Wing Mirror scuff

[chinnyhill10]

Scuffed my wing mirror the other day. Cleaned it up and tried to paint it using a touch up kit but it's a disaster every time I try. Have read and watched lots of guides online, I follow the instructions but I just can't get even a passable finish. I use a proper art brush but you end up with brush marks and the paint dries absurdly quickly. Even late at night in this weather it goes on and starts drying in an instant.



It's not the biggest scuff in the world and I don't need it to look perfect but I'm at my wits end now. 4 separate attempts to cover it over a period of 2 weeks and I just can't do it. I end up scrubbing it all off again as it looks like a 5 year old has been at it.

I dunno what the problem is. I've touched up cars before and not had this kind of problem. This is a bit bigger than usual but usually it's just apply, polish/wet and dry to blend and then more polish before clear coating and more polish/wet and dry.

Cheers.

 

[Jonathaan]

Try applying with a ear bud?

And do you remove the cover or do it on the car - as im thinking remove it and repair it in the garage or somewhere a little cooler and easier to work, failing that i suppose would be a mirror cover re spray.

 

[chinnyhill10]

Try applying with a ear bud?

And do you remove the cover or do it on the car - as im thinking remove it and repair it in the garage or somewhere a little cooler and easier to work, failing that i suppose would be a mirror cover re spray.

I actually tried a little applicator designed for cleaning tape heads and did it late at night in the garage. Made the same kind of mess.

Found a local garage that will repair it for 35 quid (far less than I expected). The only other option would be to respray it myself but when I did that on my mk4 Golf although it looked great, 2 years down the line it was chipped to hell.

By the time I have bought spray paint, clear coat and got it delivered, the cost wouldn't be that far short of 35 quid anyway. + he'll remove the wing mirror cover, I can go to work, and he'll refit it on the way home.

I said to the guy at the garage how hard the paint was to work with compared to previous experience and he said it's to do with the new water based paints .

Oddly enough my mother in law had some accident work done this time last year and over the last few months the paint has gone weird. Like basecoat and clearcoat have interacted. From what I am told that is being blamed on "new paints" as well.

 

[coreythorny]

Apply with a toothpick, works a treat for me, blob it slightly proud of the previous clearclat, allow to dry then polish down to level.

touch up will never give a good finish