Touching up paint chips - spray or touch-up pen? (Pictures.)

[TheMightyGoat]

My '03 Wrangler (black, obviously) has some paint chips that need touching up. All were done before I owned it. I'm wondering if I should use one of those little touch-up pen/brush bottle combinations or if these are big enough to warrant a spray... what do you guys think?

A spot where the door bashed the antenna into the paint when the idiot busted the strap off the door.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...Name/Jeep4.jpg

Chip in the grille, presumably from a rock. It looks white due to failing light but that area is actually rusted.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...ame/Jeep10.jpg

This is a spot in the front by the light cover that is actually peeling as well.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...ame/Jeep16.jpg

So, obviously I need to sand these enough to remove the rust and paint flakes. Then do I use the touch-up brush/pen thing or a spray? How important is a clear coat?

[gottagofast]

have you by chance heard of www.jeepsunlimited.com they do a bit less rock crawling and a bit more touching up and kc mounting than pirate folks.... you might like it there.
notice.... no flames here

[soilantgreen]

Ahem [raises hand and walks to the blackboard...], this is my area of expertise.

Spraying chips would be a huge waste of resources. You need three and a half specks of paint and you'd end up putting a half pint into a cup gun, hooking up the air compressor, sanding and cleaning the area, wasting solvent to clean up the gun when you're done, etc.

A paint pen, if you can get your color, will touch it up easier. Build it up in thin coats. Do NOT try to get it all on and up to the level of the surrounding paint in one coat.

Or, your color in a spray can, could be sprayed into the can's cap and dabbed into the area with a small brush or a paper match stick. (Not the end with the chemicals on it, DUH!)

Scuff the surrounding paint "ridge" down a little first and clean the area prior to painting with some denatured alcohol or wax and grease remover.

Forget clear coat until you've damaged it enough to warrant body work and a repaint.

Once you get it prettied back up, take it out and bash it against some rocks to add character.

[...sits back down at back of room and resumes grumbling at all the whippersnappers in the class...]

[crashnzuk]

Paint the whole thing the flat color of your choice. Extra easy to make it look new again after you put the character to it.
Travis..

[TheMightyGoat]

Originally Posted by soilantgreen

Ahem [raises hand and walks to the blackboard...], this is my area of expertise.

Spraying chips would be a huge waste of resources. You need three and a half specks of paint and you'd end up putting a half pint into a cup gun, hooking up the air compressor, sanding and cleaning the area, wasting solvent to clean up the gun when you're done, etc.

A paint pen, if you can get your color, will touch it up easier. Build it up in thin coats. Do NOT try to get it all on and up to the level of the surrounding paint in one coat.

Or, your color in a spray can, could be sprayed into the can's cap and dabbed into the area with a small brush or a paper match stick. (Not the end with the chemicals on it, DUH!)

Scuff the surrounding paint "ridge" down a little first and clean the area prior to painting with some denatured alcohol or wax and grease remover.

Forget clear coat until you've damaged it enough to warrant body work and a repaint.

Once you get it prettied back up, take it out and bash it against some rocks to add character.

[...sits back down at back of room and resumes grumbling at all the whippersnappers in the class...]

Well said. Thanks for the advice. I've already bought a bottle of touch-up which claims to be a "universal match" for Wrangler black. Better than rust I s'pose.

Originally Posted by crashnzuk

Paint the whole thing the flat color of your choice. Extra easy to make it look new again after you put the character to it.
Travis..

I'm actually looking forward to the day when this thing has been beat enough to warrant repainting. That way, I can feel better when I fuck up the paint after I've already done a homebrew roller job on it. But, until then, this is my daily driver and I don't want to mess up the paint more than is necessary. I'm not so worried about keeping this thing pristine, I just don't want the rust spreading too far.

[Ryalt]

I'm planning on touching up a couple spots on my rig as well. Couple spots that need anti-rust prevention.

My plan is to sand it down, wipe it up with a cleaner, and then tape around the spots and do a couple coats of isolated spray painting.

I could use the brush method, but I always think it comes out looking bad. I bash my rig on rocks, and I like its "character" but rust is a different story entirerly.

Just use some painters tape and some form of plastic wrap, and don't go too crazy with the spray can :P I haven't done it yet, but I figure that it should come out fine like this.


I also am at the point where it's my DD and I don't want to paint it fully yet. Sometime down the road when I get it bigger and bash it up a bit more, but not yet.

[gottagofast]

if all you're worried about is rust... just carry some cleaner and some clear wipe and spray after meeting said rocks.... keeps character and stops rust without all the extras like sanding masking and visible overspray