Advice using Touch-Up paint sticks?

I have a small mark on the front of my car perhaps from a stone while driving. So I bought the Land Rover touch-up paint stick which also comes with the touch-up lacquer.

I choose Fuji White but also with the assumption that the base coat would be white providing an added benefit should marks occur, but the base coat is black so scratches/chips are quite obvious.

The touch-up paint stick is similar to using tipex - brush contained within however difficult to apply consistently to the existing car coat without ending up as a blob of paint resting on the surface.

Any tips on how to use the paint stick would be appreciated? (Should I apply then use a minor abrasive to smooth the paint application, or is the touch-up paint stick the wrong thing to use and perhaps get the aerosol instead?)

Hi Alex,apply the white base coat very carefully into the chip,when it dries it will have sunk in.Then apply 2 coats of laquer with the brush which will protrude,leave for at least 2 days then t-cut it.Hope this helps!

T-Cut it? Meaning?

T-Cut is a propriatory "rouge" type of polish available in the UK, http://www.carbasics.co.uk/what_is_t-cut.htm

Tim - your link takes me to a page with various types of T-cut. Which type of t-cut should I get, assume a non colour fast one (unless there white is similar to the fuji-white).

Best advice I was given about applying touch up paint was not to use the brush.Instead use a cocktail stick to apply the paint into the scratch or chip and it has been good advice to me over the years.

Some hints and tips.

First, use a small artist's brush a couple of mm wide instead of the huge brush which comes with the stick.

Second, stand the paint in a mug of warm (40 - 50 degrees C) water for a few minutes, this will reduce the viscosity and make it easier to work with.

Third, shake it for a few minutes and when your arm is tired, shake it some more. This is essential to mix the paint and the metallic sludge which will gather at the bottom.

Fourth, put some paint - a drop or two from the thick brush - onto a mteal jar lid and a drop of thinners in a separate area to allow you to keep the paint fluid while working by adding a little thinners to the paint. The solvent dries very quickly. Use the lid as an artist's palette.

Fifth, clean the floor of the paint chip with a Q-Tip soaked in alcohol such as vodka. Let it dry before painting.

Lastly, for small chips (let's say < 5mm), there is no need to use the lacquer.

Haven't bought the RR Touch up yet, (3 times back to dealer each time forgot!) But often modern touch ups are applied over-thickly, allowed to semi dry and then they're supplied with a tiny polishing pad used slightly moist to wear down the edges of the soft new paint to make it level with the body paint, sometimes a few coats are applied to build up the level or if you don't leave it long enough the lot comes out! Should be instructions with the stick though.

(22-01-2012 06:24pm)vinny Wrote:  Best advice I was given about applying touch up paint was not to use the brush.Instead use a cocktail stick to apply the paint into the scratch or chip and it has been good advice to me over the years.

+1

I was taught this technique 39 years ago when I started my 1st career in the motor industry (by an ex German POW from the 2nd World war who decided to stay in the UK and who spoke barely any English at all -a lovely chap and an amazing craftsman) .

The principle is to fill the chip hole with tiny blobs of paint without getting any in on the surrounding paint work. I use a dressmakers needle - with practice it can be made virtually invisible too. If you want to be mega fussy you can get a tiny piece of 1200 grit wet n dry paper (you need to find an old fashioned hardware store for this and one sheet will last you a life-time) and gently flat just the touched up area followed by cutting compound (i.e. Tcut or colour restorer) and then polish - clear coat not required. Patience is the name of the game.