Fixing stone chips

tom_e

tom_e

tom_e

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After having the car properly cleaned the other day I've noticed I've got 1 or 2 lovely big(3-4mm) stone chips straight down to the metal on the bonnet along with a couple of smaller ones on the plastics.

I'm looking at options and one of them is obviously have a go at fixing them myself, are there any recommended places to pick up some touch up paint/lacquer? As it's gone down to bare metal I guess a primer would be sensible as well.

There's obviously plenty of places online that all say there's is the best stuff. It's for a Hyundai i20 so nothing exotic.
 
Try the manufacturers website they usually sell touch up sticks some with primer otherwise google it plenty to choose from (if its a metallic finish harder to match - plain colours you can DIY though).
 
Personally having tried the official manufacturer touch up pens that are 2 separate colour and lacquer parts, I just buy the all in one colour+lacquer touch ups available from various resellers on ebay - just a case of quoting the correct paint code.

E.g.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/392689263522

Ideally you should probably prime any chips that have gone to bare metal, but I've never bothered - simply scrape the bare metal with either tiny wire brush (some touch up pens come with one), or failing that get a drawing pin or similar, then apply the all in one touch up paint.


If it was a more "special" car then Chipex is another one that's fairly well regarded.
 
since preparation is always king , on metal bodywork I've used a fibre-glass pencil for small chip/scratch prep, then IPA, and got some fine brushes,
I applied top coat and then clear, no primer
 
You won't be able to do a good job with touchup kits alone, you might make it look worse :p

If you use the 2 stage ones with seperate lacquer it's really hard to get right.

For bare metal I used to use a bit of rust converter first. On an actual rusty stone chip it never bubbled up.
 
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also -
Get some 3/0 synthetic paint brushes too, or similar, so can apply paint up to the edge of the chip/scratch, making sure you have the right accompanying solvent too.
the brushes in the touch up bottles are ham-fisted.
 
I've used Chipex and was really very impressed with how good the results were.

On the flat of the bonnet I also had some real craters. The idea with Chipex is that you leave a slightly proud raise on the repair then using their abrasive you level it with the existing paintwork then polish.

It seems a much better method that some of the cheaper pens to me.
 
chemicalguys.eu-101800-chemicalguys-eu-fluid-writer-pen-medium-2.jpg


One of these, great tool and cheap
 
I use the single part paint. Fill the chip with paint so it's proud of the surface, let it dry then use a denibber to shave it flat, quick wet sand and polish. For normal size chips I'd give £100 of you can find any.
I did the same with a rather large and deep key scratch and in the right light you can just about see it but it's good enough.

I don't use a brush either I prefer the accuracy of a cocktail stick.
 
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