Subject: Paint touch-up technique Sent: 2/19/96 11:59 AM To: BMW List, bmw-digest@lists.balltown.cma.com I'd like some advice on paint touch-up techniques. My two-month old '95 M3 (Avus blue) has a few paint chips on the front. I bought the official BMW paint stick, and after washing the car, I made a go at touching up the chips. Problem is, no matter how much I try to get the excess paint off the small brush on the paint "stick", the pain has a tendency to glob up rather than fill-in nicely. So, am I stuck with this, or is there a trick to getting the touch-up pain to nicely fill-in the chip? And is there any way to smooth down the small "glob"-like structures that I've got where there were chips? :) :) Thanks, Rich '95 M3
Subject: paint touch-up Sent: 2/19/96 12:42 PM Received: 2/19/96 12:47 PM From: PHILIP C ABRAMI, pabrami@alcor.concordia.ca To: digest bmw, bmw@homer.balltown.cma.com CC: Rich Gay, rich_gay@fsti.com The thick paint from the touch-up pencil is probably like that because it is old. Adding a bit of acetone (a few drops) to the bottle should thin it out nicely. But keep the acetone from coming in direct contact with your car's finish; it is a very effective solvent! (I use varsol to clean rusted paint chips without resorting to an abrasive.) Make sure you let the paint run all the way down the brush stalk and repeatedly wipe the bristles before applying. A toothpick is a good substitue for the touch-up brush when working very small spots. Place a small drop of touch-up paint in the centre of a clean chip. The paint will flow to the edges by itself; don't brush. Too little paint is OK; too much is a bummer. Large or deep chips may require two or more passes. Allow the touch-up paint to dry to the touch before another pass is attempted. Other points to remember: shake the touch-up stick WELL; avoid applying the paint in direct sunlight, when its very hot or very cold, and when its windy or otherwise dusty. Good luck. Now register your beautiful car for a CCA driving school where it will really shine. Regards, Phil Subject: Sent: 2/19/96 1:10 PM Received: 2/19/96 1:26 PM From: Ben John Feng, bfeng@ford.com To: Rich Gay, rich_gay@fsti.com Regarding your touch-up paint problems. That "globbing up" tendency is typical of touchup paints. Start with a drop of thick liquid with very high surface tension and sure enough, it beads up. On the positive side, it doesn't run all over the place, it doesn't accidently drip off the little brush, and it fills up the chip in one (or two) applications. If you thin some touchup paint with some 'fast' lacquer thinner you may be able to get it to flow out better but the trade off is that you'll have to do many applications to get the chip filled in. Also, too much lacquer thinner (whatever too much really is) can soften up the surrounding paint (and it may not harden back to the original condition). You're not likely to ever get a consistency that fills in those chips perfectly smoothly. What to do about those blobs that are already there? I'll assume you are using a two part, color and clear, touch up paint. Right? If yes, hopefully the blob that sticks up above the surrounding paint is the clear coat (e.g. the color touchup layer is below the surrounding paint surface). What you can do is smooth out the clear coat blob with a sanding block and then hand rub to a gloss with one of the newer polishing compounds. For a sanding block, see if your local auto refinishing retailer sells a kind of block that have a particular grit built into them. I believe Micro-Mesh is one such brand (popular among stringed instrument makers for polishing the intricacies of violins etc.). They are usually available in tiny little blocks (1" x 2"). I'd start with 600 or 800 grit and then do 1000 followed by 1500 grit (all used wet). Be careful to ONLY sand the touchup spot itself. You'll eventually end up sanding a tiny bit of the surrounding surface when you get to the 1000 grit, but that is what you want if you want the surface level. After the 1500 grit sanding rub the area out by hand with a paint polish (NOT rubbing compound), also available at your local automotive paint refinish retailer. Subject: M3 touch-up Sent: 2/19/96 1:57 PM Received: 2/19/96 1:59 PM From: Roger Graves - X4076 - Rog Racer, rgraves@snake326.orl.mmc.com