Snicklefritz
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I've watched a bunch of "touchup" videos on YouTube "University", hahah. Many of them are unhelpful, even inimical. Some are fraudulent - the genuine definition of "mis/disinformation". But most of them have something to take away that is useful. Here is a list of useful tips that I know work:
1. Feel the scratch. If you can't feel it with your fingernail then you are in for an easy one. Try rubbing compound first to see if you can lose it. Rub across the direction of the scratch, or along with/parallel to it. Circular motions are okay with rubbing compound. But predominating parallel and perpendicular motions are better.
2. If that doesn't work, then tape off the scratch and wet sand lightly across the scratch, or along with/parallel to it. The tape will stop you from using circular motions which are not recommended. Circular motions produce widespread hazing and light scratching that is much harder to get out.
3. Use the lightest wet sandpaper grit that will cut with a minimum of pressure and expenditure of time. I use 2000 grit. Double the paper by taking the two halves of the piece of sandpaper between your thumb and first two fingers so that the extended work surface forms a rounded contact patch. Hold the paper close to that curve. You can push down and the paper flexes but does not crease. This works for following the direction of the scratch between the two rows of masking tape. For light scratches that you can't feel with a fingernail this will be enough pressure to get rid of the scratch.
4. When you see milky residue in the water, you are cutting clear coat. Wipe the area clean and check your progress. If it looks like the scratch may be gone, then remove the tape and try a bit of rubbing compound again to remove all the sanding haze. If the scratch appears to be gone, proceed to polishing compound. If you see evidence of the scratch still, replace the tape and lightly sand some more, checking your work again as soon as you see milky residue in the water. Doing the repair in short sanding and inspection steps, with rubbing compound to get rid of the hazing, you should come nowhere near cutting through your clear coat, which is TOP PRIORITY.
5. If the scratch is deep enough to feel with your fingernail, you will sand parallel or with the direction of the scratch. Only sand until you have reduced the highest edges of the scratch. A scratch that you can feel is either almost through the clear coat or actually is into the base coat. Do not keep sanding! Check when you see the milky residue in your water. Remove the tape if you need to inspect more carefully. Reapply the masking tape close to your touchup and sand a little more. Make sure that you keep seeing milky residue. If it isn't there then you have sanded off all of your clear coat. STOP SANDING NOW! You will likely still see some of the scratch. You are NOT going to get to the bottom of this deep scratch without cutting into the base coat, the primer coat or even reaching bare metal! Ask me how I know!
6. Leave the tape in place, or refresh it. Once you have stopped sanding, clean everything thoroughly, making sure that you have gotten all residue out of the scratch. Wiping down with isopropyl alcohol is essential to final clean up. Then carefully apply the base coat color with the tip of the applicator or correct sized brush. Avoid blobs and globs. Put enough light layers on to completely fill in the scratch and area between the tape.
7. When the base coat - touchup color - is dry then remove the tape and apply it just further out enough to work on the raised touchup. Return to the wet sandpaper and again follow the direction of the scratch or laterally to it, do not use circular motions. Wrapping the sandpaper around a pad or squeegee will provide a stiffer edge for cutting down the touchup more quickly. But don't just sand away. Wipe off and check your progress and sand in short spells. Check with your fingertips and nails to make sure that you have made the touchup smooth with the immediately surrounding paint. You should not need to sand any further as soon as you start to see the milky cleat coat residue appear. The touchup is now down to the level of the surrounding cleat coat. Sanding is done!
8. Remove the masking tape now. Use rubbing compound until you see the base coat color starting to get into your towel or pad. Don't overdo the rubbing compound on the touchup, in fact avoid it after the first few passes. Rubbing compound is mainly to take out any serious hazing that your wet sanding may have caused. Use a circular as well as horizontal and vertical motion with the rubbing compound. Use the lightest compound to get the job done. If you overdo this, you will wind up taking down your touchup paint too far and have to start over!
9. Do most of your restoration of the high gloss of your clear coat with polishing compound. This will also polish the touchup that you have just done. Use the lightest compound that will work to restore the shine. Elbow grease and a light compound is better than a stiffer compound. There is little to no risk of overdoing this step.
10. Once your shine is restored, apply your preferred protective layer of wax or ceramic.
11. Do "10" again and again, and do it again. Wax layers fill in tiny low spots with repeated applications. This is only practical when you have a fairly new car with very few touched up spots. If you have a bunch of touchups already, of course, regular full-car waxing/ceramic renewal is how your touchups will last for the life of the paint.
