Bumper paint repair, strange results (pic)

[D. Tail]

Hey Dan, this helps a lot! This is probably a really naive question (ties in with my posting above), but if I scuff up the area and then back tape, won`t there be small parts that get scuffed up but that won`t be reached by base coat and clear coat? I guess I am worried that I will either a) scuff up something that won`t get paint or b) apply paint to an area that isn`t scuffed up.

Edit: Oh, wait. Let me try to answer my own question. The scuffing only affects the surface of the clear coat. So what I do is I scuff up a generous area, but I only apply base coat to a smaller area within that (using the back taping or then blending technique). Then I apply clear coat to the whole area that I scuffed, so that everything is nice and shiny again. Did I get that right?

[Stokdgs]

D. Tail,
I am glad to help !
To answer your question - You will want to to Back Tape far enough away so that everything that needs painting gets painted...
You will always want to keep the work as small as possible and dont go crazy scuffing everywhere when its not needed..

Just do all the Prep work first, then look at the panel, and plan on Back Taping far enough from the work so everything gets a nice, uniform, level, amount of paint.
Yes, some paint will land on good panel parts, but that`s ok because you are going to lightly compound over the entire area when its all dried and cured, and that will remove any paint that landed where it didnt need to land..

You will always want to Back Tape around the area that needs that, and then if you want to mask further around the panel to keep any paint off say the glass, etc., go do those places too...
I would always Mask over any adjoining panels to insure they don`t accidentally get hit with some overspray...

It`s not as critical with a paint can as it was with a paint gun under pressure..

I think you are getting this and that is great !!
Good Luck !!!
Dan F

[D. Tail]

Fantastic, thanks so much! I am going to do this in the next problem area and once I have a good grasp of it go back and repair the area with the tape lines. The good news is that I have all the time in the world to play around. No major rush to get it done. If I end up using an extra can of paint or two, that`s totally worth the learning experience. I will report back how it goes.

[Stokdgs]

Hey Dan, this helps a lot! This is probably a really naive question (ties in with my posting above), but if I scuff up the area and then back tape, won`t there be small parts that get scuffed up but that won`t be reached by base coat and clear coat? I guess I am worried that I will either a) scuff up something that won`t get paint or b) apply paint to an area that isn`t scuffed up.

Sorry, I didnt answer all your questions --

There will always be an area around the spot you are painting that will get some paint, so just clean all the area around there really good, so that if it is needed to help Blend the new color with the old color, it might work ok..

The way we Painters used to do this was to get the color as close a match as humanly possible, then spray enough paint on the primed, spot, etc., then thin down the paint and start extending the spray pattern farther away from the now painted primed spot, so that the color was now mixing with an area farther out from the original spot, so that the color did not just all of a sudden, look a little different than the rest of the panel..

Now, when you come to the end of applying paint to the panel, stroke, you want to move the paint can or gun slightly away from the spot so that you dont leave a solid line of paint at the end of the stroke..
Its called Feathering the paint at the end of the stroke, and you need to do this in both directions left and right and if you paint up and down, then you need to Feather there too..

Dan F

[JSFM35X]

Where do you find such a guy?

Know nothing about this product but I do know it`s easy to find professionals who will do this the right way for around $100. Sometimes that`s the best option. The guy we use does great work on-site and is completely self contained. Most often you could never tell anything was done. It`s cheap, it`s easy, it`s peace of mind, and it`s guaranteed.

[MooreImpressive]

Here in Indy we use a guy that does several of the new car dealers. He does 2 things mostly. Regular paint touch up (brush touching), and minor scuff and scratch repair. Occasionally we`ll have him paint a door handle or pillar but mostly it`s bumper scrapes and scratches that can`t be sanded and removed. He does the same thing a body shop does. Uses a DA to sand the area, then primes and paints. He is very good at blending so you would never guess the area has been fixed. He has a van with all of the equipment like paint guns, air compressor, generator, and also has his own PPG paints that he uses a PPG app on his phone to get the exact mix for, then weighs it on a scale on a drop to drop basis, exactly like a body shop paint room does. This is real base clear, not single stage, so you can still sand it afterwards to get it as smooth as you want but he is good enough that he lays it down very smooth already. He charges around $40 for a full vehicle touch up and between $100-150 for doing the sand/prime/color/clear jobs like OP is doing, and yes this often includes body filler. Makes no sense to try to do it yourself if you have never tried it and are expecting great results, not for those prices.

