Touch Up Paint Bottle Instructions

How to Apply Touch Up Paint Using the Brush Cap Bottle and/or Bottle with Fine Tip Brush

Note: Do not try to brush areas larger than a dime. Larger areas must be sprayed.

Tip: If this is your first time touching up paint, try one small chip from start to finish before repairing other areas.

Quick Steps

Clean the area using soap and water or wax and grease remover.
Apply very thin coats of basecoat using the built-in brush.
Confirm the basecoat is dry to the touch.
Apply the clearcoat over the basecoat using the built-in brush.
- Be careful when applying clearcoat. You need to float it over the basecoat. Clearcoat acts like a solvent and any pressure applied will remove the basecoat.
Allow the clearcoat to dry for three days.
Use rubbing compound (cutting creme) to smooth and shine the area.
- Apply with clean, soft, cotton only; paper products will scratch your finish.
- Always test the rubbing compound (cutting creme) on your vehicle in an inconspicuous place to check for surface compatibility and shine.

Detailed Steps

Temperature

Make sure the temperature is at least 50°F.

The paint can dry very quickly in warm weather (above 70 degrees). The purpose 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!

Clean and Protect the Area

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

Rust

The first thing to determine is if the scratch has started to rust. (If the rust is bubbling up beneath the paint, it is too late for touch-up paint.) If it is a surface scratch with a little rust, take a little extra effort to remove all traces of rust using 220-grit sandpaper or a wire brush. Then, apply a rust converter to the bare metal, following the directions on the product. We recommend Mar-Hyde One-Step Rust Converter.

Applying Primer/Paint or Clearcoat with the Brush Cap Bottle

Dip the brush into the paint and wipe away the excess. Apply several thin coats. For very small areas, you can use the end of a paper matchstick. Do not load up the brush with paint as it will dry quickly into a blob on the vehicle.

Primer

If you have an unpainted surface—bare metal, plastic, rubber, etc.—you must apply primer. Primer is made to stick to unpainted surfaces, whereas 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 (cutting creme) to smooth the surface instead of sanding. (Sandpaper will dull the surface.)

Note: If you ordered single stage paint, skip to the "Single Stage" instructions below.

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 1000-grit wet and dry sandpaper and wet sand the area smooth using plenty of water. You can also use rubbing compound (cutting creme) 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 ten to twenty minutes between each coat. Be careful when applying 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 degrees F, it can take much longer. You may sand the clearcoat to remove imperfections by using 1000 grit wet and dry sandpaper and wet sand the area smooth using plenty of water. You can also use rubbing compound (cutting creme) 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 (cutting creme) to polish the area. Make sure you use a clean, soft, cotton fabric, such as a T-shirt. Wait 30 days before applying automotive wax. Don't use a bath towel, wash cloth, etc.

Single Stage Paint (No Clearcoat)

Apply several thin coats of the clearcoat using the brush dry. If paint build up is needed to fill a chip or deep scratch, wait for 10-20 minutes, depending on the temperature, between each coat. 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 color coat to remove imperfections by using a 1200-1500 grit wet and dry sandpaper, and wet 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, soft, cotton fabric. Wait 30 days before applying automotive wax. Don’t use a bath towel, wash cloth, etc.

Using the Rubbing Compound (Cutting Creme)

Rubbing compound (cutting creme) is applied to the entire area to make the area smooth and shiny. Let the clearcoat dry for at least three days before using the rubbing compound (cutting creme). Use a clean, very soft cloth, such as an old T-shirt. (Do not use paper products as the wood fibers will scratch the finish!) Place a small quantity of rubbing compound (cutting creme) 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 (cutting creme) 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 (cutting creme) can also be applied by machine, but careful, it's very easy to burn the finish! You can get the same results by hand; it will just take a bit longer.

The rubbing compound (cutting creme) is also good for removing oxidation from your finish. Let the finish dry for at least 30 days and apply a good quality automotive wax.

Shine Problems

Sometimes, especially on dark colored paints, the repaired area will look hazy and/or scratched and not match the surrounding paint. If you experience this. you have two options. Purchase some automotive polishing compound locally and use this until the shine matches your original paint. You can also go to a local detail shop and have them power polish the area.

This problem can be caused by using too much pressure on the rubbing compound (cutting creme). The rubbing compound (cutting creme) is equivalent to using 1500-grit sandpaper, so with enough pressure, it will scratch the original paint.

This is why we recommend going through all the steps before applying to your vehicle, or practice on an inconspicuous area of your vehicle.

Waxing

Allow the finish to dry for at least 30 days before waxing.