Scratch leveler?

[DrRoughneck]

I'm trying to figure out the best way to make chips and scratches disappear from my truck's body using touch-up paint. My touch-up paint comes into a container looking like nail varnish.

I'm not happy with my results. Using the "nail-varnish" style paintbrush supplied resulted into a crater of paint around the chips.

Then I came across this video, where they use a "scratch leveler" to make the "craters" disappear:


What is a "scratch leveler" really? Is it a solvent strong enough for touch-up paint but not strong enough to strip clearcoat?

 

[edwardh1]

would like to see a 3rd party review

 

[FastEddie]

Originally Posted By: DrRoughneck


What is a "scratch leveler" really? Is it a solvent strong enough for touch-up paint but not strong enough to strip clearcoat?

That is pretty much what it is. And Dr. Color Chip is probably one of the better consumer touch up kits out there. FWIW, none of these solutions are going to make the chip, scratch etc "disappear", they will just make them less noticeable. That is why a lot of professionals hate doing touch ups, myself included, because the expectations of some are that these touch up solutions will make the paint look perfect, when in reality that is never the case.

 

[DrRoughneck]

Originally Posted By: FastEddie
Originally Posted By: DrRoughneck


What is a "scratch leveler" really? Is it a solvent strong enough for touch-up paint but not strong enough to strip clearcoat?

That is pretty much what it is. And Dr. Color Chip is probably one of the better consumer touch up kits out there. FWIW, none of these solutions are going to make the chip, scratch etc "disappear", they will just make them less noticeable. That is why a lot of professionals hate doing touch ups, myself included, because the expectations of some are that these touch up solutions will make the paint look perfect, when in reality that is never the case.

Do you have a preferred alternative?

 

[SatinSilver]

This guy is a professional:

http://www.driveaccord.net/forums/18-maintenance-detailing/13138-langka-scratch-repair-job-pics.html