Touch-up pen – How to repair scratches on your car yourself
Why is it important to remove stone chips and scratches from your car?
Minor paint damage to a vehicle: Scratches, chipped paint, especially on curved parts, paint damage near door handles, etc., always detract from the aesthetics of a car. However, the need to remove stone chips and scratches from a car stems from more serious reasons. External influences penetrate the damaged paint layer to the metal of the body, causing destructive damage. Moisture and exposure to air lead to metal corrosion, while sun and heat cause the adjacent paint to dry out and swell. Changes in weather are particularly damaging, so the paintwork quickly deteriorates if scratches are not painted over.
Repair pen – instructions for use:
- Preparation of the surface,
- Priming the scratch,
- Overpainting the scratch, applying paint
As with the complete repainting of a car part, removing stone chips and scratches requires first washing and degreasing the repair area. After degreasing, thoroughly wipe the surface with a lint-free cloth. The area to be restored must be completely clean—free of dirt, wax, grease, or other oily contaminants. Only then can you be sure that the touch-up pen will adhere properly.
Repair pen with primer
Priming stone chips and scratches is necessary when the paint damage is deep—down to the metal. If only the top layer of paint is damaged, the defect can be painted over without priming.
For priming, a repair pen with primer is used, which adheres well to the metal and creates a smooth, even surface for the subsequent application of paint.
Car touch-up pens with primer should be shaken well before use, and then the primer should be applied to the scratch using the pen's brush. Allow the primer layer to dry thoroughly. Care should be taken not to apply the primer higher than the surrounding car paint.
Painting over the scratch on the car
Painting the scratch on the vehicle takes about an hour, including drying time between coats. To ensure the color matches, you can first test the touch-up pen on a test metal surface.
First, shake the repair pen well. Then, apply the car paint directly into the scratch with a brush. Many car paints require two to three coats to achieve the exact color. Each coat dries within 15 to 20 minutes at 20°C. After the last coat is dry, the paint can be applied.
The repair pen with car paint was specially developed for localized repairs and restoration. It is easy to apply with a brush. The drying time between coats is 15-20 minutes. The car should not be used for 24 hours after the repair work is completed.
Ideally, the scratch should be painted over in such a way that the primer, paint, and varnish completely fill the scratch, but do not extend above the level of the adjacent paint. This makes the localized repair virtually invisible.