To: Rich Gay, rich_gay@fsti.com Rich, The brush on the touch-up paint is way too big. Go to an arts supply store and get a fine-tip brush - this works way better for small touch ups. It is possible, though, to sand "blobs" to a flush match with the surrounding paint....try using 1000 grit sand paper wrapped around a small wooden block... go slow and try not to contact the surrounding paint. Once flush, use your new paint brush to apply a coat of clear, then sand as above, and finish with a *good* polish. This technique, with a little practice, will make the touch-up almost invisable. Regards, Roger W. Graves '95 M3 Subject: Re: M3 touch-up Sent: 2/19/96 2:35 PM Received: 2/19/96 2:40 PM From: Roger Graves - X4076 - Rog Racer, rgraves@snake326.orl.mmc.com To: Rich Gay, rich_gay@fsti.com > > Thanks for the pointers! I'll give them a try. > > >Once flush, use your > >new paint brush to apply a coat of clear, then sand as above, and finish > >with a *good* polish. > > For the polish, something like Zymol which I hear so much about? After > polishing, then wax? > > Rich > I don't know anything, really, about Zymol. When I say polish, I mean a pro-grade silicone-free polish used specifically after a car is painted. I use 3M products, available at auto-paint supply stores. It's available in a number of "grades"...you need a light-duty polish, perhaps finishing up afterward with with 3M's "hand glaze". Do *not* use a wax of any sort on a freshly painted surface. It is my experience that the K-mart variety of "polishes" are to be avoided. You will need to go to an auto-paint supply store to get the right stuff. Incidently, I believe the OEM paint system for your M3 is made by Glasurit...though I have not used them, I believe they make a post-paint polishing system that might be perfect. Regards, Roger Subject: Touch up paint Sent: 2/19/96 2:17 PM Received: 2/19/96 2:40 PM From: Harvey Chao, Harvey_Chao@smtp.svl.trw.com To: Rich Gay, rich_gay@fsti.com Maybe too late for work already done, but in the future forget the brush that comes attached to the top of the paint container. Go to an art supply place and get a #000 sable brush (very fine) and use that to slowly fill and build up paint in the nick. I usually find enought paint sitting on the bottle lip (esp. after I "scrape" it off the stem of the cap brush) to use to wet my own brush. Works much better. Don't forget to keep the paint shaken so that the pigments and metalics stay eveny distrubuted. Harvey For Your Information dcp'90 Subject: Sent: 2/19/96 2:27 PM Received: 2/19/96 2:44 PM From: Ben John Feng, bfeng@ford.com To: Rich Gay, rich_gay@fsti.com Hi Rich, Okay, yes you can sand the color layer then apply your clear touch up. The problem is that you'll never get this repair flush with the surrounding paint. Why? To get it flush, you need to have a color layer that's thinner than the factory paint (which is probably less than 5 or 6 thousands in the first place). On the other hand, you might make it look a little less obtrusive if you sand the color touchup down flush then apply some slightly thinned clear coat. Procedure is the same: 1) Get 1 or more fine grit sanding blocks (600grit or finer). Get a fairly hard/stiff block so you can take down the bump without sanding the surrounding paint (until the bump is flush). 2) Sand the bump down flush. Better to be conservative with the sanding than to rub thru the factory paint. By the way, always sand with a drizzle of water flowing over the area. The water lubricates the sand paper (doesn't clog up), and washes away grit that can cause deep scratches. 3) Dry and clean the area 4) Apply clear coat touch up paint. As I mentioned before, you can thin the clear coat a little to get it to go on flatter. Lacquer thinner is the probably solvent you'll use (get 'fast' thinner), but it maybe the case that your paint is compatible with a reducer that isn't as aggressive as Lacq. thinner. My concern is that too aggressive a thinner could soften/weaken the surrounding factory clear/color coat bond. See if your dealer knows what kind of paint that touch up stuff is. Then go down to the local refinishing retailer and ask them what they would recommend for thinning it out a little bit. If you're lucky, it will go on pretty smoothly. If not, let it dry for a