Paint chips near rivet heads - best way to address?

[toto]

My 20-year-old paint is in great shape for the most part, but it has started to develop a handful of small chips right on rivet heads.  I want to prevent these small chips from growing - what's the best way to do that?  I'm afraid that regular old touch-up paint is mostly cosmetic, and won't add much integrity to the surrounding paint (but I'm happy to be told otherwise).

[Supercop0184]

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[RLCarter]

53 minutes ago, toto said:

I'm afraid that regular old touch-up paint is mostly cosmetic

kind of, if the damaged area is properly prepared back to good paint, touching it up is no different, just a smaller area. I would use an AirBrush, when masking off roll the tape edge up to help eliminate a "HARD" line

[milotron]

2 minutes ago, RLCarter said:

kind of, if the damaged area is properly prepared back to good paint, touching it up is no different, just a smaller area. I would use an AirBrush, when masking off roll the tape edge up to help eliminate a "HARD" line

Would you use a primer?

Does the paint need to be compatible with the existing top coat?  

I do like the airbrush idea, I need to do this on my plane also.

 

iain

 

 

[RLCarter]

14 minutes ago, milotron said:

Would you use a primer?

yes, most paints don't stick to aluminum (very long). It's the same process as painting just a much smaller area

[PT20J]

It’s really hard to blend new paint into the old without it showing. Airbrushing isn’t a bad idea for larger areas but may make a little chip like this more visible. Take the tail access panel to an auto paint store and get a color match. Clean area with solvent, then use a small brush to apply a self etching primer like SEM and then a couple of color costs to fill in. 

[Andy95W]

9 hours ago, PT20J said:

It’s really hard to blend new paint into the old without it showing. Airbrushing isn’t a bad idea for larger areas but may make a little chip like this more visible. Take the tail access panel to an auto paint store and get a color match. Clean area with solvent, then use a small brush to apply a self etching primer like SEM and then a couple of color costs to fill in. 

+1

Short of repainting an entire panel on the airplane, this is the only method I've ever seen that works decently well.  And it isn't perfect- after multiple daubs of paint, it can be wet sanded to look good from about 5 feet away, but still not perfect.

[toto]

43 minutes ago, GEE-BEE said:

Eyedropper

 

if you need one let me know I will post

 

DBM who installs new windows uses eye dropper for touch up also.

We include with our silicone cement in

our chafecseal kit for the catalyst on our clear silicone cement.

Sure, please post. I have no idea what the eyedropper application looks like.