Do-it-yourself repair of chips on the car paintwork

Over time, during operation, in almost any conditions, minor defects in the body or bumpers appear on the car in the form of scratches and chips. These paint damages are not only disadvantages from an aesthetic point of view, but also represent a practical danger to the car body. Therefore, it is desirable to eliminate the chips that have appeared as soon as possible. This will protect the car body from the harmful effects of corrosion. Sometimes, even a small chip, which is almost imperceptible to others, but knowing about it, it constantly “cuts” your eye, causing constant discomfort. Is it possible to fix car scratches yourself? Yes, it is possible, and it does not require high qualifications or large financial costs.

Of course, there is the easiest option - to contact the experts. However, such a seemingly simple operation can be quite expensive, or the quality will be, as they say, even worse than it was, that is, even more noticeable. This also often happens and then you have to pay again and more to correct what you have done. The choice is yours - if you have money and no desire to mess around, then it’s better not to save money, but immediately contact a decent company. The following article is for those who want and can do minor repairs to their car on their own.

With a large amount of damage, it makes no sense to make spot body repairs. Indeed, in this case, your hood or bumper will be covered with spots or dots with a slightly different color, and the spot repair process itself will be quite long and laborious. In this case, it is better to paint the entire body part. The painting process is quite complicated, but you can do it yourself. However, whether it will be better and cheaper is up to you. Since this will already require special tools, materials and skills.

If the chips are small and there are not very many of them and there is no metal corrosion, this is just what you can quite easily fix on your own.

To protect the car body from environmental influences, manufacturers use multi-layer protection, which is a combination of several different materials. The strengthened structure of such a coating is shown in the figure. In modern cars, iron is preliminarily subjected to additional protection - galvanization. Thickness and quality may vary.

Therefore, when starting to repair, at least two types of minor damage to the car paintwork can be distinguished:

• affecting iron;
• not reached iron.

The fact is that in each of these cases, the restoration of the paintwork is correctly done in different ways. If the damage has affected only the varnish and paint, for example, a shallow scratch, it is enough to treat the area with a polish to eliminate it. In the event that the violation of the paintwork turned out to be deeper, damaged iron, the repair will be a little more difficult.

There are several different approaches to how to paint cracks on car, and each of them has its supporters and opponents. But in any case, paint is applied to the place of damage, which forms a kind of dome above it, and it must be treated with a polish to bring it to the general level of the existing paintwork. This will make the repaired location less visible. Visibility is most affected by the accuracy of paint selection.

Able to remove scratches chips on the car, which affect only the varnish surface of the car and do not reach the paint.These products often have abrasive substances in their composition, due to which the top layer of varnish is rubbed off and the surface, leveling, again becomes supposedly smooth and shiny.

Polishes are selected depending on the size of the scratch. But you should not get carried away with these tools, because you can remove the layer of varnish completely.

They allow you to remove scratches from a car that affect not only the varnish, but also the paint layer. These products fill the damaged surface, thereby protecting it from corrosion.

In addition to the advantages, these products have a significant drawback: after prolonged exposure to water, they are washed off, and if you do not have a standard car color (black, white or red), but, for example, light green with a metallic effect, then the scratch will still be visible .

Eliminates the most serious scratches and chips on the car, which have reached the metal or ground. The restoration pencil is a tube with car paint and a brush.

Colors are usually matched to the vehicle's color code. The scratch remover is the most reliable tool we've reviewed because the paint doesn't wash off and protects the car from corrosion. The only caveat is that in some specific cases it is difficult to choose a tool, since not all coded car paints are in pencils. In such cases, the colors are selected visually according to the catalog with real colors.

If the chip is very small, take a match or a toothpick and apply a drop of paint to the washed and dry chipped area. When the paint hardens a little, you can smooth it out with a small brush. The paint is selected according to the number of the car from the colorists or according to the details of the car (for example, the gas tank hatches). Over time, the paint fades a little, so the method of selecting a car detail is more preferable.
You also need a little varnish and hardener to it. In the right proportions, mix the paint with varnish and hardener. Tint with a small margin. After drying, at least a day, it is polished with a 3M professional polish. Before polishing, it can be trimmed with a two-thousandth sandpaper.

In this case, the repair of the chip will be more difficult and time-consuming, since it is necessary to remove the corrosion processes that have begun and the spread of rust. To do this, you need to use a traditional body repair, which will remove rust and allow you to locally paint over the part without visible differences from the rest of the body.