week or two and then sand and polish. The obvious alternative is to dab it on just as you did with the color touchup, then sand it down as close to flush as you can. It will be imperfect, but it should look pretty good from most viewing positions. Subject: Re: Paint touch-up technique Sent: 2/19/96 2:47 PM Received: 2/19/96 2:49 PM From: Shane Callaghan, stc@ra.isisnet.com To: Rich Gay, rich_gay@fsti.com CC: BMW List, bmw-digest@lists.balltown.cma.com Rich Gay wrote: I'd like some advice on paint touch-up techniques. My two-month old '95 M3 (Avus blue) has a few paint chips on the front. I bought the official BMW paint stick, and after washing the car, I made a go at touching up the chips. Problem is, no matter how much I try to get the excess paint off the small brush on the paint "stick", the pain has a tendency to glob up rather than fill-in nicely. So, am I stuck with this, or is there a trick to getting the touch-up pain to nicely fill-in the chip? There is a trick - don't use a brush! First of all, make sure the edges of the chip are not brittle (good adhesion), clean it as well as you can (you can use a fiber stick or a pencil eraser with sandpaper glued to it if the chip is that big), and use a toothpick dipped in paint. It is a gradual process, but it works well. Dab the paint into the chip in *small* amounts. Layer it until it is just barely above the surrounding surface, and then wet sand. It's been a while - maybe 2000 grit? You should be able to get a nicely blended repair - poilsh and wax. STC _____________________________________________________________ Shane T. Callaghan Halifax, Nova Scotia '88 RX-7 Turbo (10th Anniversary) '89 BMW 525i Subject: Re: Paint touch-up technique Sent: 2/19/96 3:58 PM Received: 2/19/96 3:59 PM From: EDPM3@aol.com To: Rich Gay, rich_gay@fsti.com Rich, I just included this tech tip in our chapter newsletter. I can't personally vouch for the technique, but it sounds like it should work. I am not posting it to the Digest because it is really belongs to Glenn Racine. So, for what it's worth. >>"Have you ever tried to touch up stone chips in your car's paint, and when you were finished you decided the chips really didn't look that bad after all? Well, this tech tip may inspire you to attack those ugly little paint pits with renewed vigor. All of this, of course, assumes a stone chip would be a noticeable blemish in your car's finish. This technique was demonstrated to me by Steve Slotten of Car Buff fame. It goes like this: 1. Find a chip and clean thoroughly with Zymol HD Cleanse. 2. Using a very fine paint brush, (from your local hobby store) place a small drop of paint in the crater. 3. Allow the paint to set up for 2-5 minutes. 4. Using your all-cotton rag with HD Cleanse and your fingertip, roll the paint into the edges of the chip. Begin to smooth the remainder of the drop by gently rubbing back and forth across the repair. Continue working the paint with a polishing action until the drop has been leveled. Your fingernail will remove any paint build up around the outside of the chip. 5. Repeat steps 2-4 as necessary to fill the void, allowing a couple of minutes between layers. 6. WAX! -Glenn Racine St. Louis BMW Club"<< Scott Blazey KC BMW Club Subject: Re: paint touch-up Sent: 2/19/96 4:33 PM Received: 2/19/96 4:34 PM From: PHILIP C ABRAMI, pabrami@alcor.concordia.ca To: Rich Gay, rich_gay@fsti.com On Mon, 19 Feb 1996, Rich Gay wrote: > If I've already got a few chips that I've got paint on, but it is too > heavy, is there a way to smooth it (sanding?) without screwing things up? Yes. But be careful.Generally, to remove excess paint requires an abrasive. You want to use the mildest abrasive and confine its use to the smallest area Begin with a good quality paint cleaner (e.g., Zymol, Mequiar's, 3M) and elbow grease applied strategically (e.g., a q-tip, a tiny bit of cloth wrapped around a a small, hard, and thin object). If that doesn't work, move up to polishing compound. If that doesn't work try very fine grit (500-600) wet/dry sandpaper used wet. If that doesn't work try rubbing compound or a heavier weight paper. Practice first in an unseen spot (e.g., under a door, inside the spare wheel well, etc.) . before you tackle--let me guess--that beautiful hood. Take your time and relax. Its only a