Touching Up Paint
 

So I was doing some routine cleaning of my red Cannondale (ca. 1987) and noticed that the paint is in pretty bad shape. As it's off the road pending new wheels (%$*&#@ backorder...) there's no time like the present.

QUESTION: should I sand over the chips prior to applying touch up, or just clean the area and apply?

Clean the area well, fill the chip with paint so it miniscuses up a little. Let it dry completely, then wet sand using 1500g on a block (be sure to use a block) to bring the paint bump back to level. Sand in one direction to avoid scuffing the soft, new paint.

I'm sorry, you lost me. Miniscuses?

c'mon - high school chemistry?

In this context, he means so the paint fills up the bare area and bulges up a bit above the surrounding paint level.

-a happy-go-lucky scientist ;)

Thanks!

In HS we had a choice of Chemistry or Physics. I suppose overacheivers could take both, but I was never one of those. I chose Physics.

Later in life, I went with the S(oft)ocial sciences, and such things don't come up there often.

For small nicks, visit your neighbourhood auto-parts store and purchase a touch-up kit, which should include a PENCIL SANDER. It has a fiber glass tip for sanding a very small area. Recommended.

While yer in there, they also sell small bottles of touch-up paints and more importantly clear coat. Lots of bikes have CC.

The center bump is to allow contraction as the solvent evaporates; that gives the pigment and binder the ability to fill in the chip defect without leaving a surface depression.

Touch up paint, just clean the area.