To eliminate such a chip, you will need sandpaper with a grit of 600, 800 and 1000, possibly putty, primer and paint, as well as tools for their application, degreasing solvent. The workflow in this case is as follows:

• First, it is necessary to clean the local cleavage on the car, taking into account the possible spread of corrosion under the paint.
• Rust must be brushed down to the metal, then the surface should be washed and degreased. Places where corrosion has been removed should preferably be treated with a primer. You can use an acrylic two-component primer from a spray can. It will be required for these works a few drops. A thin brush or a sharpened match is applied to the metal. After 10-15 minutes it is necessary to apply a second layer. After that, they wait about 2 hours until the soil is completely dry, or accelerate it by heating.
• If necessary, apply putty, let it dry and use 600 and 800 grit sandpaper to meet the requirements.
• Degrease the surface again and, if necessary, apply a primer, which should then be washed out with 1000 sandpaper and water.
• After that, the final degreasing and painting of the body part or the chipped area takes place.

The paint is applied with a marker or brush - this operation requires some care.It is not advisable to apply paint in a thick layer, it is better several times, but thinly and accurately. It is best to work in the garage or in the shade, and not "in direct sunlight." If the area is large enough, a sprayer or spray can be used. When painting in this way, be careful not to spray on other parts of your car. To do this, you can use masking tape and old newspapers. After complete drying of the paint, polishing can be carried out.
Many people also apply car polish, believing that such a step will improve the visual quality of car painting. However, under varnish, any difference in paint becomes more noticeable, therefore it is advisable to use varnish only with perfectly matched paint, or not to use it for small local repairs.

According to Dr.ColorChip technology, the paints used in local repairs differ in their composition from traditional repair kits, selected according to the color code of the car. Dr. Materials Formula ColorChip provides the ability to quickly dry paint, without the use of chambers and other dryers. To remove excess paint, Dr. Colorchip Sealac, which is applied to a cloth and polished by hand until excess paint is completely removed, then the stains from the SealAct solution are wiped off with a microfiber towel.

Everything you need is included. Quite quickly and simply - the price of the issue - find out on the Internet. Reviews - various, often do not fall into color. If you choose this option, read more on the forums.

Naturally, from all the above methods and means for removing chips and scratches, you should not expect a completely perfect result. But if we compare the price-quality ratio and labor costs, then these are quite effective methods and are suitable in most cases.

The car body is a part that requires care and careful handling. Careless driving, poor road quality and other factors often cause defects in the car's paintwork. The appearance of small chips on the paintwork requires repair, because it spoils the look of the car and causes further damage. Therefore, drivers sometimes need information on how to remove chips on the car body.

No car owner is immune from damage to the paintwork. In addition to careless driving, chips on a car appear for the following reasons:

• adverse weather conditions - hail, temperature fluctuations;
• gravel road;
• insects crashing into the car at full speed;
• negligence of others, physical damage;
• wrong car wash.

The car owner does not notice the formation of small paint chips. Only a careful examination of the body after the trip and cleaning the car from dirt helps to find possible defects. If they are found, it is desirable to repair the body as soon as possible. Leaving minor damage unattended is fraught with consequences.

Microdamages violate the integrity of the paintwork and become a reason for its further corrosion, and an increase in the area of ​​the defect will make repairs expensive. While waiting, the situation will be aggravated by the beginning of the rusting of the body. Damaged paint will not be able to prevent the metal from oxidizing. In this case, the car body will require a long and costly professional repair.

The car's paintwork consists of primer, paint and a clear lacquer that serves as additional protection. Some paints already have varnish in their composition, so they do not require additional protection. By depth, chips on the car are divided into damage:

• varnish;
• varnish and paint;
• varnish, paint and primer.

According to the type of defects in the paintwork are divided into:

• traces of polishing;
• "Spider webs" - minor damage to the upper layer;
• water marks - small but visible defects on the varnish layer;
• individual small scratches;
• deep scratches;

Repair is required if damage occurs to each layer, and not just scratches that have reached the ground. Small cracks are much easier to repair.

Before proceeding directly to the repair, it is necessary to find all the chips on the body and assess the damage. To do this, carefully inspect the car, especially in the area of ​​​​the front bumper, headlights and radiator.

To properly restore a car, you should assess the general condition, determine whether the soil is damaged. If the damage is not too serious, it makes sense to start repairing it yourself using specialized tools. There are the following ways to restore the paintwork:

• restoration of varnish with a polish;
• restoration of paint with a brush;
• use of an aerosol can;
• repair of chipped car paintwork with the use of varnish.

Before starting the coating, it is necessary to thoroughly clean the surface from corrosion. The damaged area should be cleaned from dirt. Using sanding paper to smooth the surface, create the base for the coating.