car. Did I mention be careful? Good luck, Phil Subject: Re: touch up techniques Sent: 2/19/96 5:34 PM Received: 2/19/96 5:34 PM From: Herman Chan, hermanc2@sirius.com To: Rich Gay, rich_gay@fsti.com > I'd like some advice on paint touch-up techniques. > Problem is, no matter how much I try to get the excess paint off the >small brush on the > paint "stick", the pain has a tendency to glob up rather than fill-in nicely. > > So, am I stuck with this, or is there a trick to getting the touch-up >pain to nicely > fill-in the chip? Rich, Don't use the brush that comes inside the cap; it's always too big and clumsy unless you have a really big area to touch up. Go to an art store and buy a fine artist's brush, or get some paper (not wood) matches and cut the end into a V shape with some scissors. The matches work surprising well, as cutting them forms a very small but firm tip. This idea came from a detailing and bodywork book (also a good idea). Also, use some tape to mask off the chip. As with other types of paint, multiple thin coats are better than one thick one. You'll notice that as the paint dries and cures, it will shrink, so you'll need a few applications to bring the level of the color coat up the the original paint before applying the clear coat. > And is there any way to smooth down the small "glob"-like structures that >I've got where > there were chips? :) :)... You'll need to sand them down with ultra fine sandpaper from an auto body supply store. I have some 3M auto body wet sanding paper from 600 grit to 2000 grit. Start out with a coarse grit to remove the glob and work up to the fine grit. Use VERY light pressure and keep water running over the sanding area. Then use a polish to take out the final small scratches, apply a glaze, then wax. Generally, you want to move from the coarsest product to the finest one. Look in the phone book under "Automobiles/Body work/paint and supplies" for an auto body shop supply place. A good one will have all the materials that body shops and detailers use. The most important thing to remember is that if you don't feel comfortable doing this, then leave it to a professional. Body work is hard to do right and I wouldn't want to go experimenting on my new M3. There's nothing worse than trying to fix something and then making it worse. HTH, Herman Subject: Re: Paint touch-up technique Sent: 2/19/96 6:05 PM Received: 2/19/96 6:10 PM From: KKelly6788@aol.com To: Rich Gay, rich_gay@fsti.com Rich: E-Mail Larry Reynolds at Car Care Specialties in NJ. He is a nice guy and a Roundel advertiser. Tell him I referred you and ask him to E-mail you his "how to touch up chips" paper. His E-mail address is carcaresp@aol.com I am in CA and have never met him, but he has given me great advice on detailing. Kevin Kelly BMW CCA #50039 Subject: paint chips Sent: 2/19/96 1:37 PM Received: 2/20/96 9:18 AM From: carnone@hogpa.ho.att.com To: Rich Gay, rich_gay@fsti.com It may be too late now since you filled them in, but in general, call and get the catalog from the Eastwood Company. They are based in Pennsylvannia, and have an 800 number. They are an auto restoration and paint and finish specialty catalog. In the catalog, you will find kits for refinishing. They usually include something to sand the area down with (of course, don't over do it. It may not be necessary on some chips), super small fine brushes to apply the paint with to prevent the "globbing" problem, and then a bottle of clearcoat to "seal" the painted area after it dries. If the chip is big and you are adventureous, they also sell a kit with an atomizer that you load your paint color into a small glass jar, pressurize it, and then are able to spray it onto the car. Of course, you'd have to mask the surrounding area with tape, cloths etc and not go nuts with the spray applicator (ie., its not like using Right Guard), but again it reduces the "globbing" effect of application via brush, which as you seem to have sadly learned, is almost completely useless. Get their catalog for next time, its a good mailing list to be on... carnone@hogpa.att.com Subject: touch- up Sent: 2/19/96 7:58 PM Received: 2/20/96 9:18 AM From: Mike Ottati, mottati@mailhost.hooked.net To: Rich Gay, rich_gay@fsti.com Rich, First, I'd remove those globs with a mild rubbing compound or laquer