How to Touch up Scratches on Your Car

Опубликовал Admin
29-09-2016, 09:15
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You can repair an unsightly scratch yourself, or pay someone to do it for you. If you're willing to invest the time and care, you can do a professional job yourself by following these steps.

Steps

  1. Shop for paint that matches your car's color exactly. Look in the owner's manual for a factory paint code. If you can't find it there, try asking your dealer or the local auto parts store. Buy a bottle of touch-up paint at that store.
  2. Go to an art store and buy a small artist's paintbrush (#2 is a good size). Don't use the fat brush that comes with the touch-up paint. It's too big for the detailing work you'll need to do on the scratch.
  3. Test the touch-up paint on an inconspicuous area of your car. You want to make sure the paint matches. Even if you got the factory paint code, your car's color may have lightened from exposure to sun, and you might need a lighter shade. You don't want to wait to find out the hard way after putting the paint over your scratch that the paint doesn't match!
  4. Clean the scratched area gently but thoroughly. Use a cloth and mild soap and water. When you fill in the scratch, you don't want to seal any dirt in there. You also don't want to seal up any moisture, so make sure to let the spot dry completely before proceeding to the next step. It's recommended that you do this the day before fixing the scratch, so the car can dry overnight.
  5. Spray degreaser onto a rag and apply it to the scratched area. This will remove any grease or wax in the spot.
  6. Check if the scratch has any loose edges. Run a toothpick along the edges, and if there is any loose paint, push it off with the toothpick.
  7. Smooth the scratch with sandpaper. If the scratch is small, you can make a sanding pencil by hole-punching a dot out of 1200-grit wet and dry sandpaper and gluing it to a pencil eraser with rubber cement. Allow this to dry overnight before using. Right before using this sanding pencil, dip it into water and gently rotate the sanding pencil over the scratch.
  8. Clean the area of with denatured alcohol and a foam swab.
  9. Apply primer if metal is exposed. Dip the tip of a toothpick in the primer, then apply to the center of the scratch or chip, allowing the primer to fill in the exposed metal. Use a small enough amount of primer so that it doesn't overflow the sides of the scratch or chip. Allow to dry for two to three hours.
    • You may also want to apply polishing compound.
  10. Apply the touch-up paint with a #2 paintbrush. Again, apply a small amount. Allow to dry for two to three hours, then repeat until the scratch is filled. When you're done, the paint should only slightly overfill into the area surrounding the scratch. Allow to dry for at least 24 hours.
  11. Use 2000- or 2500-grit paper and a sanding block to level the scratch.
  12. Buff the area with a good polish.

Tips

  • Remove watches and rings if possible to prevent incidental scratching.
  • Remember to always use a 100% pure cotton towel or microfiber towel. Otherwise, you will scratch your paint even more.
  • Do it under shade, not under direct sunlight.

Things You'll Need

  • Cloth
  • Soapy water
  • Sandpaper
  • Artist's #2 brush
  • Paint that matches your car
  • Primer
  • Polishing compound
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