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Applying Touch-Up Paint, Best Method??

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Old Feb 9, 2010 | 05:43 PM
  #11  
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reh13
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Originally Posted by classic cruiser
I recently had a bike get a scratch on top of the saddle bag, it was a pretty deep and long scratch. I took it to the body shop and they buffed it out without a problem, couldn't even see it afterward. I can't believe how deep the clearcoat is, just another option depending on how deep it is.
I've got to agree. I had some really deep scratches in a tank one time. Looked to me like I needed a paint job. I couldn't believe it when they got through buffing the tank.
 
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Old Feb 9, 2010 | 06:52 PM
  #12  
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Get yourself a book of matches. Pull one out of the pack. Use the torn end to gently apply the touch up paint. Works great!
 
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Old Feb 9, 2010 | 07:32 PM
  #13  
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I always use the match end method. Works great. Just remember, less is better. Good luck
 
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Old Feb 9, 2010 | 08:57 PM
  #14  
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Its kinda one of those things you learn as you go. I'm on my second week fixing my half inch scratch. Be SUPER careful to not make the problem area bigger (real easy to do). I just bought a chip/scratch kit at Autozone, hopefully this will help. If I screw it up too bad, I'll take it in.....dont oversand the areas adjacent to the scratch. Don't use a dremel tool to sand or buff (trust me). Good luck, take it S L O W .........
 
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Old Feb 10, 2010 | 12:10 AM
  #15  
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Originally Posted by Mr Wonderful

Hit it with your boot, swinging yer leg over, didntcha?![:@]
Wish I could blame myself on my recent scratch, as in Super Bowl Sunday. My girl decides to put a tiny drink table next to the garage door opening the night before because "it looks better there". As if anybody at 11PM would see it. Knowing we were leaving first thing in the AM we'd need to move it again, so why bother right? I'm slowly rolling my bike backwards out of the garage that morning and I hear a faint noise that I suspect might be that very little table I bitched about thinking 'let me guess, she didn't move it far enough away". Yep, a nice 2 1/2 scratch right across the saddlebag lid right through the paint from the VERY sharp corner of that damn table. After asking me what happened, I replied "at least the table was sharp".
So your timing of this post was perfect!

For those stuck in the cold, bored? Briefly, the rest of the day;

Leave the house straight for fuel. Pump works fine on her bike, then pukes gas all over my tank, floorboards, engine, lowers, etc.

Go to a club riding skills rodeo, I take first place, she does ok, then comes home and drops her bike right in front of the driveway! Did I mention we just came from a skills event? Remember boys and girls, unless you're really deft with the front brake, stay away from it at crawling speeds while turning! And those new lowers I just put on her bike a few weeks ago? These touch up tips are arriving at just the right time! Damn you guys are good. Actual damage was VERY minor and I used the opportunity to show her the correct way to pick up her bike after a tip over. She's fine and odd as it might seem, she wasn't spooked by it, that's healthy. Now stop laughing!
 
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Old Feb 10, 2010 | 10:07 AM
  #16  
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Originally Posted by 09 UltraFine
I always use the match end method. Works great. Just remember, less is better. Good luck
And when the scratch cant be fixed you can always light it to see how much fuel is in that dark tank
 
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Old Feb 10, 2010 | 10:41 AM
  #17  
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+1 on the toothpicks .. lots of thin coats over several days .. wet sand 1500-2000 grit .. buff, polish, wax .. you can hide alot with this method
 
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Old Feb 10, 2010 | 11:36 AM
  #18  
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Originally Posted by Da Butcher
Wish I could blame myself on my recent scratch, as in Super Bowl Sunday. My girl decides to put a tiny drink table next to the garage door opening the night before because "it looks better there". As if anybody at 11PM would see it. Knowing we were leaving first thing in the AM we'd need to move it again, so why bother right? I'm slowly rolling my bike backwards out of the garage that morning and I hear a faint noise that I suspect might be that very little table I bitched about thinking 'let me guess, she didn't move it far enough away". Yep, a nice 2 1/2 scratch right across the saddlebag lid right through the paint from the VERY sharp corner of that damn table. After asking me what happened, I replied "at least the table was sharp".
So your timing of this post was perfect!