thinner. A way I like doing touch up work is with the torn end of a match out of a book of matches. The cardboard like material soaks up the paint pretty well, so you just dab a small amount in the area and apply several coats, allowing some drying time in between, to build up the paint to match the level of the adjacent areas. Another method is to get a very fine brush at a hobby shop, instead of the match. If you really want it perfect, you could then wet sand with 1500 - 2000 grit sandpaper and then use a mild rubbing compound. In theory this should make it look perfect, in practice it usually ends up just removing the touch up paint. Good luck! Mike Ottati 95 325i alpine white 95 318i jet black Subject: Paint touch up Sent: 2/19/96 11:47 PM Received: 2/20/96 9:18 AM From: KLchmn@aol.com To: Rich Gay, rich_gay@fsti.com Rich, As an owner of a two-month old '95 M3 (Avus Blue, grey leather) too, I feel compelled to assist someone of obvious taste and style. :-) >I'd like some advice on paint touch-up techniques. I used to deal with aerospace painting applications all the time, so I'll put in my limited knowledge. >Problem is, no matter how much I try to get the excess paint off the >small brush on the paint "stick", the pain has a tendency to glob up >rather than fill-in nicely. >So, am I stuck with this, or is there a trick to getting the touch-up >paint to nicely fill-in the chip? There is a saying the 90% of painting success is due to proper surface prep. The surface to be painted need to be *clean*, not just washed. First, take a small piece of sand paper (400 or 600 grit) and 'rough up' the chipped area. You can glue the sandpaper to a pencil eraser to make this easier. Then, remove the grit, etc. with a rubbing alcohol rinse (don't let it drip everywhere, soak it up with a clean rag). The next step will ensure success, but may not be required. Your local autobody supply store sells a surface cleaning chemical that strips any waxes, grease, or oils off of a car prior to repainting. Get a can of this stuff. Swab it on with a q-tip. Use a clean q-tip each time. I suggest three cleanings. Now try painting the chip. It'll still glob alittle (very viscous touchup paint versus what was sprayed on) , but not nearly as much. >And is there any way to smooth down the small "glob"-like structures that >I've got where there were chips? :) :) Take the really high spots off with the sandpaper trick. Then polishing compound. Alot of polishing compound. I hate this part. Kirk 95 M3 94 530i (manual) 89 CRX Si (for sale...) Subject: Re: paint touch-up technique Sent: 2/20/96 12:45 AM Received: 2/20/96 9:18 AM From: CarcareSp@aol.com To: Rich Gay, rich_gay@fsti.com Dear Rich: I am enclosing the article I wrote on chip repair. If you would like a complete product description/price list/car care tips package, please send me your snail mail address. The repair of a scratch and a chip are the same. The only problem with a scratch is that it takes more time to be able to blend in the new paint. | PAINT CHIP REPAIR Items you need: 1. Touchup or color matched paint 2. Compatable primer - I like Wurth Rustop Primer 3. Oganic cleaner -Wurth Citrus Degreaser or P21S Total Auto Wash 4. Solvent - Rubbing Alcohol or Prepsol or Enamel Reducer 5. 3M Imperial Hand Glaze 5. Meguiar Finesse Sanding Block 2000 grit 6. 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper 7. Round undyed wooden toothpicks 8. Large lightweight cardboard boxes (large shoe box or bigger) 9. Several 100% cotton towels 10. Magnifying glass - this helps we with older eyes 11. New Pencils with unused erasers 12. Rubber glue 13. Several heavy clean plastic cups 14. Roll of quality paint masking tape Realize that paint chip repair is a learned skill and should be practiced on an area of the car that is not that visible. The hood and nose are two areas that should be tackled last. Test all cleaners or solvents on the paint prior to usage. I like to use the seam underneath the rocker panels. Apply a little cleaner or solvent to a cloth and rub the seam. If you do not get any color on the rag, then the cleaner/solvent should be safe for the paint. If you do get color on the rag, then you may wish to consider another solvent. | CHIP REPAIR STEPS: 1. Twentyfour hours before you want to start, use the rubber glue to attach small 600 grit sandpaper circles (the diameter of the eraser) onto several new pencils. The eraser must be unused and flat on top. 2. Step #1:Wash the car with a quality car wash and dry thoroughly. 