touch-up paint for frames

[Mongolmike]

I was thinking about doing some touch-up paint to some frames with normal wear and tear chipping... just to fill in the spots where the missing chip looks obvious, like say a spot where the paint is yellow, but there is a chip and the underneath is black.

These are mostly my racquets, it is purely cosmetic, and I would just like to spruce them up a little for my own satisfaction.

I tried a simple permanent color Sharpie pen... but the ink didn't adhere.

So I'm guessing I need to take the racquets to a craft store to try to match the color and buy some small, fine brushes?

Is that the best option, or does someone have a better suggestion?


Along this line, and I do not string for a living/to make money... if a stringer wanted to generate a little extra $... would this be something they could offer a client? Once the paint and brushes were bought... it would be a nice option. For just a small chip, would you need the exact factory color?

 

[Tamiya]

I tried a simple permanent color Sharpie pen... but the ink didn't adhere.

usual colour Sharpies are translucent ink, they aren't very opaque.
Metallics are better, they've got new copper/silver/gold.

So I'm guessing I need to take the racquets to a craft store to try to match the color and buy some small, fine brushes?

Is that the best option, or does someone have a better

Car touchup paints, manicure parlours, hobby modelling paints... lots of sources available. :twisted:

Brushes aren't that useful, I'd be more often using a pin or toothpick to apply.
Tennis string is also quite useful for application - cut (diagonally) to desired
shape then squash tip flat with pliers. I have multifilament scraps saved.


Colour match needs to be reasonably close & err on darker if needs be.
You can mix your own custom shade from 2 or more paints.

However you need to identify which paint jobs have been done with a
base coat (usually metallic) with a translucent "candy" colour coat over it
as you need to replicate the 2-step for even a touch up to blend in.

Misted fades may need airbrushing to replicate.


What stick were you thinking of painting? Post a pic & happy to advise.

 

[Mongolmike]

Wow, good stuff Tamiya! Thank you!

Do you have an art background, and/or have you done touch-up on frames as your experience?

I will look into/try all of your suggestions except for the airbrushing. I don't have an airbrush, have no art backgroud and have no idea how to use one/maintain one... and I think for chips and air brush is a little overkill.

I like the idea of using a piece of multi string squashed, and I also have some of the metallic sharpies... but their colors are limited. I haven't seen them in blues, reds, yellows, etc.

The auto body touch up paint is a great idea too... it might be cheaper to buy 5-6 colors at an auto parts store rather than at a hobby shop... I'll look into it.

As for racquets.... I've got maybe 6 or 7 pairs of racquets: 2 identical Dunlops, 2 identical Wilsons, 2 different sets of identical Beckers, etc.... so I've got plenty of sticks to practice on!

 

[Chotobaka]

Get a set of Artline 400XF Paint Markers (enamel paint) and you will be all set. Perfect for durable, long lasting racquet touch ups.

 

[Tamiya]

Wow, good stuff Tamiya! Thank you!

Do you have an art background, and/or have you done touch-up on frames as your experience?

I, umm, play with little plastic models. :-|

Amongst many other hobbies... like going apeshat crazy collecting older
classic racquets to fillin my 20yrs absence from fuzzy yellow ball scene.

I've been touching up their paintwork to look ok from arms length,
not bothered going for the like-new look. I like their used patina.
I do try to buildup the level on a chip a bit though.

I will look into/try all of your suggestions except for the airbrushing. I don't have an airbrush, have no art backgroud and have no idea how to use one/maintain one... and I think for chips and air brush is a little overkill.

yeah cleaning airbrush is PITA. Haven't bothered pulling mine out myself yet.

Besides I like the oldskool mono colour paint jobs of yesteryear more than
the current crop of lollipops... heck I'd buy everything in blackout if only they sold them widely

I like the idea of using a piece of multi string squashed, and I also have some of the metallic sharpies... but their colors are limited. I haven't seen them in blues, reds, yellows, etc.

The metallic Sharpies have come useful for fine detailing lines and pinstripes,
also for edges of text that have scraped off. Also they're useful for base coat
if the scrape has gone thru to the dark graphite and the paint is light colour.
Sharpie dries quick, mainly.

The auto body touch up paint is a great idea too... it might be cheaper to buy 5-6 colors at an auto parts store rather than at a hobby shop... I'll look into it.

more about colour choice than price tbh... was just thinking tonite that the
MAX3000 Boron on the stringer queue looked a nice shade of BMW gunmetal

As for racquets.... I've got maybe 6 or 7 pairs of racquets: 2 identical Dunlops, 2 identical Wilsons, 2 different sets of identical Beckers, etc.... so I've got plenty of sticks to practice on!

was updating database earlier tonite... it suggests I've got over
100 sticks so far :shock: be about 80 different models

Get a set of Artline 400XF Paint Markers (enamel paint) and you will be all set. Perfect for durable, long lasting racquet touch ups.