For those stuck in the cold, bored? Briefly, the rest of the day;

Leave the house straight for fuel. Pump works fine on her bike, then pukes gas all over my tank, floorboards, engine, lowers, etc.

Go to a club riding skills rodeo, I take first place, she does ok, then comes home and drops her bike right in front of the driveway! Did I mention we just came from a skills event? Remember boys and girls, unless you're really deft with the front brake, stay away from it at crawling speeds while turning! And those new lowers I just put on her bike a few weeks ago? These touch up tips are arriving at just the right time! Damn you guys are good. Actual damage was VERY minor and I used the opportunity to show her the correct way to pick up her bike after a tip over. She's fine and odd as it might seem, she wasn't spooked by it, that's healthy. Now stop laughing!
Sorry man, I couldn't help chuckling as I read this. Sounds like one of my days!

Glad to see this post though, I had a piece of steel get kicked up into the fairing on my Ultra and it left several deep cuts in the paint around the headlight. I tried touching them up using the brush in the bottle and it turned out about as you'd expect (paints too thick).

Any hints on how I can fix it?
 
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Old Feb 10, 2010 | 12:07 PM
  #19  
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Originally Posted by Da Butcher
Wish I could blame myself on my recent scratch, as in Super Bowl Sunday. My girl decides to put a tiny drink table next to the garage door opening the night before because "it looks better there". As if anybody at 11PM would see it. Knowing we were leaving first thing in the AM we'd need to move it again, so why bother right? I'm slowly rolling my bike backwards out of the garage that morning and I hear a faint noise that I suspect might be that very little table I bitched about thinking 'let me guess, she didn't move it far enough away". Yep, a nice 2 1/2 scratch right across the saddlebag lid right through the paint from the VERY sharp corner of that damn table. After asking me what happened, I replied "at least the table was sharp".
So your timing of this post was perfect!

For those stuck in the cold, bored? Briefly, the rest of the day;

Leave the house straight for fuel. Pump works fine on her bike, then pukes gas all over my tank, floorboards, engine, lowers, etc.

Go to a club riding skills rodeo, I take first place, she does ok, then comes home and drops her bike right in front of the driveway! Did I mention we just came from a skills event? Remember boys and girls, unless you're really deft with the front brake, stay away from it at crawling speeds while turning! And those new lowers I just put on her bike a few weeks ago? These touch up tips are arriving at just the right time! Damn you guys are good. Actual damage was VERY minor and I used the opportunity to show her the correct way to pick up her bike after a tip over. She's fine and odd as it might seem, she wasn't spooked by it, that's healthy. Now stop laughing!
Might also be a good opportunity to show her correct placement of your garage furniture too! LOL
 
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Old Feb 10, 2010 | 02:31 PM
  #20  
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Originally Posted by vincrawford
I put a small chip in my paint on my tank. 09 1200N Nightster. It's mirage orange and black. I called a couple of paint shops and they want about 350-450 bucks to fix it. Anybody know of a really good do-it-yourself repair method that I can live with. I just got the damn thing, I turned my mirrors upside down and in the process I dropped a wrench on the tank....Stupid I know....no towel or anything.....If you have any ideas let me know, it chipped all the way down to the damn primer man.......sucks! It's small enough to hide with a dime, but it's an eye sore on a bike with less that 60 miles on it..........
I fixed the fairing on a new police motor that hit during a crash in training. It scratched a silver dollar sized area in the vivid black. I used layes of HD touch up paint and sanded lightly. I used many coats until the scratches were level with the surrounding paint. Then I did the same with a few coats of clear coat. Used rubbing compound, glaze and finished with wax. You have to look for the damage now. The trick as said before is multiple thin coats allowing it to dry between each.
 
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