Paint pen?

pushpull · May 1, 2011

My bike has a few scuffs on the top tube from the careless previous owner. Not really scratches or gouges, but enough to take the clear coat off and produce, well, a scuff. It's a black bike. I've used a sharpie with some luck but it soon disappears.

Would anyone advise using a paint touch-up pen like the one's conventionally sold for auto paint? I just don't want to turn a somewhat noticeable scuff into a very obvious paint touch-up job if you know what I mean?

I've very lightly buffed these spots to give the best improvement possible without actually using paint. My plan is to get a paint pen and test it out on a small spot to see, but I'm just wondering is this common practice or do most people just live with it? Any tips on blending the paint in after application for the best result? I've never really cared on my other bikes.

MisterMike · May 1, 2011

No photos makes it tough but.....

You can follow the same exact practices you would for any car touch up procedures. You might just want to try clear coat first. But I can't recommend that you use the brushes in the paint's cap or applicator pens. They suck and typically leave a blob or cover far more than you need. Using a toothpick with a bit of touch up on the tip to gradually fill any nicks, scratches is best. I very fine (#1 or #2) artist's brush from a craft store is also very good. Thin coats over time, not a blob. My bike's carbon so clear coat is all I typically do and I don't obsess over it like the car. If you do make a mistake most consumer based clear coats and touch up paints are easily removed by this kind of lacquer thinner (http://www.paintscratch.com/cgi-bin/show_products.cgi?ShowItem=38). I would not put this stuff on a carbon frame though since it's pretty nasty. But on alu or steel no problem. I've seen it remove bad touch up jobs that are years old yet leave original paint without any damage (but always test an area first !!!).

If you need to use paint you will soon see that black is not always black. Sharpie definitely has some tint. I use regular old "Testors" gloss black on my bike on the rare occasion it needs it. The little square black bottle found in every hobby and craft stores coast to coast. I'd bet black nail polish from the corner store would work as well.

Basically you aren't going to make it perfect. Most people simply can't. From the rider's view the top top tube is just too close to the eyes for them to not see any touch up. The type of damage you have (sounds like multiple scuff) will usually be extremely difficult since you probably will dot the area with multiple touch ups which may look worse than the scuffs. Sometimes leaving well enough alone is best. A large field of scuffs that won't buff out is often only remedied by prepping and shooting the area which is way beyond what I'd do to a bike....and I really like my bike.

Mel Erickson · May 1, 2011

pushpull said:
My bike has a few scuffs on the top tube from the careless previous owner. Not really scratches or gouges, but enough to take the clear coat off and produce, well, a scuff. It's a black bike. I've used a sharpie with some luck but it soon disappears.

Would anyone advise using a paint touch-up pen like the one's conventionally sold for auto paint? I just don't want to turn a somewhat noticeable scuff into a very obvious paint touch-up job if you know what I mean?

I've very lightly buffed these spots to give the best improvement possible without actually using paint. My plan is to get a paint pen and test it out on a small spot to see, but I'm just wondering is this common practice or do most people just live with it? Any tips on blending the paint in after application for the best result? I've never really cared on my other bikes.

IMHO it's hard to beat nail polish for touch up. Hard as nails (pun intended), self leveling, comes in so many colors I can't imagine a color you couldn't match (and black is not always black). Clear nail polish for a top coat and you're good to go.

pushpull · May 1, 2011

Super duper thank you, sirs.

Dave Hickey · May 1, 2011

Mel Erickson said:
IMHO it's hard to beat nail polish for touch up. Hard as nails (pun intended), self leveling, comes in so many colors I can't imagine a color you couldn't match (and black is not always black). Clear nail polish for a top coat and you're good to go.

What Mel said.....

Camilo · May 2, 2011

Hobby shops have a good variety of enamels in little jars and you can buy a decent tiny brush too.

You've probably found that there's a lot of varieties of black out there. (white too).

BruceG1 · May 2, 2011

Nail polish has always worked for me. I found the high end nail polishes to be the longest lasting and easiest to work with and it's stilll way cheaper than auto touch up paint. I just roll my bike into the store and ask for the best nail polish technician! They's always been eager to help match colour.

TnFeltRider · May 2, 2011

Nail polish all the way for sure, my 06 red Felt looks like new for a reason.

ARP · May 2, 2011

Be careful

some of you may have been successful using nail polish but I'm pretty sure it has acetone in it. I used nail polish once on my white Lemond and it ate the paint right off of it. A few techniques to use is if it is a straight line scratch, mask off both sides directly beside both sides of the scratch and use paint from an auto parts store. Fill the scratch several times with light coats and then let it dry remove the tape. Any over fill? Have some thinner on hand and wrap a bottle cap in a lintless paper towel and get the flat side wet with thinner and use the flat side like a pencil eraser to level or remove any imperfections. The good thing about using paint is that if you mess up, the thinner will erase your mistake and you can try again.

Mel Erickson · May 2, 2011

They may contain acetates but not acetone. Nail polish remover is acetone based.

Paint pen?

pushpull

MisterMike

Mel Erickson

pushpull

Dave Hickey

Camilo

BruceG1

TnFeltRider

ARP

Mel Erickson

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