Touching-up Paintwork

[Ian Vincent]

I am looking for some advice on touching up a small area of paintwork with a rattle can.

A while ago I accidentally scraped something along the rear wing of my TR3a and made a small scratch about an inch long and 1/2" wide.  It was only shallow so I tried rubbing it down with 1200 wet and dry and using polishing compound but unfortunately although the scratch has now been removed the paint film is now thin enough for the primer underneath to show through as a lighter area.  The top coat is BRG over a grey primer.

I can get a rattle can of the correct colour paint but not having used these things for a while, do I need to prime the area before I paint it or will it be OK just to lightly abrade the area after removing any polish and spray over it with the final colour coat.  I'm hoping that the original paint hasn't faded significantly and the rattle can is a good match.

And for abrading the area, should I be using 600 or 1200 grit paper?

Rgds Ian

[Hamish]

Ian

i had a human error brain fade and left a thinners damp paper towel on the inner wing and it bubbled up to the bare metal. 
 

I flatted the edges and just built up ordinary primer and 1200 flatted back until there was no edge visible. 
I did the same with a good quality 2k mixed by a local auto paint supplier. I flatted this with 1200 to start more paint more flatting then a final flat a much wider area into the original paint with 2000 this is then polish-able eg T cut then a finesse polish. 

this was the first painting for years !! The new aerosols are very good flat blade type projection 

very pleased with the result. 

Edited March 7, 2021 by Hamish

[trchris]

Hi Ian

If theres still some top coat covering the primer I would compound at least twice the area size then fade in the top coat over the damaged area theres no need to use primer  

Chris

[stuart]

20 hours ago, trchris said:

Hi Ian

If theres still some top coat covering the primer I would compound at least twice the area size then fade in the top coat over the damaged area theres no need to use primer  

Chris

I would go with that too if cellulose, if 2K then you would need some fadeout thinner to allow it to blend back in with the surrounding area.

Stuart.

[Ian Vincent]

Thanks for the replies gents.

For the uninitiated, what is fade out thinner please?

Rgds Ian

[Hamish]

8 hours ago, Ian Vincent said:

Thanks for the replies gents.

For the uninitiated, what is fade out thinner please?

Rgds Ian

Not something to worry about Ian with a rattle can which is premixed. 
 

but it’s a Bodyshop product designed to aid the blending in of colour paint but more commonly clear coat into a panel were only a small repair patch had been done. 
 

it’s a labour saving product as you can get the same results with wet fine flatting. 
 

as a diy’er I’d build up the colour coat a lot, this will allow you to superfine wet flat ( with a little detergent in the water) the colour to a very smooth finish before without too much fear of hitting the primer before final polishing. 
 

I found the modern cans have very good nozzles for a longer flat spray pattern which helps. 

[Ian Vincent]

Thks Hamish. 

[stuart]

2 hours ago, Hamish said:

Not something to worry about Ian with a rattle can which is premixed. 
 

but it’s a Bodyshop product designed to aid the blending in of colour paint but more commonly clear coat into a panel were only a small repair patch had been done. 
 

it’s a labour saving product as you can get the same results with wet fine flatting. 
 

as a diy’er I’d build up the colour coat a lot, this will allow you to superfine wet flat ( with a little detergent in the water) the colour to a very smooth finish before without too much fear of hitting the primer before final polishing. 
 

I found the modern cans have very good nozzles for a longer flat spray pattern which helps. 

Not strictly correct, if you dont use fadeout thinners (Its actually a very strong thinner usually found in an aerosol) on solid colour 2k then its probable you will end up with a "Ring" around the edge of the new paint as once 2K has gone off then fresh paint on top doesnt blend into it like it would with cellulose.

Stuart.

[Hamish]

1 hour ago, stuart said:

Not strictly correct, if you dont use fadeout thinners (Its actually a very strong thinner usually found in an aerosol) on solid colour 2k then its probable you will end up with a "Ring" around the edge of the new paint as once 2K has gone off then fresh paint on top doesnt blend into it like it would with cellulose.

Stuart.

Thanks Stuart