If your truck was involved in a minor fender-bender that resulted in a couple of small chipped spots on the passenger-side door, learn how to sand and repaint them with the steps below. Repairing the damaged areas will prevent the chipped spots from becoming larger and rusting and will restore the door's appearance to the one it had before the accident occurred.
Materials
- automotive detergent
- bucket of water
- scrub brush
- water hose
- hand sander
- coarse and fine-grit sandpaper
- tack cloth
- automotive primer pen
- automotive touch up paint
- automotive compound
- buffing cloth
- lint-free cloth
Clean Damaged Sections And Sand Them
Use automotive detergent that has been mixed with water and a scrub brush to clean the damaged spots on the truck. A small amount of paint may flake off during this process, so do not become alarmed. Rinse the door off with plain water and wait for it to dry. Secure a piece of coarse-grit sandpaper to a hand sander. Move the tool firmly in straight lines over the damaged sections until they are smooth. Move a piece of fine-grit paper briefly over the same areas. Use a tack cloth to remove any sanding dust that remains on the truck's door.
Apply A Coat Of Primer And Lightly Sand It
Shake up the contents in an automotive primer touch-up pen. Apply the tip of the pen to the damaged spots on the truck's door and move it over the sanded areas in straight lines until an even layer of primer has been dispensed. Wait a few hours for the primer to dry. Lightly touch the repaired spots with a couple fingertips to ensure that they are dry. Sand the primer covered spots with fine-grit paper for a couple minutes. Wipe away any sanding dust.
Cover The Primer With Touch-Up Paint
Use the brush that came with the bottle of automotive touch-up paint to apply an even coating of paint over each primer-covered spot. Once the paint dries, add a second coat if you missed any sections with the first coat.
After the second coat dries, pour a few drops of automotive compound onto a buffing pad. Apply the compound to the repaired spots. Move the pad around in small circles over the fresh paint. The compound will smooth out the edges of the newly-added paint so that it matches the rest of the paint on the door. Use a lint-free cloth to wipe away any rubbing compound that remains. Damage to the door will no longer be apparent. Talk with a professional, like Blue Ribbon Auto Body, if you have larger sections of damage from the accident that need to be repaired.
Share