You likely feel that your automobile is extremely important. After all, many people use their vehicles each day to arrive at home, work, and other important places. That being said, certain uncontrollable situations can cause the paint on your automobile to become damaged. In certain situations, deep scratch paint repair can cost up to $3000. Considering that, you might want to consider saving money by ordering your own paint touch up kit. With that in mind, here is how to apply automotive touch up paint for beginners.
Choosing and Testing Paint Touch Up Kits
One of the most important steps when ordering vehicle touch up paint is choosing the right supplier. It’s important that you order a paint touch up kit that is made for your vehicle. For instance, a Toyota owner wouldn’t want to order Jeep Wrangler touch up paint. You’ll want to find vehicle touch up paint that matches to the make and model of your vehicle.
Once you’ve ordered the right type of paint, it’s time to test it. Color matching paint is an extremely important step to take. You can do this by applying a small amount of paint on something you’re not using in your garage. Next, give the paint enough time to try and ensure it looks like the right match for your vehicle. If the paint looks like it’s the right color, you can now start applying it to your vehicle.
Preparing the Affected Area
Now it’s time to prepare the scratched paint area. To do this, you’ll want to clean the area where the scratch has occurred. It’s important to do this carefully which will avoid further paint being damaged. You can use a light mix of soap and water to remove any dirt from where you’ll be applying new paint.
Another thing to watch out for is rust. If rust has started to form where the scratch is, it’s important that this is taken care of. You’ll want to remove any traces of rust by lightly using sandpaper on any affected areas of your vehicle.
Using Your Auto Touch Up Paint Kit
You’ve now reached the point where you can begin to apply touch up paint. Much like painting a house, it’s important to paint affected areas of your vehicle in coats. After applying a few layers, the new paint should begin to look extremely similar to the existing paint.
An important part of painting your vehicle like a professional is to have patience. You must remember that you can always add another layer of paint but can’t take one away. With that in mind, you’ll want to leave time for the paint to dry. If you want to be cautious, consider leaving the paint to dry overnight.
After the paint has dried and looks satisfactory, you’ll want to apply clear coat. A clear coat acts a coating to protect your vehicle’s paint integrity. It’s imperative that you apply clear coat after the touch up paint has dried fully. If you don’t wait long enough, the clear coat and wet paint will mix together.
In a similar manner to touch up paint, you’ll want to apply clear coat in layers. It’s best to lightly apply one lay of clear coat and wait about 20 minutes. After achieving a satisfactory clear coat level, it’s best to leave the vehicle alone for a few days. Once a few days has passed, you can apply rubbing compound to add a shiny finish over the new layers of paint and clear coat.
In conclusion, many vehicle owners will have to deal with paint scratches on their respective vehicles. In this case, it’s usually best to avoid paying a huge sum of money at your local body shop. Statistics show that the auto body industry has an estimated market value of $42 billion. If you want to avoid putting more money in their pockets, consider touching up vehicle paint on your own. Ordering a paint touch up kit and following a few simple steps will have your scratches taken care of right away.
Read more about this topic at this link.