Far as where to find a person like that, nearly all dealerships that don`t have a body shop have to use a person like this, so just go ask a few of them. Most often the same guy will do several dealers in the same area. Shouldn`t be hard to find, just make sure they are legitimate. The dealership would probably show you some things he fixed for them.

[D. Tail]

Well, if I tried that in my area, I`d see quotes of many hundred dollars, if not a thousand. $300 for the bumper, $300 for the door panel...you get the idea. I don`t mind paying good money for good work, but I`ll save that money for something I don`t want to try myself.

Thanks again, everyone, this thread has been extremely helpful!

[D. Tail]

One more small question: What grit sandpaper is best to make clear coat stick without leaving visible scratches? I`m reading everything fromm 600 to 2000.

[davidc]

I saw a East wood video where the guy used something like a scotch pad doing a touch up so you may go to their site. He said you can get them there.
Eastwood.com

Dave

[davidc]

It may have been these sponges but they are cheap enough to get the 800-1000 and the 1200-1500. I personally would try the 800-1000.
http://www.eastwood.com/autobody/sandpaper.html

Dave

[Stokdgs]

D. Tail -
The higher the number, the finer the grit..
We used to scuff everything with 600 wet or dry paper, we used it wet. and then compounded everything out..

I have seen people use those scotch brite pads in the quickie paint shops like Maaco, etc..,
They are just doing as little as possible to get paint on the car and dont care if it lasts longer than a year or not..

You can use what you want, anything may require some compounding to remove any marks, or overspray, etc., anyway, but I would always get at least 600 or higher..
Good luck !
Dan F

[D. Tail]

Okay, thanks. When I`m doing back taping, should I apply primer, base coat, and clear coat all while the tape is on, or should I remove the tape before applying the clear coat? My understanding is that if clear coat hits an area that doesn`t have fresh paint or is otherwise prepared, it would stick well but it won`t do any harm. Is that correct?

Edit: Oh, and Dan, one other question. Above you said,

Just do all the Prep work first, then look at the panel, and plan on Back Taping far enough from the work so everything gets a nice, uniform, level, amount of paint.
Yes, some paint will land on good panel parts, but that`s ok because you are going to lightly compound over the entire area when its all dried and cured, and that will remove any paint that landed where it didnt need to land..

You mean I compound between base and clear coat, immediately after the base coat is done flashing? Otherwise, once the clear coat is on, the paint is sealed in and the compounding wouldn`t affect anything at the paint level, would it?

[davidc]

You apply primer to fill the defect a little. do not get it flush. Wet sand primer so it is only filling. Apply color as near to level as the final clear will fill what is left. I would mask around where the primer is going as you will wet sand until only the defect is primered. Back tape where the color will go. Let the clear coat fill the rest. Back tape slightly past the color to do the clear. If you are using a gun (Large area) or an air brush (I usually use this because it is usually a small area you can mix the clear 10 parts reducer to 1 part clear and start dusting (it will be very wet so be careful) into the back taping. If using Lacquer ( my preference) it will dry quickly. Then you can wet sand and buff but remember to use a mild compound or you may buff right thru everything as touch ups are thinner mainly just he nature of the beast. Remember you only want the primer to give the color something to adhere to. If the defect only made it to the primer but not thru it you can skip the primer all together. Clean the area well with wax and grease remover and wipe with a tack rag before applying any paint (removes dust).

Dave

[davidc]

No compounding till done, keep area clean

Dave

[davidc]

Just a side note. If you are going to play with paint and touch ups you need to get one of these. It is a invaluable tool and mine is 30+ years old with all the original parts. Plus it is made in U S A.
Amazon.com - Badger Air-Brush Co 150-7 Professional Airbrush Set - Hobby Modeling Painting Tools
It will make your life a lot easier than a rattle can and you can do more precise work. You can get a small oil less compressor for air supply. I have a 60 gallon 5 hp from the 80`s when I was painting cars with full sized guns and pressure pots.

Dave