What's the best method for smoothing down touch up paint?

[MerlintheMad]

Post title says it all. I would like to get rid of the little ridges of touch up paint, bring them down to the surface of the original paint. Any expert, experienced advice will be appreciated.

 

[DaJackson]

Wet sand.

Also a kit like Dr ColorChip does a better job at touching up paint than paint pens.

 

[MerlintheMad]

Wet sand.

Also a kit like Dr ColorChip does a better job at touching up paint than paint pens.

Do you mean wet and dry sandpaper used wet?

 

[DaJackson]

Do you mean wet and dry sandpaper used wet?

Yes get 2000 grit, get the area and sandpaper wet, rub to smooth the area, buff with polish and wax.

Be careful not to cut through the clear coat though. If you’ve never done this before I wouldn’t suggest learning on your car.

 

[MerlintheMad]

Inside the trunk area, on a very small spot, might be a good place to practice. I've already dobbed some touch up on the "real" paint, in a selected out of the way area. I'll leave it to dry overnight and try the wet sand tomorrow. I think I have some buffing polish around here somewhere ...

 

[MerlintheMad]

Well, not making progress on this so far. I let the touch up paint dry overnight. Sanded very lightly with wet 2000 grit. It dulled the surrounding area, of course. But the silky silver touch up paint spots turned dark, darker as the touch ups neared the surface. Damn! I thought, maybe a buffing compound would lighten the darkness. It didn't. But it did eradicate the lightly abused areas caused by the sanding. So, no damage that way. I still haven't any ideas on how to bring down the "ridges" of touch up paint so that they don't stick up like boogers.

 

[mldavis2]

I like to dry-brush the spots with a very thin layer of paint -- twice or more. Then finish with clear coat. I try to let the paint (very thin) flow against the edges but not over them. Make sure your paint is not too thick.

 

[MerlintheMad]

Tricky, but sounds effective. How to get the paint out of the touch up pen? A bottle of the stuff would be best. But a bottle of touch up color wasn't offered. How do I get one?

 

[AV8R]

Tricky, but sounds effective. How to get the paint out of the touch up pen? A bottle of the stuff would be best. But a bottle of touch up color wasn't offered. How do I get one?

Search eBay Kia touch up paint, you get two bottles ...one base coat and one clear coat both come with a brush looks like nail polish bottle.
Silky silver paint code is 4SS. from eBay

KIA OE Brush&Pen Touch Up Paint Color Code : 4SS - Silky Silver Metallic
It’s both pen and brush in one.

 

[MerlintheMad]

Search eBay Kia touch up paint, you get two bottles ...one base coat and one clear coat both come with a brush looks like nail polish bottle.
Silky silver paint code is Silky Silver. from eBay

KIA OE Brush&Pen Touch Up Paint Color Code : Silky Silver - Silky Silver Metallic
It’s both pen and brush in one.

Wow! Thanks for that. You even found it for me. 4SS is my color for sure. I've ordered one directly from the link you provided. What a great forum.

 

[AV8R]

Wow! Thanks for that. You even found it for me. Silky Silver is my color for sure. I've ordered one directly from the link you provided. What a great forum.

Your family mate, that’s what we do! My pleasure

 

[MerlintheMad]

I have had some success. I tried some rubbing compound. And of course the Instructions say to use a circular rubbing motion. Duh! My darkened touch ups had received motions along the direction of the applied paint to the scratches. So after retouching up, I first of all shaved off the tops of the paint "boogers" down as close to the surface as I dared approach. Then I went to work in a "circular motion" and voila! the touch ups virtually disappeared. Amazing! It almost looked miraculous. I then redid the buffing compound treatment, which knocked back the scuffing of the surrounding clear coat. Now I need to apply polish and either wax or a clear coat to the area. I'm satisfied.