3. Paint chips come in two flavors. The worst case has exposed the bare metal, while the less severe has left the original primer intact. Clean the area throughly with the Wurth or P21S citrus cleaner. If there is rust on the exposed metal, clean off with the pencil eraser. Use a toothpick to gently probe the area and make sure that the edges of the chip are secure and not waiting to fall off and destroy your work. Take a new pencil/sandpaper tool, dip into clean water and put a few drops of water on the chip area. *SLIGHTLY* rough up the chip and a small portion of the surounding paint. Lightly turning the pencil will rough up an area the diameter of the eraser and this should be more than enough. Keep the roughed up area as small as possible, the object is to give the new paint approximately 1 mm of old paint to "grab" around the perimeter of the chip and not dig scratches. 4. Move onto the next chip and repeat the above. Depending upon the amount of time available, you may wish to tackle 10-20 chips at one time. Try to stay within the area that may be covered by your box(es). 5. When finished sanding all your chips you are tackling at this time apply a small amount of Alcohol or Prepsol or Enamel Reducer to a rag and wipe each chip and surrounding area to remove any sanding dust and grease/oils. Use additional solvent and new area of the rag for each chip. Allow to dry (these are highly volatile and will evaporate quickly with no residue). 6. If the original primer is intact, and "pencil sanding" does not disturb the primer, then skip the next step and go directly to painting (# 9) 7. Make sure that the chip and surrounding area is clean. If not, reclean with the Prepsol, Alcohol or Enamel Reducer. Pour or spray a small amount of primer into a clean plastic cup. Dip the point of a wooden toothpick into the primer to get a thin coating on the first 1-2 mm of the toothpick. If there is a blob on the end, gently scrape it back into the bottle. Place the tip of the toothpick against the center of the chip and allow capillary action to literally flow a *THIN* coat of the primer into the depression of the chip. Move onto the next prepared chip. If you have finished priming all your prepared chips before two hours are up, cover with a box, taped down with masking tape and go have a beer. The key is to allow the first coat of primer to dry at least two hours. Dispose of your cup and start with a fresh cup and toothpick. Apply another thin coat of primer to each repair that needs primer. Priming is completed when no metal is visible and the level of the primer is *BELOW* the level of the surrounding paint. This is important! Cover and allow to dry for two hours or until dry. 8. Take a new pencil sander and dip into water and add a few drops of water to the repair area and gently sand the area to rough up the chip and a small portion of the surounding paint. Lightly turning the pencil will rough up an area the diameter of the eraser and this should be more than enough. Apply a small amount of Alcohol or Prepsol or Enamel Reducer to a rag and wipe the chip and surrounding area to remove any sanding dust and grease/oils. Allow to dry. Repeat for all the chips that are on today's list of victims. 9. If you are using a touchup, shake the bottle thoroughly. If you are using color matched paint, mix thoroughly and pour a small amount into a clean plastic cup. 10. Dip the point of a new toothpick into the paint to get a thin coating on the first 1-2 mm of the toothpick. If there is a blob on the end, gently scrape it back into the bottle. Place the tip of the toothpick against the center of the chip and allow capillary action to literally flow the paint into the depression of the chip. Repeat for each chip. The key is not to use too much paint. Do not redip the toothpick. Use only the amount that will flow from one dip. Temptation to add more paint with each application will be almost overwhelming. Fight it! 11. Cover with your paint box and allow to dry 2 hours and repeat 8-12 times till the depression is filled with paint and bulges slightly upward