Nail Polish
 

Will nail polish work for covering up paint scratches....providing it is the right color?

Yes.

Yep. Also auto touch up paint for a little more durability.

Another source is Testors Model Paint which is available in a bewildering variety of colors at any well stocked hobby shop.

I'm looking right now at some minor touch-ups I did on my bike more than 10 years ago. They still look the same now as they did then. I don't even really wax my bike, only use Pedro's Bike Lust on it. In my opinion, nail polish works fine for this, and it's easier to work with than model paint.

1+ for HillRider's post. Lp

Colors vary production lot to lot color. Even with standard or branded colors, Like Bianchi's Celeste Green, the retouch paint size is so small that it would dry on the shelf up before sale, so they don't bother to make retouch available. So, I use Testor Mdole Paint too. The good news and bad news is there is a rainbow of colors to choose from so you may not get it right. My bike is bright yellow, and I find the Testor samples to be either too yellow, or too orange for an exact match. But is just a touch up, so it really does not matter. on nicked carbon clear polish works best. Just use a fine tipped brush and paint in tiny "dots" of paint until the area is filled. The light will fill in any inperfections producing the illusion of a natural finish. No, it won't look like new, but will be good enough.

And the name of the nail-polish that matches your frame will tell you what women think of your bike - and, by default, you! You THOUGHT you had a dark-blue frame? Nope - it's a Midnite Grope.

99 cents...:thumb:


Try to bring the bike with you to match the color.

Thanks all this really helps....I guess I'll be looking like a tranny this weekend buying red, silver and black nail polish!!!

We had a tandem that on the occasion of its first scratch turned out to be a perfect match with some nail polish from my wife's makeup kit that she used to call Come-F***-me Red. Agree it works way better and is more durable than you really think it has any right to be, considering.

A big loveable guy we know took the front end of his tandem frame (it has S&S couplers) to the cosmetics counter at the Hudson's Bay Company store. The young women behind the counter were thrilled to work on matching up a colour for him -- and they nailed it. Metallic green, no less....

That's what I like about model paint. Nobody makes wise-ass comments while you're going over the color choices. :roflmao2:

I wonder if they have a shade to match my weirdo Puch frame...Sounds like a fun afternoon jaunt. I'll just pour some sparkle from that old acid-party in my hair - and get my boom-box cued to play "I'm So Pretty." from West Side Story. Spare bail?

This thread rocks! Haha! Great stories. I really wish I had a red bike now, Conspiratemus. I wonder what color my 78 Trek would be? The head tube is my avatar. Here is a better view (not mine, but same color)


Thinking about doing this on my 89 Raleigh Technium PRE. It has a few scratches on the top tube I would like to clean up. I am pretty sure my wife doesn't have black. I wonder what the pinkish-purple color for the trim would be?