Artline 400XF are great pens but their colours aren't too useful, like Tamiya's
paint marker range. All straight shades and don't suit any stick I'd own.

Depending what shops you hang around, there's Jap products from MrColor
& Gundam that offer more metallics and are pretty opaque, good for 1-shot spot.
They're found at anime shops, for the geeks that build jap robot models.


Before you do any painting, clean the frame properly first... I use isopropyl
Alcohol, that removes a surprisingly amount of scuffing that's not paint damage.
Then go over with a carcare cut-n-polish, removes a lot more minor scuffs.

Leaves only the big chips to be done. Anywhere that has gone thru to graphite
I will coat with a layer of superglue... this seals the graphite and helps your
paint to adhere better. Also helps surrounding paint to not flake off too soon.

 

[Mongolmike]

Is finger nail polish another option (thus the manicure parlor suggestion)? Plus they come with the built in applicator!

Again, great input! Thank you for the detailed info like the superglue layer... all really helpful for me!

 

[Tamiya]

Is finger nail polish another option (thus the manicure parlor suggestion)?

yeah nail enamel is good, dries fast and is pretty durable

But the colours we need, they're usually targeted to bluerinse old biddies
(gloss browns, blues, greens) or teenage emo goths (blacks, fluoros, mattes)
so thems your fellow demographics to stalk if you're so inclined.

Females of the type/age I'd be more attracted to usually go for pastels
and perhaps sparkly mica particulates, or worse that new crackle finish.
All useless so don't bother heading for the fancy Shishedo or MaxFactor rack.


Lately I've had more luck rummaging in the "fashion" trays from unknown
brands who probably change their colour range every batch. Quite often
the colour you seek to match will look quite different in the bottle & wet,
so the only way is to go paint a swatch on a backing of similar colour.

Plus they come with the built in applicator!

bottlecap brush ain't as good as it sounds. Serviceable but not very accurate.
And you'll get a big blob of liquid inching down the stem no matter which way
you've scraped it beforehand.

Main benefit is I don't have to wash it every use. :???:

Toothpicks & string, either throwaway whole or snip off the end for next time.

 

[mattavery24]

My girlfriend touched up my aeropro drive with nail polish and then had a matte finish bail polish. You can't even tell it was ever chipped.

 

[Overdrive]

Hmm, the condition of the paint on the racquet doesn't matter to me. Sooner or later, it is going to wear out due to playing. Because of this, I don't even bother with the paint. As long as there aren't any cracks on the frame, it's fine with me.

 

[Tamiya]

Hmm, the condition of the paint on the racquet doesn't matter to me. Sooner or later, it is going to wear out due to playing. Because of this, I don't even bother with the paint. As long as there aren't any cracks on the frame, it's fine with me.

You're talking about your daily stick.

Others are talking about tarting up older irreplaceable used models
that probably don't see active duty too regularly.

Or... mebbe I just appreciate an excuse to spend a few extra hours
sequestered away looking busy in the mancave... :twisted:


@OP who wondered if there's $$ to be made in touch ups... Probably not!

Friends have dropped over their sticks for restringing and often I'll have
the paintbox on the bench, touch up a few chips on their stick before
clamping it into the stringer... I doubt they even notice the painted over chips.

 

[Overdrive]

You're talking about your daily stick.

Others are talking about tarting up older irreplaceable used models
that probably don't see active duty too regularly.

Or... mebbe I just appreciate an excuse to spend a few extra hours
sequestered away looking busy in the mancave... :twisted:


@OP who wondered if there's $$ to be made in touch ups... Probably not!

Friends have dropped over their sticks for restringing and often I'll have
the paintbox on the bench, touch up a few chips on their stick before
clamping it into the stringer... I doubt they even notice the painted over chips.

There's no point in touching up the paint of racquets that you don't play with.. :lol:

Nothing wrong with spending time with your racquets..

 

[cknobman]

Best touch up paint I have ever used is.......

Nail-polish, LOL.

My wife has tons of it in many different colors and it goes on and stays on like a champ. It is usually thicker than paint so it requires fewer coats and it also does not chip!!!

So fellas (and ladies) save yourself a few bucks and just use nail-polish.

 

[Mongolmike]

Hmm, the condition of the paint on the racquet doesn't matter to me. Sooner or later, it is going to wear out due to playing. Because of this, I don't even bother with the paint. As long as there aren't any cracks on the frame, it's fine with me.

I'm certainly not obsessive or anything, but I usually inspect my racquet before and just after I cut the strings out... can't help but notice the chips. I thought I could easily touch them up with a Sharpie (no), so I came here to ask what others thought would be the best route.

