Paint Blending

[Forrest 35]

Have just shadowlined my car, masking tape pulled some of the paint off and have a few places where paint is starting to flake off. My car is metallic burgandy (calypso red) I am a poor student so I can't afford to respray entire panels, if I mask and spray can the patches that need fixing, obviously the paint will be really glossy and slightly faded in other parts, has anyone had any experience at polishing the paint to blend it together? Im sure there is a better way to explain this but sure everyone gets the jist of it. What is the most appropriate course of action? Any help would be appreciated

Thanks in advance

Nathan

[greenday-rulz21 6]

How much paint came off mate? If not much then just use a touch up bottle from BMW ($20).

[Forrest 35]

How much paint came off mate? If not much then just use a touch up bottle from BMW ($20).

Not alot, im a bit of a perfectionist, thing i dont like about touch up paint is that it never has a smooth finish after. Maybe I should give that a go and see how bad it turns out

[greenday-rulz21 6]

Not alot, im a bit of a perfectionist, thing i dont like about touch up paint is that it never has a smooth finish after. Maybe I should give that a go and see how bad it turns out

Yeah, I know what you mean. Give it a go (at least thats what I would do) and if it doesn't come out well then use a spray can and mask the areas you want redone. My 2c.

[Forrest 35]

Yeah, I know what you mean. Give it a go (at least thats what I would do) and if it doesn't come out well then use a spray can and mask the areas you want redone. My 2c.

Thanks man for the advice, il post some pics up when its done for a conclusion

[bravo 35]

Blending is hard work. What you can do if its near an edge is mask right up to the flaked areas (give it a really quick rub with very fine (2000 grit say) paper only in that area), and then give it a really quick single coat from a good distance. The idea is to just get a fine mist of paint on - not enough to cover at all, then you peel back the masking a few mm and do the same trying not to really spray the now unmasked bit at all - just allowing a touch of overspray. Then you pull it back a touch more and repeat. Stop once the flaked area has proper cover, and what you have ended up with is a fade or blend with only one mist coat not even really there at all right on the edge of the delineation between the old and new paint, and a slow fade to the damaged area.

Don't try to paint the area wher ethe fade ocvcurs - only focus on the damaged area - the fade will sort itself out if you are careful.

The biggest mistake is to try and put too heavy a coat on - I cannot stress enough - it is a very very light coat - you may need 5 or 6 coats to cover the damaged area if you want the fade to look gradual enough.

Except for with alot of practice you will have a little bit of a striped effect where each bit of masking was- that's where you use a light cutting compound/polish to blend the new paint and tidy up where it meets the old - don't be too fussy or else you'll take off too much new paint and it'll be easy to see.

its hard to do and I have had a few goes and getting better, but no expert.

[Forrest 35]

Blending is hard work. What you can do if its near an edge is mask right up to the flaked areas (give it a really quick rub with very fine (2000 grit say) paper only in that area), and then give it a really quick single coat from a good distance. The idea is to just get a fine mist of paint on - not enough to cover at all, then you peel back the masking a few mm and do the same trying not to really spray the now unmasked bit at all - just allowing a touch of overspray. Then you pull it back a touch more and repeat. Stop once the flaked area has proper cover, and what you have ended up with is a fade or blend with only one mist coat not even really there at all right on the edge of the delineation between the old and new paint, and a slow fade to the damaged area.

Don't try to paint the area wher ethe fade ocvcurs - only focus on the damaged area - the fade will sort itself out if you are careful.

The biggest mistake is to try and put too heavy a coat on - I cannot stress enough - it is a very very light coat - you may need 5 or 6 coats to cover the damaged area if you want the fade to look gradual enough.

Except for with alot of practice you will have a little bit of a striped effect where each bit of masking was- that's where you use a light cutting compound/polish to blend the new paint and tidy up where it meets the old - don't be too fussy or else you'll take off too much new paint and it'll be easy to see.

Its hard to do and I have had a few goes and getting better, but no expert.

Okay so I had a trawl on google and came accros what people do to blend in touch up paint from a little bottle, so I masked and hit the area that lost the paint in fine mist coats, will then go back and wet and dry with 2000 then a light coat of clear coat and apparently that makes it look alot more 'flowed' worth a go at the end of the day my car is worth virtually nothing and miles wel try and learn something as I go along.