Paint Chip Techniques

Before repainting over the chips, remove any flaky paint with a scraper.

Chips and scratches can happen to a whole variety of painted surfaces and objects, from living room walls to car body exteriors. The techniques for tackling these paint chips vary as much as the surfaces: some people try to repaint the chip entirely, while others use lacquers and super glues to fill the chip in before painting over it.

Domestic Walls

Domestic wall paint is more likely to chip in large quantities and in bigger areas as it ages -- older paint in particular can produce chips and flakes the size of credit cards. To combat these, scrape and sand off any flaking or excess paint and use a joint compound to smooth the chip edges and even up and level out the worst areas. Then apply thin layers of paint into the cracks and craters -- allow the paint to dry before painting on another thin layer. Repeat the process until the cracks have been evened and matched to the rest of the wall. You should not need to paint any areas of the wall that are not chipped unless you are painting the wall with a new color.

Vehicle Chips

Chips on cars and other vehicles can be treated with sandpaper, pencil erasers, toothpicks and touch-up paint. Start the process by sanding the chip down -- this removes any excess flaky paint that could peel off during or after painting. If the chip has exposed the car's metal, use a pencil eraser to rub off any rust. Once the chip is sanded, clean it with kerosene, alcohol or enamel reducer. Begin to paint with a toothpick. Dip the toothpick in touch-up paint and hold the painted end inside the chip cavity. Don't brush the toothpick inside the chip; the capillary action of the paint will help it flow into the cavity evenly and smoothly. Use only one dip of paint for each chip and fight the temptation to fill the chip to the brim. Instead, allow the paint to dry and repeat the process using a little bit of paint each time. AutoEducation.com notes that some car chips will need as many as 12 coats of touch-up paint to be filled.

Instrument Chips

Take guitars with complex paint finishes to an instrument refinishing specialist.

Painted musical instruments, like electric guitars, are susceptible to chipping when dropped or knocked. For any solid-color paint job, invest in lacquer or super glue and fill the chip up to the brim. Once it has dried, paint over the filled cavity and use a coat of varnish to avoid any wet-on-dry lines. If your instrument has an intricate sunburst or animal-stripe finish, you should see an instrument refinishing specialist. Repainting such an effect is extremely difficult. Without the right tools and skills, the repaint job will be unblended and very obvious.

Matching the Paint

Matching the touch-up paint to a wall or vehicle can be as difficult as the painting itself. The technique to finding an exact color or shade for a wall is to cut a one-by-one-inch paint section out of the wall (use flaked paint if possible) and take it to a high-quality paint store. Ask a store assistant to help you find the color. Some stores have paint-mixing machines that can scan the color of your sample and mix an exact color batch. If you are looking for a car or instrument color, contact your local car or instrument dealer. All automobiles and painted musical instruments come in a specific color shade that is produced by the manufacturer. Your car dealer or local music store should be able to order the exact color you need.

References

• "Ultimate Guide to Home Repair & Improvement"; Creative Homeowner Press; 2006
• AutoEducation.com: Fixing Paint Chips
• The Guitar ReRanch: Introduction
• Ms. Builder: Match Old Paint Color on Wall Repairs