Repair 7

How to Touch Up Paint Scratches With a Bottle Painter

Scratches in automotive paint are an eyesore and can allow water to corrode the sheet metal if the scratch continues into the primer underneath the paint. Touching up the scratch will hide the eyesore and provide protection against rust damage. Bottle painters have a brush attached to the lid that allows you to apply automotive touch up paint to a scratch or other blemish without specialized painting tools.

Instructions

1

Add one teaspoon of dishwashing soap to a plastic bucket. Fill the bucket with water. Thoroughly wash the vehicle with the soapy water. Rinse the vehicle with clean water and allow it to dry for one hour. Dispose of the soapy water. Rinse the bucket and fill it with three to four inches of clean water.

2

Place a piece of 600-grit sandpaper in the bucket of clean water. Let the sandpaper soak in the water for 10 to 15 minutes

3

Sand the scratch with the wet 600-grit sandpaper. Place the sandpaper back in the water every one to two minutes to keep the sanding area wet. Rinse sanding debris from the paint with clean water.

4

Remove the cap from the bottle painter. Apply paint to the scratch with the brush attached to the lid of the bottle painter. Allow the paint to dry for 24 hours.

5

Set a piece of 1000-grit sandpaper in clean water. Allow the sandpaper to soak for 10 minutes. Sand the paint until it blends into the surrounding area.

6

Remove the cap from a clear coat bottle painter. Apply clear coat to the scratch with the brush. Allow the clear coat to dry for 24 hours.