How to Apply Car Touch-Up Paint

On occasions when you need to use car touch up paint on a small nick on your vehicle, you will need to know exactly how to apply it correctly for the best coverage and effect. Leaving an obvious spot of paint that looks as though it has been touched up will probably not result in the finish you are hoping for, so use some careful techniques to retain the showroom condition of the paint of your vehicle.

Step 1 – Cleaning

Locate all and any or all of the paint chips on your vehicle, and clean the areas with a gentle solution of detergent and water. Wipe the areas clean, and then dry them with a lint-free cloth. If the chips are displaying obvious signs that metal is showing, you may see signs of slight oxidization. If this is so, use cola and aluminum foil to clean off the rusting from the areas and rejuvenate the metal.

Step 2 – Touch up Paint

Determine what kind of corrective paint your vehicle needs. You can do this by going to an auto shop or store and getting the right kind of paint for the make and model of your vehicle. Touch-up paint usually comes in a sort of pencil form or small tube with a nib or tiny brush applicator.

Step 3 – Surrounding Areas

Use the wet/dry fine grade sandpaper to gently rub the area and smooth out any slight lips caused between the metal and the paint. Wet the sandpaper and use it for a smooth finish just around the area of the chipped paint. Once you have achieved a smooth finish, you can wipe the areas dry with the cloth.

Step 4 – First Coat

Depending on the size of the area of the missing paint it may be necessary to add just a tiny little amount of solvent to the paint. Make sure it is a solvent compatible with auto paint and thin it out just a little. Then apply a coating of the touch up paint. Make it a thin coat to start with and then let it dry completely.

Step 5 – Painting

Build up the coats gradually, one at a time and let each coat dry. Continue applying a thin layer of paint until you have an exact and smooth match with the top level of the rest of the paint on the vehicle.

Wet the sandpaper again. Then, smooth over the paint top coat gently until it blends with the rest, and then dry it. You may need to add a thin coat of lacquer depending on the make of car you have and the paint used.

Step 6 – Finishing

Once the painting is complete and dry and you have wiped it down, apply a coat of wax polish to the area and surrounding area to polish and shine it up. Use a light buffer for a better shine.