps to raise it all the time, and we all do this every day..
But we are all much better at some things than others, and I actually like it that way..

This gives us the opportunity to expand our circles and reach out and be reached for; new opportunities to meet and befriend so many awesome people out there... There is so much more to this. I love this stuff !

That Shop you use for some of your projects - that would to me, always be the best place to go.. Small, not a Production Shop, very well versed in the trades, passing on the Skillsets of the Masters to a new generation.. Hard to even find a place like that anymore... You would have to know someone who knows that shop...

Would love to someday be out there on another little farm too..
Dan F

[Accumulator]

Stokdgs- Yeah, you and I are on the same page regarding a whole lotta things.