Using "touch up" paint--advice please!

[Pickles]

Our devil yellow GTO has now travelled 26000ks, as a consequence of which we've "scored" a few stone chips, none of which are really noticeable apart from one, about one eighth of an inch round, adjacent to the fog light, where the undercoat is black, instead of grey.
As we've got the small tin of touch up paint that came with the car, I thought I might try to "touch up" this stone chip.
So, as I'm not over endowed with ability with these sorts of things, I thought I might get a few clues from you guys!
1. Type & size of brush.
2. Do I use the paint sparingly--ie, should I use as little as possible.
3. How do I apply the paint--just "dab" it on gently in the centre of the chip-I've been told the paint will "spread out".
As I've said, it's only this one, eighth inch chip, which is noticeable, by me anyway, so any advice would be appreciated.
Cheers, Pickles.

[NewVLT]

1. Go to an art supplies store, or hobby shop, and get something like a "0" or "1" pointed brush.
2. Dob a small amount of paint in the middle of each chip and try to "fill in" the chipped area up to the existing paint edges rather than cover it. Resting the side of your brush hand on the car while doing it also helps with accuracy. With brushes that small you can genlty move the paint around until it fills the chip.
3. If the paint has covered the chipped area but it still looks recessed, come back the next day and do it again.

Works well once you get your eye in.

[PBoB]

Spot on mate. Take the time to do it correctly and accurately otherwise it'll look worse than it does now if you rush it.

[SteveK]

I've been meaning to ask this question too as I have a nice chunk missing from the front lower bumper where someone backed into me in the back streets of richmond with a tow-bar. I'm off to get a brush this weekend.

S.

[chris]

The best way to touch up stone chips is electrical wire.Strip the wire out of it and dip it in the paint and dab on the chip.
chris

[max350]

Most touch ups I have seen look worse after doing than they did before. I also have a few stone chips on my Monaro that I am going to leave alone rather than make them more obvious with bodgy touch ups.

[CSP]

Get a quote on a front end re-spray... Front bar, front of bonnet blended back and front of quarter pannels blended back... Should be less than $1000 and will be better than new when done!

[El Narros]

For those with black cars, use a texta.

[XLR8 V8]

Autopia has a nice tutorial on chip and scratch repair

http://autopia.org/forum/guide-detailing/80224-paint-clinic.html

[6LS2]

Are you going to wetsand after using the touch up paint.. or just leave it?

[seldo]

Pickles I've done lots of touch-ups and I've always found the best way is to just shake the can properly to ensure a good mix and then just dip the end of a match into the residue in the paint lid and then fill the centre of the chip very gently. Don't try to paint over the edges but just work from the centre out to the edges of the "cavity". Several coats 5 minutes apart is fine until it is actually a bit proud of the cavity and then, after it's had a day to dry, it can be sanded back with 1200 and then compounded and polished. By using paint from the lid the paint also tends to thicken a bit as the thinners evaporates away and makes it much better at filling the cavity. You need to build it up proud of the cavity so that it can be cut back to be flat afterwards, and also remember that it shrinks as it dries.
Hope that helps :)

[Ausmartin1]

Also get auto paint thinners !

The paint may dry up too quick and you may need a little thinners to make it runny again.

Regards !!

[Pickles]

Pickles I've done lots of touch-ups and I've always found the best way is to just shake the can properly to ensure a good mix and then just dip the end of a match into the residue in the paint lid and then fill the centre of the chip very gently. Don't try to paint over the edges but just work from the centre out to the edges of the "cavity". Several coats 5 minutes apart is fine until it is actually a bit proud of the cavity and then, after it's had a day to dry, it can be sanded back with 1200 and then compounded and polished. By using paint from the lid the paint also tends to thicken a bit as the thinners evaporates away and makes it much better at filling the cavity. You need to build it up proud of the cavity so that it can be cut back to be flat afterwards, and also remember that it shrinks as it dries.
Hope that helps :)
Thanks guys, & particularly Seldo. Seldo, so what you're saying is several 'dabs from the centre will do the job, as the paint will "spread" over the chip by itself--even if the chip is on the front of the bar-ie facing me, so the paint will have to spread "upwards" if that doesn't sound too stupid!
Cheers, Pickles.

[Devil CV8]

have a read of that autopia website that xlr8 v8 posted. some excellent advice, including using a toothpick to apply the touchup paint.

[BLACK 346]

Most touch ups I have seen look worse after doing than they did before. I also have a few stone chips on my Monaro that I am going to leave alone rather than make them more obvious with bodgy touch ups.

If their are only a few and you know what you are doing you cannot even notice them, but
if you don't or they are numerous they will look like a dogs dinner.


Get a quote on a front end re-spray... Front bar, front of bonnet blended back and front of quarter pannels blended back... Should be less than $1000 and will be better than new when done!

Yep, $800 for a full front end respray, but unfortunately even that
ends up with chips eventually, no matter how careful you are
(including religious use of a car bra). Still worthwhile every few
years though, keeps your car looking smick.

[seldo]

Thanks guys, & particularly Seldo. Seldo, so what you're saying is several 'dabs from the centre will do the job, as the paint will "spread" over the chip by itself--even if the chip is on the front of the bar-ie facing me, so the paint will have to spread "upwards" if that doesn't sound too stupid!
Cheers, Pickles.It won't spread by magic, so you'll have to take it to the edge, but the important thing is to not take past the edge onto the un-chipped paint beside it. You'll soon get the idea once you start and you see how it all responds. But don't expect to do it all in a moment - you have to come back to it several times.