It is strictly forbidden to use a rust converter. When applied, a stain will appear at the site of corrosion even after painting.

Next comes the application of the main restorative coating. There are different application methods, so we will consider them in more detail below.

The last step is grinding and polishing the surface. Sanding is done with P2000 paper using a hard backing, and polishing is done with polishing paste and a cloth. To evaluate the result, it is most convenient to use water and make sure that it spreads evenly over the surface.

This restoration method is used to remove small chips on the car. Shallow damage is covered with a special paste, anti-scratch, after drying. This helps stop further corrosion and make chips less noticeable. The main advantages are ease of execution and reliability of the coating. Among the minuses can be noted the duration of work.

Some car owners prefer to periodically polish the entire body. This allows you to get rid of subtle defects in the early stages, prevent further corrosion and update the appearance of the car, giving it a shine like after painting.

The coverage of chips with polishing paste will be noticeable if:

• in case of damage to a large area, the shade changes to matte;
• with scratches of great depth, the coating will not give an effective result.

This method refers to the restoration conditionally. Pencils are most often used as a temporary repair for chips. This is the easiest way to repair chips on a car body with your own hands. Three types of restoration pencils are sold:

• wax;
• gel corrector;
• coloring pencil.

Wax pencil - used to remove chips of any depth. In appearance and method of application, it resembles lipstick. The composition of the substances of such pencils contains a corrosion inhibitor, so it is a reliable, but short-lived protection. For temporary repairs, crayon the surface without cleaning it of corrosion.

Gel corrector - the ability to do without polish for the restoration of the paintwork. The liquid in such a pencil has a high viscosity and hardens for a long time. After the restoration of the defect with such a pencil, the surface does not visually differ from other areas.

Coloring pencil - a bottle of paint, ready for use. It is well suited to cover up small chips on the car or light damage. Particularly sensitive to corrosion. After use, the surface is recommended to be varnished and polished.

Ideal tool for removing large chips. It is produced after grinding and cleaning the place of damage from the old layer of paintwork.With the right choice of color, the tinted places do not differ from the rest of the body.

Spray paint lasts longer than pencil paint due to its even application. An additional advantage is the ability to paint over hard-to-reach places.

In addition to paint in spray cans, there is an auto-primer, which is necessary for painting small but deep chips. There is also an acrylic paint that does not require varnishing.

Lacquer is the top protective layer of the coating. In case of serious damage, opening with a polish is not enough. After local repair of the chip, varnishing is required.

Surface coating with varnish is carried out after complete drying of the paint. The varnish is applied in several thin layers until the surface of the damaged area protrudes slightly beyond the level of the outer part of the paintwork. After that, the unevenness is corrected by leveling the surface by grinding.

Launched defects cause corrosion. If the damage has reached the metal, an urgent repair of the chip on the car body is required.

To remove such a flaw, you should clean the surface around it with coarse sandpaper. In order for the paint to lie better, the borders of the area to be restored should be flat. After cleaning the surface, treat it with a primer and wait for the layer to dry.

It is advisable to repair the chip with paint that contains varnish, since when it is coated over the paint layer, the place where the defect has been eliminated will be noticeable.

To eliminate defects on the body, special kits are sold in car dealerships. These include primer, paint and varnish, as well as brushes for coating. The body chip repair kit has a wide range of colors and allows you to repair almost any defects and scratches.

If you find minor damage to the car body, do not leave them unattended. Careful handling of the machine, as well as timely repairs will keep the paintwork of the machine in good condition for more than 10 years.

On any freeway there is a pebble that, flying out from under the wheels, hits the car body with the energy of a bullet fired from a small-caliber rifle. As a result, chips are formed - point damage to the paintwork of different depths (from tenths of a micrometer to a millimeter) with metal exposure. They are not as harmless as they seem.

Usually corrosion of the body begins from this place. In addition, the machine has a sloppy appearance and significantly loses value. We invite you to familiarize yourself with how to repair chips on a car body using the technology of Nussle (Germany), which is engaged in body repair and the production of professional tools for repairing dents without painting.

If you are not particularly interested in the high-quality elimination of chips, then you can take a thin brush, nitro enamel of a suitable color and paint over the damage. For those who don’t think light spotting of the car is a good idea, you should do otherwise, spending up to three days to repair the chip.

Works are carried out in dry and heated garages. In extreme cases, repairs can be done in the summer. The building must be electrified. Alternatively, find a portable power generator.

Electricity will allow you to well illuminate the place of work and connect an infrared heater. Before starting work, you need to acquire some tools and supplies.

