Question: Filler compound on small paint damage?

[speedbird1229]

Hi,

Since I've done some paint work in the past mainly on model cars and planes, I've decided to give a try and fix some paint damage on my Vette. It's basically a plastic model car, just life size! I'm just going to test on some hidden areas where some chips of paint have come off.

The paint layer on the body seems to be quite thick. So, if a chip of paint comes off, it leaves quite a nice "hole" into the paint. I know that the best would be to fill the hole and leave a pimple of paint on the surface and then gently wet-sand-paper and polish it smooth. However, filling it in with just a thick coat of paint doesn't seem like the best idea. It would dry for days. I'm thinking of using some automotive filler compound (is this the right word?) and fill the holes with that first. I'm quite sure I won't be able to place the compound just into the small hole and nowhere else, hence I would like to know if the compound can be easily cleaned off from the good paint around the paint damage after having applied it to the proper location? I've only seen such compounds used on larger surfaces, not in tiny spots.

I did some testing yesterday with some hidden edges of the t-tops that had chips off (probably because they have been placed on a hard surface after taken off from the car). I've found the right color and it really seems to be ending up pretty nice - times better than damaged paint. If I could just fill the holes with something else than the paint itself, I'd be real happy and it would speed up the process remarkably.

Thanks for help!

 

[Whiteshadow89158]

as long as the compound isnt left on for too long you can wipe it off with no problems i say a max 20-30 min depending on what your using. Just read the label to see how long it takes to dry and then go from there. if you want to be safe just tape up newspaper around the hole, apply compound and smooth with a proper rubber tool "name escapes me", then peel papper away and your good.

 

[speedbird1229]

as long as the compound isnt left on for too long you can wipe it off with no problems i say a max 20-30 min depending on what your using. Just read the label to see how long it takes to dry and then go from there. if you want to be safe just tape up newspaper around the hole, apply compound and smooth with a proper rubber tool "name escapes me", then peel papper away and your good.

Thanks. I bought a can of automotive compound today and I'm going to test it. I will let you know of the results.

 

[TimAT]

Get a tube of glazing putty- it's basically just a real thick primer. Comes in a big tube like toothpaste. May also be called icing.

 

[Phill]

I would just use paint, even if it takes 5 or 6 coats. the body filler might show up once you start wet sanding it to level it out. i just did this on a spot on my ttop and it came out great. only took about 4 or 5 coats of paint.

 

[speedbird1229]

I did it finally with the compound and I used a very interesting paint - the one used on plastic models (those detailed airplane, car, military equipment models etc). I asked from an expert before and he said that this color is much more advanced than an average paint which can be bought from car stores. It's good for plastic, metal and many other surfaces. I think it makes a good touch-up paint and it's easy to mix it with the paint thinner. Firstly I tried with paint straight out of the can and it was slightly too thick - left some brush marks. However, when I added the thinner liquid, the paint really went on very even and smooth.

Before applying the paint, I applied the compound and then shaped the areas with wet sand paper (strongness 1000). It came out pretty good but ofcourse the original paint lacquer near the fixed areas also got a bit sanded so it became matte. I figured out that I either have to paint over those matted areas with very thin layer or just apply the final lacquer later on.

I also used a high-quality GLOSSY FINISHING LACQUER from the model paint series and even if adding a thicker layer on the original paint layer, it nicely blended so that it's hard to spot where I exactly applied the lacquer.

The only problem is, like already said by Phill, that the body filler compound can show up because it's hard to perfectly even it up. I managed to do it perfectly in the most sensitive areas but in some places the compound stays up just a tiny bit higher. Nevertheless, it's times better than scratched off paint.

 

[killain]

I would just use paint, even if it takes 5 or 6 coats. the body filler might show up once you start wet sanding it to level it out. i just did this on a spot on my ttop and it came out great. only took about 4 or 5 coats of paint.

The best way to deal with a chip, is clean the area, find a good replace color paint, and use a paper match to apply the paint. Use the end torn off from the book of matches and apply only one drop at a time til the paint chip is filled using a new match stick each time and polish.