Now I'll probably get kicked out of the local CVS drug store for stealthily opening up nail polishes and painting swaths on a piece of paper to take home for paint comparison!

"Hey buddy... what are you in jail for?"

"Fingernail polish... so don't mess wit me!"

 

[Overdrive]

I'm certainly not obsessive or anything, but I usually inspect my racquet before and just after I cut the strings out... can't help but notice the chips. I thought I could easily touch them up with a Sharpie (no), so I came here to ask what others thought would be the best route.

Now I'll probably get kicked out of the local CVS drug store for stealthily opening up nail polishes and painting swaths on a piece of paper to take home for paint comparison!

"Hey buddy... what are you in jail for?"

"Fingernail polish... so don't mess wit me!"

I do the same thing too. But since they are my daily racquets, I don't care that much..

That doesn't sound like a good idea...

 

[Tamiya]

There's no point in touching up the paint of racquets that you don't play with.. :lol:

not regularly but they're all freshly strung ready to go whenever the
(retro) mood strikes. Yeah sure sign of getting old is when one can
reminisce about how good we all once were...

Actually there is a minor point to touch ups, comes from motor racing habits.
We'd check our equipment after every race and leave a dab of paint over
crucial screws & minor damage that's been deemed ok to continue using.

So any hairline fracture or paint crack that hasn't got paint or glue
means its new & needs checking before next use or restringing.
(good precaution to avoid CF splinters when frames collapse)

My wife has tons of it in many different colors and it goes on and stays on like a champ. It is usually thicker than paint so it requires fewer coats and it also does not chip!!!

So fellas (and ladies) save yourself a few bucks and just use nail-polish.

dunno about your wife or your quiver of sticks but yeah I first tried raiding
the ladies collection of bottles... found no usable colours apart from Clear.
Afraid I don't have that many pink sticks.

So I man up and go shopping meself, find hairy ole me rubbing shoulders
with little old ladies and emo goth teenies in terms of colour selection...

Now I'll probably get kicked out of the local CVS drug store for stealthily opening up nail polishes and painting swaths on a piece of paper to take home for paint comparison!

meh good stores have "tester" bottles

but don't go dabbing it on your own nails like the emo goths do,
test them onto back of a bizcard... usually got a few in my pocket.
Or grab some perfume cards from smelly counter usually not far off.

Using on your own nails means you're paralysed until its dry or risk big mess.
I ain't got patience enough to wait immobilised for paint to dry.


Bring your lady friend or daughters along shopping too... then you can count
that against your "quality time" quota. and keep mum when Mom asks
why the girls come back 20 different ungirly colours on their hands,
suspiciously colourcoded to one's rainbow of racquets.

 

[cknobman]

dunno about your wife or your quiver of sticks but yeah I first tried raiding
the ladies collection of bottles... found no usable colours apart from Clear.
Afraid I don't have that many pink sticks.

So I man up and go shopping meself, find hairy ole me rubbing shoulders
with little old ladies and emo goth teenies in terms of colour selection...

My wife has collected all kinds of colors from needing specialty color for different occasions like Halloween, Christmas, weddings, etc... She has red, black, white, turquoise, blue, etc...

Sometimes she gets mad at me because she will go looking for a color and I have hidden it in with my tennis equipment, LOL.

 

[vandre]

Car touchup paints, manicure parlours, hobby modelling paints... lots of sources available. :twisted:

Brushes aren't that useful, I'd be more often using a pin or toothpick to apply.
Tennis string is also quite useful for application - cut (diagonally) to desired
shape then squash tip flat with pliers. I have multifilament scraps saved.


Colour match needs to be reasonably close & err on darker if needs be.
You can mix your own custom shade from 2 or more paints.

However you need to identify which paint jobs have been done with a
base coat (usually metallic) with a translucent "candy" colour coat over it
as you need to replicate the 2-step for even a touch up to blend in.

Misted fades may need airbrushing to replicate.


What stick were you thinking of painting? Post a pic & happy to advise.

I've never touched up a racquet, but I've used the autopaint touch-up on too many guitars to count. it can be tricky to get the right color but on something as small as a racquet tit shouldn't be very noticeable as long as you're close. good ideas about the toothpics and string. I might try those on the next guitar!

 

[Tamiya]

I've never touched up a racquet, but I've used the autopaint touch-up on too many guitars to count. it can be tricky to get the right color but on something as small as a racquet tit shouldn't be very noticeable as long as you're close. good ideas about the toothpics and string. I might try those on the next guitar!

hope they're electric?

Acoustics might change tone depending on their paint same with violins,
violas etc. that was what I was warned so never touched up instruments.

