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1. At least 24 hours before you want to start, use the rubber glue to
attach small 600 grit sandpaper circles (the diameter of the eraser)
onto several new pencils. The eraser must be unused and flat on top.
2. Step #1: Wash the car with a quality car wash and dry thoroughly.
3. Paint chips come in two flavors. The worst case has exposed the
bare metal, while the less severe has left the original primer intact.
Clean the area thoroughly with the or P21S or Wurth citrus cleaner. If
there is rust on the exposed metal, clean off with the pencil eraser.
Use a toothpick to gently probe the area and make sure that the edges
of the chip are secure and not waiting to fall off and destroy your
work. This is an optional step. If you do not feel comfortable with
sanding, you may jump to step 5. Take a new pencil/sandpaper tool, dip
into clean water and put a few drops of water on the chip area.
*SLIGHTLY* rough up the chip and a small portion of the surrounding
paint. Lightly turning the pencil will rough up an area the diameter
of the eraser and this should be more than enough. Keep the roughed up
area as small as possible, the object is to give the new paint
approximately 1 mm of old paint to "grab" around the perimeter of the
chip and not dig scratches. This step may be eliminated if you are
uncomfortable with sandpaper around your paint. It will help the new
paint adhere, but is not essential.
4. Move onto the next chip and repeat the above. Depending upon the
amount of time available, you may wish to tackle 10-20 chips at one
time. Try to stay within the area that may be covered by your box(es).
5. When finished sanding all your chips you are tackling at this time
apply a small amount of Alcohol or Prepsol or Enamel Reducer to a rag
and wipe each chip and surrounding area to remove any sanding dust and
grease/oils. Use additional solvent and new area of the rag for each
chip. Allow to dry (these are highly volatile and will evaporate
quickly with no residue).
6. If the original primer is intact, and "pencil sanding" does not
disturb the primer, then skip the next step and go directly to
painting (# 9)
7. Make sure that the chip and surrounding area is clean. If not,
re-clean with the Prepsol, Alcohol or Enamel Reducer. Pour or spray a
small amount of primer into a clean plastic cup. Dip the point of a
wooden toothpick into the primer to get a thin coating on the first
1-2 mm of the toothpick. If there is a blob on the end, gently scrape
it back into the cup. Place the tip of the toothpick against the
center of the chip and allow capillary action to literally flow a
*THIN* coat of the primer into the depression of the chip. Move onto
the next prepared chip. If you have finished priming all your prepared
chips before two hours are up, cover with a box, taped down with
masking tape and go have a beer. The key is to allow the first coat of
primer to dry at least two hours. Dispose of your cup and start with a
fresh cup and toothpick. Apply another thin coat of primer to each
repair that needs primer. Priming is completed when no metal is
visible and the level of the primer is *BELOW* the level of the
surrounding paint. This is important! Cover and allow to dry for two
hours or until dry.
8. Apply a small amount of Alcohol or Prepsol or Enamel Reducer to a
rag and wipe the chip and surrounding area to remove any sanding dust
and grease/oils. Allow to dry. Repeat for all the chips that are on
today's list of victims.
9. If you are using a touchup, shake the bottle thoroughly. If you are
using color matched paint, mix thoroughly and pour a small amount into
a clean plastic cup.
10. Dip the point of a new toothpick into the paint to get a thin
coating on the first 1-2 mm of the toothpick. If there is a blob on
the end, gently scrape it back into the bottle. Place the tip of the
toothpick against the center of the chip and allow capillary action to
literally flow the paint into the depression of the chip. Repeat for
each chip. The key is not to use too much paint. Do not re-dip the
toothpick. Use only the amount that will flow from one dip. Temptation
to add more paint with each application will be almost overwhelming.
Fight it!
11. Cover with your paint box and allow to dry 2 hours and repeat 8-12
times till the depression is filled with paint and bulges slightly
upward and covers the roughed up area with a thin coating of paint.
The first 2-3 coats may not completely hide the primer. This is fine
because you have many more coats to go. Fight that urge!
13. The paint application is completed when the new paint bulges
slightly upward (a fraction of a millimeter) and had covered the
roughed up area with a thin coat of new paint. Allow the paint to dry
for at least a week.
14. The touchup paint has been applied to the surface and allowed to
dry for at least 1 week, and resembles a minute mound ( __o__ ) (this
is exaggerated) on the flat plane of the existing paint. The object is
to remove the mound and make the surface of the paint one continuous
flat plane. The Finesse Block offers the ability to gently remove only
the high spot of the repair. Unlike sandpaper or polish on a rag, the
five usable sides of the block are flat and act like a "wood plane" to
remove only the elevated areas of the repair. The 2000 grit will not
leave scratches.
15. Soak the Finesse Block in clean water for 24 hours prior to use.
Put a small drop of car wash on the chip repair. This acts as a
lubricant for the sanding block. Then gently "plane" the high spot on
the paint. I prefer to "plane" in one direction (usually back to front
- drawing the block towards me). If the block dries out, re-wet and
continue use. When the new and existing paints are blended (smoothed
to the flat plane) to your satisfaction, clean the area using a
quality car wash and lots of water and then use a quality glaze to
restore the high gloss finish. I prefer 3M Imperial Hand Glaze. Don't
use a machine on your car, as it deserves to be caressed by hand. Use
a machine on your Yugo or SO.
16. When applying either a glaze or a wax, apply to your soft cotton
cloth or applicator pad (don't squirt the stuff on the car) and work
in one direction only. Don't go around in circles like dear of dad .
Circles are many times the cause of "swirl marks." A front-to-back,
back-to-front motion (the way the air flows over the car) will help
minimize swirl marks or at least make them less visible. Buff out with
a soft cotton cloth. If it looks good, wax with a quality hard wax and
you are done.
17. Tip for applying wax. If you are using a quality carnauba based
wax, try applying it with your fingers instead of a pad or cloth. Hold
your fingers together and use your finger tips as an applicator pad.
The tactile feedback from your fingers will tell you when the wax has
been worked into the paint. If grit should lodge under your fingers,
you will know immediately and not grind it into the paint. A pad will
not allow this tactile feedback and these devil grits become
sandpaper. A circular motion of the pad will make a 360 degree swirl
mark. All marks on paint are most visible at a 90 degree viewing
angle. Thus the front to back marks are most visible from the sides,
whereas a circle stands out from any viewing angle.
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