Cannot get Dr. Colorchip to work on scratches

[charlestek]

I have looked at Mike's sticky, which is missing pictures on Dr. Colorchip, plus a few other posts.

I have had no success with using Dr. Colorchip black on a black 2017 Honda Accord for scratches. Maybe the call it Dr. ColorCHIP because it only works on chips...?

Anyway, I'm finding that no matter what technique I use applying the supplied paint and smearing it flat, that the amount of Sealact and pressure required to remove the excess paint outside the scratch
area always winds up removing the paint on top of (rarely do I think the paint gets "inside" the scratch) the scratch.

I usually prep the area with IPA or wax and grease remover.

The other sad fact is that the paint on the car is so thin, I doubt you can creat much of a "chip" anywhere......

[Thomkirby]

Is the scratch deep enough to catch your fingernail? Mike has recommended Dr. Colorchip and I plan to buy a couple of kits. Right now I am using a 5/0 artist brush and Duplicolor kit but think that Dr. Colorchip method is quicker and works well for most chips and scratches. But if you are pulling the paint out it might not be that deep and should just wait to harden.

Here is what I have been using to a ton of rock chips on wife car, I think I have touched up about 30+ using this method. Sorry but cannot upload file tonight, it keeps failing. It works again
65025

[rlmccarty2000]

Yeah it’s mainly for chips. You can fill in the scratch, let it dry and try to sand it down. Though with paint being so thin, the sanding will abraid the surface of your clearcoat. A paintpen sold by the dealer might work better in your case by getting into the scratch, but I really never had a good experience with paintpens. Send Dr. Colorchip an email and get their experience, their customer support is excellent.

[charlestek]

Thom,

I suppose most the scratches could catch my fingernail, but some may be shallow, as the whole 3 layers of pain are unbelievably shallow (I bought the car with 6,200 miles, but it appears the dealer compounded the hell off the clearcoat).

One of the videos that I think was linked to an autogeek forum suggests using the following fine line painting tool:Amazon.com: Loew-Cornell Fine Line Painting Pen (https://www.amazon.com/Loew-Cornell-Fine-Line-Painting-Pen/dp/B004YZXV8U/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1537144056&sr=8-2&keywords=loew+cornell+fine+line+painting+pen#)

rlmmcarty,

I had been in previous touch with Dr. ColorChip because the first container of paint they sent me turned gray when touched by the SealAct, so they had to remix a fresh amount of paint for me to use.

As I have already tried waiting longer or shorter after the paint dries and using different cloths for the sealact, but still bad results, I doubt there is any technique that will improve the results on a scratch, except as you say to sand the whole area.

[itsgn]

I have had no success with using Dr. Colorchip black on a black 2017 Honda Accord for scratches.
And "with no success" you mean exactly what? Did the Sealact remove all the touch up paint, leaving nothing behind to cover the scratch? Or some touch up paint did stay in the scratch, but the edge of the scratch was still visible? Or did it fail to blend the touch up paint?

[sudsmobile]

If there's no real edge for the paint to fill, such as a light scratch, you're better off putting it on as lightly as possible to cover the scratch and then trying to blend it by compounding and polishing. Let it cure for a couple days and don't try to remove any excess.

[MarkD51]

In any instance, chips or scratches, I don't think anyone will ever achieve 100% perfection with this system.
But it will look a good deal better than it did before, and the touch up paint will offer some better protection against corrosion occurring down the road.

Dependent upon weather conditions, there will be some variance anytime you use this product as to how long it takes the paint to set up fairly well, so it won't be so easily removed from a chip or scratch. There may also be some slight variance from paint to paint formulations from them

That, and it also might take a number of repeated applications to build up the paint to get an acceptable leveling of the scratch or chip.

Remember that as you go to lighten the pressure you apply when using the Sealact Solution. Using lighter and lighter strokes as I believe that as you're getting to the end, the Sealact Solution is then starting to soften the paint a bit from chemical reaction. Going slow will help some.

[MarkD51]

If there's no real edge for the paint to fill, such as a light scratch, you're better off putting it on as lightly as possible to cover the scratch and then trying to blend it by compounding and polishing. Let it cure for a couple days and don't try to remove any excess.

This may also be a very good tip and method to consider as well.

[itsgn]

If there's no real edge for the paint to fill, such as a light scratch, you're better off putting it on as lightly as possible to cover the scratch and then trying to blend it by compounding and polishing. Let it cure for a couple days and don't try to remove any excess.
IMHO without removing the excess the shadow dropped by the latter will just as noticeable/bad if not worse than the original scratch. I think if he can't fill and blend the scratch with color chip, he should just use the old method of filling the scratch up and covering it up with touch up paint, and then leveling it by wet sanding (then finishing it off with compounding and polishing). Of course this is only recommended with appropriate expertise, confidence in wet sanding skills, and as a last thing to try before possibly that the panel has to be repainted in the body shop to get at least a halfway decent look.

[charlestek]

itsgn,

Yes, when I say "no success", the Sealact removes all the paint and leaves the scratch. The only other choice is to leave excess paint on the sides of the scratch.

[sudsmobile]

Sorry, that should have included lightly sanding to level it. I got ahead of myself and just didn't include it.

[charlestek]

suds,

The other issue is that I believe the dealer polished off too much clearcoat on my car, so that I am at almost no clearcoat and therefore sanding would be very risky. I have seen some spots of spiderweb cracking in the clearcoat.