Back when had kids build axes in woodwork, to get a mirror piano finish yeah
they sent them to a car body shop for a baked finish. No fancy airbrushing
like I see even on basic units coming from Fender factory.


Anybody use those mobile scratch & dent repair guys?
They're amazing to watch work.

 

[Tamiya]

here ya go, thought you could use a Paintjob by the Pics

had this poor bashedup example staring at me... stale poly to be fixed

couldn't stand working on something so let the manicure begin

 

[Tamiya]

does need a few coats of lighter colours to cover carbonfibre

once all done left to dry for sometime, restrung before masking

this model has some chrome stripes separating the colours

 

[Tamiya]

i didn't do much (ok ANY) paintprep apart from a wipeover with degreaser
since ultimately, there's gunna be headtape going over everything anyway :twisted:

 

[v-verb]

Here's a quick touch up on a Steam 99S - Sharpie metallic color. Not bad at arm's length

 

[vandre]

hope they're electric?

Acoustics might change tone depending on their paint same with violins,
violas etc. that was what I was warned so never touched up instruments.

Back when had kids build axes in woodwork, to get a mirror piano finish yeah
they sent them to a car body shop for a baked finish. No fancy airbrushing
like I see even on basic units coming from Fender factory.


Anybody use those mobile scratch & dent repair guys?
They're amazing to watch work.

i only play electric so don't worry. I've also heard about guys who swear by super glue to fill in dings and dents. i think that works best on hickeys that aren't down to the bare wood. if you do a good job taping off it should be fine.

 

[Tamiya]

Superglue I'd think be a bit harder than the soft wood when cured
so it won't be a great patch just sitting on top of the paint.
Dents in soft wood I'd first some steam at that spot.
Wood will swell and recover with a little help.

 

[Baxter]

Superglue I'd think be a bit harder than the soft wood when cured
so it won't be a great patch just sitting on top of the paint.
Dents in soft wood I'd first some steam at that spot.
Wood will swell and recover with a little help.

The steaming trick only works on unfinished wood,but it works really well if you take your time. A damp cloth and an iron will get rid of really ugly gouges in furniture.

 

[Tamiya]

yeah iron a damp cloth or strong steam iron = old grandma trick

If wood is painted need to make the finish porous,
perforate gently all over many times with a dresspin.
When finished wax or varnish the area.

 

[vandre]

Superglue I'd think be a bit harder than the soft wood when cured
so it won't be a great patch just sitting on top of the paint.
Dents in soft wood I'd first some steam at that spot.
Wood will swell and recover with a little help.

most of the tonewoods used for electric guitar are hardwoods (mahogany, poplar, maple, alder, basswood, etc) which have been sanded to a smooth texture with a 1000+ grit sandpaper and filled with grain filler. i'm referring to filling in damage to the clear coat with superglue, NOT applying superglue to bare wood as you are implying.

have you ever done any finishing work on electric guitars?

 

[Tamiya]

have you ever done any finishing work on electric guitars?

nah not for 20yrs+ & not on commercial axes

had some fellas do handmade bodies in the woodshop, yeah they
fine sanded & filled until super smooth then 1 wanted it varnished
so it was done inhouse French polish style.
The other wanted a piano gloss finish which got farmed out
to a auto panel shop, was cheaper than all the materials to DIY.

Earlier this yr I bought some Duoont clearcoat touch up pens,
was thinking about using on gloss instruments when I got them... or the car
Still haven't found time to try them out.

 

[movdqa]

At some point you don't really worry that much about frames. I played a doubles match a few days ago where we both went after a down-the-middle shot and we clanked racquets. It has happened before (I called the shot but sometimes you have a team where both are aggressive). I'm pretty sure that there's a chip on the frame from it but I don't really care that much about it. Racquets are meant to be played with unless it's a collectable. Same thing with cars - they're meant to be used and they will get dinged, scratched and maybe even damaged.

 

[Tamiya]

meh, your gear your choice. Some ppl look after their gear, others
not so... like kiddies who haven't paid $$ for their own sportsgear haha
(mine start clanking racquets even before they're near the court!!)

As I get older, I feel level of world's consumerism is disheartening.
Spend spend spend... those mAd men are definitely winning your wallet.

Not a huge fan of walking into dealership to buy new car... any blonde
can do that I'd rather ride something more uncommon & different.
Same with tennis sticks I guess, plus adds a touch of retro nostalgia.
More of a personal challenge finding & restoring too methinks.

Otoh parts are PITA harder to find, eg my rear door window glass
took 3wks to source and TK52 grommets are unobtainum...

 

[Tamiya]

don't underestimate the power of a good clean/polish before busting out your paintbox ppls!

before:

after:

:twisted: