Emergency Paint Advice

[rickd13]

The situation is this. I was just finishing up a car. I was gluing something and the toothpick with glue on it slipped out of my hand and hit the body of the car just above the front fender. It left a small ridge in the paint. I'm sick over it. The car looked great. The paint is Model Master lacquer (classic white) out of a spray can. I did not clear coat it. The car already has decals and foil on it so I really can't repaint the whole car. I sanded the spot down with 4,000 grit and 6,000 grit paper. It actually doesn't look too bad. It is completely smooth now, but there is just a tiny spot where the paint looks a little thin. My question is, can I spray some of the same paint (Model Master lacquer from a spray can) into a cup and touch up that spot with a brush? I know it won't look great when first applied, but can I sand and rub it out after the touch up paint has dried? If this won't work, can anyone suggest some other solution to the problem? Thanks,Rick.

[SteveG]

The situation is this. I was just finishing up a car. I was gluing something and the toothpick with glue on it slipped out of my hand and hit the body of the car just above the front fender. It left a small ridge in the paint. I'm sick over it. The car looked great. The paint is Model Master lacquer (classic white) out of a spray can. I did not clear coat it. The car already has decals and foil on it so I really can't repaint the whole car. I sanded the spot down with 4,000 grit and 6,000 grit paper. It actually doesn't look too bad. It is completely smooth now, but there is just a tiny spot where the paint looks a little thin. My question is, can I spray some of the same paint (Model Master lacquer from a spray can) into a cup and touch up that spot with a brush? I know it won't look great when first applied, but can I sand and rub it out after the touch up paint has dried? If this won't work, can anyone suggest some other solution to the problem? Thanks,Rick.

Here's an old painters trick, take a sheet of plain paper and cut a hole in slightly bigger then the damaged area. You can use it as a mask and respray the area through the hole. I usually do this with an airbrush as it's easier but you can do it with a spray can too. If you use an airbrush you can then open the hole up slightly larger and make a second pass with some thinner and melt in the spot repair. Wait a few days and polish out your spot repair and it should look pretty good. Much better then just a brush touch up.

Steve

[rickd13]

Here's an old painters trick, take a sheet of plain paper and cut a hole in slightly bigger then the damaged area. You can use it as a mask and respray the area through the hole. I usually do this with an airbrush as it's easier but you can do it with a spray can too. If you use an airbrush you can then open the hole up slightly larger and make a second pass with some thinner and melt in the spot repair. Wait a few days and polish out your spot repair and it should look pretty good. Much better then just a brush touch up.

Steve

Obviously there will be an outline of the hole. Will it sand and rub out okay? Thank you for the tip.

[MoparWoman Jamie]

Obviously there will be an outline of the hole. Will it sand and rub out okay? Thank you for the tip.

Not if you know how to do it, keep the paper afew mm's away from the area that is getting repaired. Leave the spray fade the side edges on the inside of the paper area (hench why you leave a afew mm's between the model and the paper for).

If nothing else, just tape off the area, put something over the whole model but for the damage piece area. if it's a fender, tape the door line seam, then run tape along the edge of the fender all the way to the front and down the front edge. Then tape what ever you put over the whole model to cover it from getting hit by the over spray down to that tape.

[moparfarmer]

Here's an old painters trick, take a sheet of plain paper and cut a hole in slightly bigger then the damaged area. You can use it as a mask and respray the area through the hole. I usually do this with an airbrush as it's easier but you can do it with a spray can too. If you use an airbrush you can then open the hole up slightly larger and make a second pass with some thinner and melt in the spot repair. Wait a few days and polish out your spot repair and it should look pretty good. Much better then just a brush touch up.

Steve

I would do as Steve mentioned but would spray from farther away. The mask wouldn't show as predominately as if you sprayed close in. Good luck

with your project...........

[Ddms]

You can do the same thing by using wide (5/8" or more) masking tape, and folding about one-third of it over on itself. When you attach the tape, the folded side goes toward the area you need to paint. Attach it so the folded edge is about 1/8" above the surface. That way, when you spray, there will be a soft edge between the old and newly sprayed areas.

For this, I'd use Scotch 3M "Painter's Tape for Delicate Surfaces." You'd need four strips to make a "hole"; make sure there's a gap between all the inner tape edges and the actual surface.

After a little sanding and polishing, the boundary will be invisible.

Good luck!

Edited April 14, 2011 by Ddms