Who Hates Doing Paint Touch-up?

[Setec Astronomy]

ME!!!! Man, this never comes out right. The Langka-style blob eliminators seem to be the best way to go, but I can never get past how they sell you a little bottle of lacquer thinner and a plastic card for what, $30? They don`t even give you the "t-shirt" cloth, which is probably harder to get than an old credit card and some thinner.

I`ve used paper towels but that seems to be too rough. I`m going to have to search out some old t-shirts and something to use for the card, I`ve got a jug of reducer. Really not happy with my latest touchup...I brushed and wet sanded...looks like crap (as usual)...gonna have to try to fix it with the Setec Blob Eliminator...

[C. Charles Hahn]

That`s why I prefer doing air brush touch-up, the only problem there is it can be a pain to get color match going on metallics and lighter colors.

[Setec Astronomy]

You air brush for something like a rock chip or a scratch?

[JaredPointer]

I personally fill the chip/scratch to "above level" with several applications over a period of time then wetsand it down and polish it out over various steps. I`ve gotten pretty handy at it. Touched up some chips on my truck that even I have a hard time finding.

[black bart]

After nearly 20 years my ole Explorer had several rock chips on the front of the hood and on the piece between the bumper and grill.
After cleaning and filling with touch-up paint with a very small brush I wet sanded smooth then sprayed both pieces.
After 2 coats of spraying I wet sanded then polished and it came out looking pretty nice.

Takes time to do it right. You need something else to drive so you can leave it parked for a few days.

[C. Charles Hahn]

You air brush for something like a rock chip or a scratch?

Depending on the size and location yeah; if it`s easy enough to hit with Dr. Colorchip or a brush fine, but sometimes if I know it`s going to be tough to blend I`ll put a bit of putty in it, then hit the area with the airbrush.

[richy]

I`ll tell you what I use to get inside the chips or a key mark that works very well without leaving a blob. I use a pointy toothpick. Lightly dab it in the paint and push it into the area and allow it to "wick" down into the crevice. It works well and gets the paint down deep where you want it. It is also easy to control how much paint you apply as well. Try it, you`ll be amazed.

[Bill D]

I`ve use toothpicks as well. An old technique is to shave down the ends of them with a knife until you get the tips very pointy, then dab one in paint, place in on the chip and let capillary action do the rest. I don`t think there any ways to totally eliminate blobs, though. May still have to wet sand. Part of that old procedure is to use a paper hole puncher and punch out circles of wetsanding paepr and glue them to tips of brand new, unsharpened pencils with rubber glue. You can do "pin point" wet sanding on the blob this way. This old technique came from Larry Reynolds of CCS in Jersey back before there were websites for this type of stuff. You can read the original article here (http://store.carcareonline.com/repairpaintchips.aspx)