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Paint Pen Instructions

Very Important

Do not depress the paint pen directly on your vehicle. To start the flow of paint, gently tap the paint pen on a hard surface to start the paint flowing. Make sure you shake the paint pen thoroughly. If you push and hold the paint pen down, all the paint will flow out of the tube, creating a mess! If you have never used the paint pen before, just go slowly and keep practicing depressing the nib on the end until you can control the paint flow. Wipe off the excess paint before applying to your vehicle.

Quick Steps

  1. Clean the area - we recommend soap and water or a wax and grease remover.
  2. Apply very thin coats of basecoat.
  3. The basecoat should be dry to the touch before applying the clearcoat. Apply Clearcoat over the basecoat. Be careful when applying a clearcoat. You need to float it over the basecoat. Clearcoat acts like a solvent and any pressure applied will remove the basecoat.
  4. Use a rubbing compound - apply with clean, soft, cotton ONLY (paper products will scratch your finish!) Always test the rubbing compound on your vehicle in an inconspicuous place to check for surface compatibility and shine.
  5. If this is your first time, try one small chip from start to finish before repairing other areas.
  6. If you have a small scratch, use a rubbing compound to smooth the primer, basecoat and clearcoat. Sanding small areas will dull the existing finish!

Fixing Paint Chips and Scratches

The maximum size you should attempt to repair with a pain pen is up to the size of a pencil eraser. Anything larger should be spray painted. The paint pen was not designed to be brushed over a larger area. It is instead used to apply paint to small chips and can also be used on scratches.

Temperature

Make sure the temperature is at least 40°F. Paint pens can be applied in much colder conditions than an aerosol can. The paint can dry very quickly in warm weather (above 70°F). The whole point behind practicing is to see how quickly the basecoat, mid-coat (if you are doing a tri-coat) and clearcoat will dry. Normally, we recommend letting the paint dry overnight at each step, but often you can do all the steps within an hour. Do not practice on your vehicle!

Tri-Coats

Make sure you read the additional instructions for tri-coats.

Clean and Protect the Area

Wash the area with soap and water, then use a wax and grease remover, or equivalent product—some painters have suggested tar and insect remover—available at the supermarket, before starting a project. You may wish to use masking tape, (we suggest automotive quality only) all around the scratched or chipped area to prevent accidentally marring the surface.

Rust

The first thing to determine is if the scratch has started to rust. We are talking about a surface scratch and not rust that is bubbling up beneath the paint, as this is too far gone for touch-up paint. If the area is rusty, you should take a little extra effort to remove all traces of rust using 220-grit sandpaper or a wire brush. Follow this with Mar-Hyde One Step Rust Converter and apply this to the bare metal. Just follow the directions on the product.

Primer

If you have an unpainted surface, such as bare metal, plastic, rubber, etc., apply primer! Primer is made to stick to unpainted surfaces and paint is designed to stick to primer! Primer can also be used to fill small imperfections in the surface. Our primer works on all surfaces. DO NOT use enamel primer.

Clean the area of all dust with a tack rag and apply primer to the unpainted surfaces. Let the primer dry thoroughly before applying the color coat. You can let it dry overnight for best results. If the primer is rough, use the rubbing compound to smooth the surface. If you sand the scratch, the sandpaper will dull the surface so you do not want to do this. Rubberized primer is only needed when you are spraying the paint and is NOT needed when using the paint pens.

Applying the Basecoat

The Basecoat is the actual color you have ordered. Apply several thin coats of paint to build up the chip to the same depth as the surrounding surface using the built in brush. Let it dry for ten to twenty minutes between coats. Let the paint dry thoroughly before applying the clearcoat. Usually, if you let the paint dry overnight, it will be dry. However, in temperatures less than 70°F, it can take much longer. You may sand the basecoat to remove imperfections by using a 1000-grit wet and dry compound as it won’t dull the surrounding finish.

Clearcoat

The basecoat should be dry to the touch before applying the clearcoat. Apply several thin coats of the clearcoat using the built in brush, drying for 10-20 minutes between each coat. Be careful when applying the clearcoat. You need to float it over the basecoat. Clearcoat acts like a solvent and any pressure applied will remove the basecoat. Usually, if you let the clearcoat dry overnight, it will be dry. However, in temperatures less than 70°F, it can take much longer. You may sand the area smooth using plenty of water. You can also use a rubbing compound as it won’t dull the surrounding finish. Let the area dry for at least three days and use a good quality automotive rubbing compound to polish the area. Make sure you use a clean softy cotton fabric, such as a T-shirt. Wait 30 days before applying automotive wax. Don’t use a bath towel, wash cloth, etc.

Using the Rubbing Compound

Rubbing compound is applied to the entire area to make the area smooth and shiny. Let the clearcoat dry for at least 3 days before using the rubbing compound. Use a clean, very soft cloth, such as an old t-shirt. DO NOT USE PAPER PRODUCTS, the wood fibers will scratch the finish! Place a small quantity of rubbing compound on the vehicle and use circular strokes and apply even pressure to the surface. It’s almost like waxing a vehicle, except the rubbing compound is like an extremely fine liquid sandpaper. Buff with a clean cloth to a high gloss. You may want to apply some paint and clearcoat on a smooth surface and practice to get the feel of it. Sometimes, lots of pressure is required to make the clearcoat shine. The rubbing compound can also be applied by machine, but careful, it is very easy to burn the finish. You can get the same results by hand; it will just take a bit longer. The rubbing compound is also good for removing oxidation from your finish. Let the finish dry for 30 days and apply a good quality automotive wax.

Waxing

Allow the finish to dry for 30 days before waxing.