nail polish to top chip base fill?

[builthatch]

i have a small chip on my hood. very tiny on an otherwise mint hood. when i say tiny, it's about 3x the size of the end of a gold metal tip of a ball point pen. on such a perfect hood it's def noticeable. i filled it with custom mixed base and sanded slightly...then compounded/polished, all to assure that the edges of the chip are flat since they tend to be like flat volcanos, raised a bit. now it's ready for clear, but i don't have any way to apply clear since clears require activators. one time i had a clear coat tiny bottle from duplicolor or one of those mass retail shelf companies and it smelled JUST like nail polish. so, can i use nail polish to finish this thing, then after a few days sand/buff and apply my sealant? i can't think of any other way to do this - i don't have factory touch-up and while i'm sure it wouldn't match, i was always under the impression the factory touch up paints were like a single stage in that they were glossy. if that is the case, i might just finish up with that. either way i need something glossy to finish filling this chip so because right now the matteness of the base i applied makes it more noticeable.

any input for me?

thanks!

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

either way i need something glossy to finish filling this chip so because right now the matteness of the base i applied makes it more noticeable.

any input for me?

thanks!

For what it's worth... I've used clear fingernail polish on rock chips before, not so much for aesthetics, (to make it look good), but to seal the underlying panel to prevent rust.

Clear fingernail polish will polish to a glossy finish, the problem will be applying it and not creating a blob or just a difference in surface level texture that's noticeable.

As with most touch-up paint, you really need to let it dry and harden fully or any machine or even hand polishing can heat it up enough to make it pull right off and then you're right back to where you started.

 

[builthatch]

For what it's worth... I've used clear fingernail polish on rock chips before, not so much for aesthetics, (to make it look good), but to seal the underlying panel to prevent rust.

Clear fingernail polish will polish to a glossy finish, the problem will be applying it and not creating a blob or just a difference in surface level texture that's noticeable.

As with most touch-up paint, you really need to let it dry and harden fully or any machine or even hand polishing can heat it up enough to make it pull right off and then you're right back to where you started.

mike, thanks for the reply. i definitely will let it dry for a week or so before i try to sand/polish again, then again, i'm wondering if i'm taking this entirely too far and should just leave it now that it's covered with paint!

to take things to an even crazier level...

i keep my touch up paint in 1oz bottles, like model paint bottles. it's base mixed locally and i have a bottle for all of my personal vehicles. it always seems to look better than the factory stuff in terms of color match, so it's ideal for most problems.

as i mentioned i don't have clear, so i was considering the nail polish...but i'm considering trying to spray duplicolor clear in one of these bottles and seeing if it'll keep. the consistency of the clear when pooled is really thin; i tried some on the cap and it looks pretty runny, perfect for stacking in a chip with a tiny model brush.

does that sound unnecessary, i.e. would you just use nail polish?

 

[builthatch]

aight i'm bumping my own thread because the idea of doing with clear like i've done with base works perfectly. a .5 ounce empty NEW paint bottle, like the ones testors sells for custom model paint mixes. shake a room temperature can of the automotive spray clear of your choice really well, and spray in the bottle. it'll keep just like touch up...in fact it's even a little thin, which is a good thing. i've been using my la corneille 18/0 model detail brush and it's working like a charm. i built it up ever so slightly so after a week or so i'll hit it with some 2500 on the block and buff it.

 

[builthatch]

i can't edit my previous post where i said duplicolor. the product is actually plastikote clear engine enamel. the duplicolor product, the high temp robust stuff, has ceramic in it. the plastikote does not. a few more days and i can sand this down. i am confident it will look ideal!

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

a few more days and i can sand this down. i am confident it will look ideal!

Thanks for the follow-up, have you taken any before, process and after pictures?

 

[builthatch]

sorry for disappearing. once i sanded the chip down, prepped it, and filled with base and clear, i haven't done anything else. i'm letting it dry for a long time before i touch it again.

i have pics of it filled with the clear. the clear is a hair higher than the surface, and the original material surrounding the chip is somewhat raised. like i said, i sanded it a bit then buffed before i did anything, but i don't want to sand it much more - i figured it filled with base and clear then barely blocked down and polished will suffice. it'll be better than sanding through the clear.

1oz base bottle, .5oz clear bottle and spark plug for size contrast. filling the clear bottle was very messy. the best bet is to get a clean paint mixing cup, or even a nice medium to large dixie cup, and spraying in there first, THEN pour into the little bottle. i made quite a mess doing it the other way. my dog and i were high on fumes for a while and i battled clear all over my hands, etc. - luckily my wife was out with friends and didn't detect anything weird when she came home.

the brush i use

here are pics of the chip filled with base and clear. it's hard to get macro shots on this paint with my canon a570. hopefully you can see it. i know it looks VERY tiny, but considering the hood has not one scratch or anything whatsoever, in good light it's noticeable.

this pic shows how the raised new clear with the raised THEN depressed old clear make for a funky light reflection. it's almost like a little volcano, so i'm sure the chip was a result of something violent, like a pebble.