12. Any little imperfections that you might notice at this point should be ignored if they don't attract your eye from five or six feet away. You can tell if you have done it right, if you can walk past or up to the car and not have the area you just fixed attract your attention.
1. Feel the scratch. If you can't feel it with your fingernail then you are in for an easy one. Try rubbing compound first to see if you can lose it. Rub across the direction of the scratch, or along with/parallel to it. Circular motions are okay with rubbing compound. But predominating parallel and perpendicular motions are better.
2. If that doesn't work, then tape off the scratch and wet sand lightly across the scratch, or along with/parallel to it. The tape will stop you from using circular motions which are not recommended. Circular motions produce widespread hazing and light scratching that is much harder to get out.
3. Use the lightest wet sandpaper grit that will cut with a minimum of pressure and expenditure of time. I use 2000 grit. Double the paper by taking the two halves of the piece of sandpaper between your thumb and first two fingers so that the extended work surface forms a rounded contact patch. Hold the paper close to that curve. You can push down and the paper flexes but does not crease. This works for following the direction of the scratch between the two rows of masking tape. For light scratches that you can't feel with a fingernail this will be enough pressure to get rid of the scratch.
4. When you see milky residue in the water, you are cutting clear coat. Wipe the area clean and check your progress. If it looks like the scratch may be gone, then remove the tape and try a bit of rubbing compound again to remove all the sanding haze. If the scratch appears to be gone, proceed to polishing compound. If you see evidence of the scratch still, replace the tape and lightly sand some more, checking your work again as soon as you see milky residue in the water. Doing the repair in short sanding and inspection steps, with rubbing compound to get rid of the hazing, you should come nowhere near cutting through your clear coat, which is TOP PRIORITY.
5. If the scratch is deep enough to feel with your fingernail, you will sand parallel or with the direction of the scratch. Only sand until you have reduced the highest edges of the scratch. A scratch that you can feel is either almost through the clear coat or actually is into the base coat. Do not keep sanding! Check when you see the milky residue in your water. Remove the tape if you need to inspect more carefully. Reapply the masking tape close to your touchup and sand a little more. Make sure that you keep seeing milky residue. If it isn't there then you have sanded off all of your clear coat. STOP SANDING NOW! You will likely still see some of the scratch. You are NOT going to get to the bottom of this deep scratch without cutting into the base coat, the primer coat or even reaching bare metal! Ask me how I know!
6. Leave the tape in place, or refresh it. Once you have stopped sanding, clean everything thoroughly, making sure that you have gotten all residue out of the scratch. Wiping down with isopropyl alcohol is essential to final clean up. Then carefully apply the base coat color with the tip of the applicator or correct sized brush. Avoid blobs and globs. Put enough light layers on to completely fill in the scratch and area between the tape.
7. When the base coat - touchup color - is dry then remove the tape and apply it just further out enough to work on the raised touchup. Return to the wet sandpaper and again follow the direction of the scratch or laterally to it, do not use circular motions. Wrapping the sandpaper around a pad or squeegee will provide a stiffer edge for cutting down the touchup more quickly. But don't just sand away. Wipe off and check your progress and sand in short spells. Check with your fingertips and nails to make sure that you have made the touchup smooth with the immediately surrounding paint. You should not need to sand any further as soon as you start to see the milky cleat coat residue appear. The touchup is now down to the level of the surrounding cleat coat. Sanding is done!
8. Remove the masking tape now. Use rubbing compound until you see the base coat color starting to get into your towel or pad. Don't overdo the rubbing compound on the touchup, in fact avoid it after the first few passes. Rubbing compound is mainly to take out any serious hazing that your wet sanding may have caused. Use a circular as well as horizontal and vertical motion with the rubbing compound. Use the lightest compound to get the job done. If you overdo this, you will wind up taking down your touchup paint too far and have to start over!
9. Do most of your restoration of the high gloss of your clear coat with polishing compound. This will also polish the touchup that you have just done. Use the lightest compound that will work to restore the shine. Elbow grease and a light compound is better than a stiffer compound. There is little to no risk of overdoing this step.
10. Once your shine is restored, apply your preferred protective layer of wax or ceramic.
11. Do "10" again and again, and do it again. Wax layers fill in tiny low spots with repeated applications. This is only practical when you have a fairly new car with very few touched up spots. If you have a bunch of touchups already, of course, regular full-car waxing/ceramic renewal is how your touchups will last for the life of the paint.
12. Any little imperfections that you might notice at this point should be ignored if they don't attract your eye from five or six feet away. You can tell if you have done it right, if you can walk past or up to the car and not have the area you just fixed attract your attention.