• acrylic paints for outdoor use. You can use water-soluble or giftal;
• two-component acrylic primers;
• two-component acrylic varnish;
• waterproof sandpaper P1500 and P2000;
• paste for finishing polishing;
• magnifying glass;
• a metal tool with sharp ends - a tool knife, a hook, and the like. You can make them yourself;
• portable infrared emitter. For example, Ballu BHH/M-09.

Chip repair is a good reason to thoroughly wash your car. Work begins after complete drying. The repair site is thoroughly degreased, even if you used a product like Fairy when washing. White spirit is best suited for this.

The light should be placed so that the place of work is not obscured by hands and tools. So use two or three sources.

First you need to determine the type of car paintwork. Not all bodies are covered with a layer of varnish. On budget models, a glossy enamel film is formed during hot drying. The assessment is done with a clean cloth and a drop of polishing paste, which must be rubbed on the body without much effort. If there are colored stains on the rag, then there is no varnish, there is only pigment.

Assess the extent of damage with a magnifying glass. If the chip has reached the metal, then it is better to assume that corrosion has already begun.

When working with a chip, a miniature tool and literally homeopathic portions of materials are used - primers, paints, varnishes, rust modifiers.

Circle the repair site with a colored wax pencil so as not to lose sight of it.

Clean the metal under the chip using the sharp end of the wire, the tip of the tool knife. Apply a rust modifier. Turn on the infrared heater, wait until the body part is noticeably warm, and the repair site is completely dry.

Clean the repair site with P1500 sandpaper, making a matte “patch” around the chip with a diameter of about 8 cm. In order not to capture a larger surface, take a piece of wooden lath the size of a matchbox and wrap it with sandpaper.

Dilute a small amount of two-component acrylic primer. It can be expressed into a container from an aerosol can. Using a toothpick, a sharpened match, or a fine-tipped brush, place the soil inside the chip so that it is half full. Use the infrared heater again and wait for the applied material to dry completely. It can shrink, so the priming process is repeated.

If the car is new, then it makes sense to find the paint code, which is written on the model nameplate, next to the VIN code. Each manufacturer finds a special place for it, but in most cases it is installed under the hood, on the shield between the engine compartment and the passenger compartment. As an option - the lower rear corner of the front door, the middle pillar of the body. After two or three years of operation, the color of the paint becomes less saturated. But the lighter the car, the more likely you are to hit the tone using the factory markings.

It is a common misconception that automotive paints are commonly referred to as "nitro paint". Pigment formulations based on dissolved cellulose (hence the root “nitro”) are no longer used. All modern car paints are made on an acrylic basis. They can be water-soluble or giftal containing alkyd resin, which plays the role of a binder.

The paint, which is considered “native” for the car, is probably Giftal, when it dries, it forms a strong waterproof film and does not require additional varnishing. An indispensable condition for its use is thermal curing. Therefore, after application - the process is similar to a primer - the repair site is necessarily warmed up by an infrared emitter. It should be noticeably warm. Time of full drying from 5 to 10 hours. At temperatures below 20 ° C, such paint is completely polymerized in a month.

Water-soluble acrylic paints for outdoor use make sense in two cases:

• the paintwork has changed tone during operation;
• the finishing layer of the finish is varnish.

Water-soluble paints can be mixed with each other, achieving the desired shade. Moisture will not be able to penetrate the primer layer and provoke corrosion. Despite the fact that after complete drying they form a strong waterproof film, it is better to apply a layer of two-component acrylic varnish on top of them.

It is not necessary to use an infrared emitter to dry a layer of water-soluble acrylic paint or a two-component varnish. In this case, it will take at least two days for complete curing.

As a result of sequential filling of the chip with layers of primer, paint and varnish, a pimple should appear on the surface of the repaired part no more than two or three tenths of a millimeter high. To get rid of it, carry out finishing.

The surface around the pimple is painted with any easily washable paint. For example, water-dispersion. This will allow you to precisely control the position of the sandpaper bar and not sand what should not be.

First, an abrasive skin P1500 is taken. It is fixed on a small wooden block the size of a matchbox and slightly wetted. Sand the bump until no streaks appear on the surface of the control paint. Check the quality of work by swiping your finger over the tubercle. Ideally, you should not feel the difference between it and the rest of the surface.

The protective paint is washed off, the 1500 sandpaper is replaced with P2000, which finally smoothes the protrusion. The surface remains matte. Polishing is done with a paste applied to a soft cloth made of natural material. For example, flannels, bikes, felt. The felt polishing pad is too coarse for this job.

Nussle's technology is a long and painstaking process. But time and effort will not be wasted. The place of the former cleavage is no different from the rest of the body surface.