Using OEM paint touch up pen/brush, am I supposed to apply clear coat over it?
 

I have two areas of my car that needs touching up. And was wondering how to approach it. Do I just apply it or is there more to it? I tested the brush and it's too wild so I used a toothpick to kinda just lightly blot a test area but it doesn't dry out smooth. I was thinking maybe sanding it lightly?

The areas are small, one is a 1"x 1/8" scratch on the front plastic bumper, and the other is a 3/8" hole from removing my spoiler.

Sub'd for tips!

I attempted filling some chips with an OEM (Toyota) pen. It is a double sided felt pen with a colour tip and a clear coat tip. Couldn't get a smooth finish at all. :-(

Looking back I would have practiced on some scrap material before applying it to my car.

Toothpick method worked good for me. Apply in light layers, allowing each layer to dry completely. Hairdryer on low, in circular motions helped a lot.

It will not look 100% unless you have patience (unlike myself). But I suppose a little sanding could help?

And to answer the question in the title, yes! Do apply clear coat!


Here's a vid if you want to go to the next level.


[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xi3xmeO6C4"]Paint Chip Touch-up -- /DRIVE CLEAN - YouTube[/ame]

First, remove ALL the wax from the area.

Last, apply the clear coat.

Have the "artist" in your family/circle of friends .... do everything in between ......:thumbsup:


humfrz

If it's not a big deal, then using touch-up paint is enough. Applying clear coat on a small area can be difficult since you have to blend clearcoat well to look good.

Langka.com

even OEM touchup will not match original paint.

1. touch up best you can. do not make heavy layer. thin is better.
2. let it dry
3. buff it lightly with compound/polish
4. apply touch up paint again for 2nd layer
5. repeat 2-3 steps
6. if you're satisfied, apply clear coat.
7. repeat 2-3 steps
8. apply 2nd layer of clear coat.
9. if you're satisfied, you're done.

patient is key on touch-up.
when i did my wife's RDX touch up on little scratch from shopping cart,
it took me about an hour.
it came out great with smooth and leveling w/ original paint but paint color wasnt 100% matching.

Apply like above ^. Also, mix the touch up paint with some paint thinner so that it's the consistency of milk. The thinned paint will fill in holes, scratches, gaps, etc. naturally. This helps to control layering.