Touch up paint tips?

[darkspork]

When I bought my Ranger it had one sizable spot where the paint is chipped off from being bumped into in a parking lot. The primer is still intact. Last week I washed the truck and noticed a small chip in the hood, and a small chip on the tailgate, primer intact on both chips. So I went to the Ford dealer and bought matching touch-up paint and clear coat touch-up.

I've noticed that the touch-up paint has a ball-point applicator on the tip and of course the standard brush inside. From what I read and have experienced the brush is garbage. My understanding is that the key to getting the touch up to look alright is applying several thin coats of paint (5-6 color then 2-3 clear coat) leaving an hour for each coat to dry, then polishing the area that was touched up well after the paint has dried. I've heard suggestions like "toothpick, q-tip, the wood end of a match slit in two, and a very fine artist's brush as applicators". Does anybody know if the ball-point applicator is any good? What methods have people had good success with? I want to do it "right". I'd leave it alone but I'm afraid of the spots eventually rusting.

Cheers.

 

[09ajmaros]

For my touch ups, I use a super fine paintbrush

 

[darkspork]

Thanks for the reply. Does that work pretty well for you?

 

[darkspork]

Sorry to bump an old thread. Just wanted to post that I finally got around to doing it this month. I initially used the tip that looked like a ball-point pen for the first coat. Tried to use it for the 2nd coat but it didn't want to work, so I continued to fill the chips with a fine brush every coat for an additional 4 coats. Then I added 2 coats of clearcoat. Waxed the touched-up areas the next day. You can still see where it is touched up, but only if you look really close (and I'd still probably have to point it out for it to be seen). If I spent a few hours on prep (putty, wet sanding, primer) I may have been able to get it so that you can't see it at all. But I am satisfied with the results, I think it looks pretty good. And the whole purpose for me was rust protection more than it was looks.

 

[gertsdsbs]

cool