and covers the roughed up area with a thin coating of paint. The first 2-3 coats may not completely hide the primer. This is fine because you have many more coats to go. Fight that urge! 13. The paint application is completed when the new paint bulges slightly upward (a fraction of a millimeter) and had covered the roughed up area with a thin coat of new paint. Allow the paint to dry for at least a week. 14. The touchup paint has been applied to the surface and allowed to dry for at least 1 week, and resembles a minute mound ( __o__ ) (this is exaggerated) on the flat plane of the existing paint. The object is to remove the mound and make the surface of the paint one continuous flat plane. The Finesse Block offers the ability to gently remove only the high spot of the repair. Unlike sandpaper or polish on a rag, the five usable sides of the block are flat and act like a "wood plane" to remove only the elevated areas of the repair. The 2000 grit will not leave scratches. 2. Soak the Finesse Block in clean water for 24 hours prior to use. Then gently "plane" the high spot on the paint. I prefer to "plane" in one direction (usually back to front - drawing the block towards me). If the block dries out, re-wet and continue use. When the new and existing paints are blended (smoothed to the flat plane) to your satisfaction, clean the area with a quality car wash and then use a quality glaze to restore the high gloss finish. I prefer 3M Imperial Hand Glaze. Don't use a machine on your car, as it deserves to be caressed by hand. Use the machine on your SO. 3. When applying either a glaze or a wax, apply to your soft cotton cloth or applicator pad (don't squirt the stuff on the car) and work in one direction only. Don't go around in circles like dear of dad . Circles are many times the cause of "swirl marks." A front-to-back, back-to-front motion (the way the air flows over the car) will help minimize swirl marks or at least make them less visible. Buff out with a soft cotton cloth. If it looks good, wax with a quality hard wax and you are done. 4. Tip for applying wax. If you are using a quality carnuba based wax, try applying it with your fingers instead of a pad or cloth. Hold your fingers together and use your finger tips as an applicator pad. The tactile feedback from your fingers will tell you when the wax has been worked into the paint. If grit should lodge under your fingers, you will know immediately and not grind it into the paint. A pad will not allow this tactile feedback and these devil grits become sandpaper. A circular motion of the pad will make a 360 degree swirl mark. All marks on paint are most visible at a 90 degree viewing angle. Thus the front to back marks are most visible from the sides, whereas a circle stands out from any viewing angle. The question was also asked if clear touchup should be used as a final coat to repair chips on a clear coat paint. There are two view points to this question. 1. The purist will say yes, the paint has a clear coat and thus, the repair should also. The process is the same as previously described, except the clear coat is substituted for the last 2-3 coats or paint. 2. The practical world says no. The touchup paint is different from the original paint and is formulated only as a touchup paint. Once it is applied it should, according to the manufacturer, match well enough to be all but invisible. I have found this to be the case with the numerous repairs on the many cars/colors, I have completed. If you are using the original paint as a touchup (I have not done this with a clear coated car), then my understanding is that you should use the clear as a topcoat. The color coat of some paints will many times be relatively dull in appearance. These paints rely on the clear coat to provide the "shine." Try one chip in an area that is not that visible. If the process works, then continue with the rest. If not try the clear coat top layer. I hope that the above has added a little more food for thought on chips. (Or chips as a thought of food.) Larry Reynolds Car Care Specialties, Inc. Distributors of Quality Car Care Products Post Office Box 535 Saddle Brook, NJ 07663-0535 Phone (201) 796-8300 Fax (201) 791-9743 E-mail carcaresp@aol.com Old enough to remember when sex was safe and race cars were dangerous