Dr. Colorchip or OEM Touch Up Paint

[cfarley27]

Hey guys. General question here.

If I have a few chips the size of pencil erasers and use either Dr. Colorchip or oem touch up, could I just use a PC and a light polish on a white pad to level down the glob? Or would it still be recommended to use the sealant in the Colorchip kit?

I ask this because I see a lot of complaints about multiple layers being needed if the chip is any sort of deep, but my thought would be to fill the chip in, let it harden, then level it out with the PC.

Thanks!

[MarkD51]

Hi,
Trying to level factory touch up with the technique of polishing down the blob with a DA, or even a Rotary will only leave you with a shiny, smoother blob is all. By the time you would level the blob, you'd probably be burning through the clear coat, and color coat.

Going with factory touch up might be less expensive, but to level, probably the best way will be to use wet sanding with ultra fine papers, like 2000 grit. This can be tricky though, as a high level of care must be excersized, that you don't damage the surrounding clearcoat. I've heard of some gluing a small piece of wet paper onto a wine cork to precisely smooth such small areas. Then there's the Meguiars Uni-Grit Sanding Blocks, and again, care must be excersized, they too can damage surrounding paint if one doesn't know what they're doing, and doesn't use care.

If the touch up is needed on horizontal panels (hood-roof-trunk), then it is easier if using a factory type touch up paint. But with vertical panels, it gets a bit trickier, as factory paint dries much slower, can have a tendency to run-sag.

I've used the Dr C-Chip, and I like the system very much. The Paint sets virtually instantly upon the surface, thus vertical panels are much easier to deal with. The product dries quick enough, that multiple layers can be done in a matter of a few second's time. Just apply, wipe with your finger-thumb with a disposable nitrile glove on.

When you have filled the chip with the paint , the wait to dry for use of the leveling solution is short, 4-7 minutes on average, then one can begin the leveling process with the Sealact Solution, and small towel included in the kit.

If you mess up, or have removed too much of the paint, no harm, no foul, one can either apply additional coats again, and then go back to leveling with the solution, or remove the touch up application entirely with the Sealact Solution, and start over.

The leveling process is quite easy, there is a little bit of learning curve, but not at all bad. As the blob begins to smooth, and level, one then lightens the rubbing pressure, just letting the little towel with a drop or so of solution glide over the touch up. That within a few minute's time per chip, you will have each perfectly leveled.

If doing a good number of chips around the vehicle, I have found that it helps to place a small piece of painter's tape near each chip, so you can quickly return to those chips to level after the paint application.

While the Dr C-Chip paint is dry to the touch within minutes, and can be wetted within a few scant hour's time, they suggest to let the paint dry many days prior to doing any polishing/compounding, or sealing of the paint touch up. This is no different than any other touch up process in this regard.

It's about the simplest system I ever used, and I have tried Langka in the past, did not like it as much as the Dr C-Chip system.

Hope this helps. Mark

[Detailing by M]

well a pc won't remove a paint blob.
You have to sand, buff, polish and hope the blob stays in the hole.
There is no sealent with the DCC kit, so I'm not sure what your talking about there.
DCC rocks!
Blob, smear, wipe, done.

[ijm5012]

The Dr. Color Chip/EZ Chip Repair system doesn't work nearly as good as you think it will.

IMO, I would clean the chip with some Iron-X, wipe down with mineral spirits, and then apply touch up paint (the OEM stuff will do just fine). I will strongly urge you to go to your local Michael's (arts & craft store), and go to the painting section. Buy a VERY small width, flat tip brush. Having a good brush is key to properly applying touch up paint.

Apply the paint so that it is just below the surface of the paint around the chip. Allow this to dry (it may and probably will take multiple coats), and then apply a clear coat (duplicolor makes a clear coat in a touch up pen, just like what the OEM's sell). Apply the clear coat until it is above the surface of the OEM clear coat.

Allow this to dry, and then sand down the raised clear coat with 2000 grit paper. Follow that up with 3000 grit "paper" (it's more like a coating on a piece of foam). After the sanding is done, simply compound, polish, and wax the area and voila, you're done.

It won't look as good as the factory paint, especially if you have a lighter colored, metallic paint. However the chip will be properly fixed, and the the paint will all be level.

[cfarley27]

Thanks for all of the info and ideas.

@Detailing - I was speaking of the Sealact solution. I just didnt remember the name correctly.

[Detailing by M]

^^^^no problem. I just needed clarification.

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using AG Online

[t5er]

In my experience Dr. Colorchip did not do a good job on the chips in my silver metallic paint even with multiple layers. If I were faced with some micro sand pitting then Dr. CC is a great choice. For any chip bigger than the a grain of kosher salt I would go with touch up.

I have heard that it works better on dark colors however.

[stiffdogg06]

paintscratch.com

Fill the mark, let dry, fill again if needed, let dry, sand, compound/polish, win.

With some marks, I've taped sandpaper to the eraser of a pencil so I limit the amount of clear I remove around the spot.