However, when I went to work on the palpable ding near the right headlight, I did a stupid thing. Expecting the touch up to "disappear" like the scratches, I kept on circularly working with the wet sandpaper, and indeed, the vanishing was taking place: until it stopped: and instead I was noticing the accumulation of what I took for sanding deposits of black in the water. This accumulated more until suddenly I realized that I was looking at the surface of the fender!? Damn!! I had rubbed right through to the black. Oh, well!!! I applied more touch up paint and walked away. Crap!!!! Now, I get to go back out there and try to blend in the touch up the best I can. There's no way it's going to look as good as the scratches over the LR fender. *sigh* But I can try.

 

[MerlintheMad]

*sigh*. I guess that overnight isn't long enough to knock back a larger or more acutely placed touch up. I rubbed with the wet sandpaper, and rubbed right through it, aaagain, trying to get it to "disappear" (I didn't go right through to the black this time, at least). So ended up putting more touch up on . Now I wait. For how long, Oh Lord? How long? I think that this time I will try to be patient for at least 48 hours; so, Saturday morning at the earliest, before I go to work with the sandpaper again. Any polishing, waxing and clear coating will have to hold off till then.

 

[DaJackson]

Be careful not to cut through the clear coat though. If you’ve never done this before I wouldn’t suggest learning on your car.

 

[MerlintheMad]

Meh, it's only paint. I haven't cut through the clear coat in surrounding areas, only in the chipped/dinged/scratched areas that need touch up. I went through to the black right under the damaged spot after putting touch up on it, so no further damage, just damage to my original touch up, plus a bit more in the immediate area. I don't see how you can work on a spot without cutting through the clear coat, since the ding did worse than that in the first place.

 

[MerlintheMad]

I'm rethinking the wet sandpaper. Meguiar's heavy polishing compound (for disk polishers) rubbed by finger pressure would smooth out the paint without risking the original surrounding surface. I would just have to be more patient? Hmm, problematic. But I can do this. I want something that polished the touch up without having to knock it down. So when I get my paint brush touch up kit that should be a lot easier, since a brush on will be a bunch thinner than dabbing with the Kia touch up pen. Anyway, "I'm reviewing, the situation", as always ...

 

[AV8R]

I'm rethinking the wet sandpaper. Maguire's heavy polishing compound (for disk polishers) rubbed by finger pressure would smooth out the paint without risking the original surrounding surface. I would just have to be more patient? Hmm, problematic. But I can do this. I want something that polished the touch up without having to knock it down. So when I get my paint brush touch up kit that should be a lot easier, since a brush on will be a bunch thinner than dabbing with the Kia touch up pen. Anyway, "I'm reviewing, the situation", as always ...

search online for,paint leveling fluid. Touch up wipe off excess. I think there is a product called CHIPX that has a kit. Or even Dr Chip

 

[Kamauxx]

I'm rethinking the wet sandpaper. Meguiar's heavy polishing compound (for disk polishers) rubbed by finger pressure would smooth out the paint without risking the original surrounding surface. I would just have to be more patient? Hmm, problematic. But I can do this. I want something that polished the touch up without having to knock it down. So when I get my paint brush touch up kit that should be a lot easier, since a brush on will be a bunch thinner than dabbing with the Kia touch up pen. Anyway, "I'm reviewing, the situation", as always ...

You can buy kits from Amazon to use in a electric drill that will have a few discs with different levels of coarseness. Using that in conjunction with a rubbing compound and following up with a polishing compound is a good alternative to wet sanding.

 

[MerlintheMad]

You can buy kits from Amazon to use in a electric drill that will have a few discs with different levels of coarseness. Using that in conjunction with a rubbing compound and following up with a polishing compound is a good alternative to wet sanding.

You're braver than I am! Drills, buffers, power tools, for the small jobs I have, fill me with trepidation. Thanks for the suggestion, though.

 

[MerlintheMad]

search online for,paint leveling fluid. Touch up wipe off excess. I think there is a product called CHIPX that has a kit. Or even Dr Chip

I searched for "paint leveling fluid" and came up with this: How to Repair Paint Chips & Deep Scratches – The Ultimate Guide to Detailing I have to say, I've already committed several egregious "sins" according to this instructor. But I also didn't get a blend until I used a circular rubbing motion. So, what can I say about that? Straight didn't do it, circular did. Hmm.