To spray or brush, that is the question

[RMcG]

I have some rusted scratches that I want to touch up, see attached pictures.. The pictures from top to bottom are (1) door scratch closeup & wide shot, (2) window frame scratch closeup & wide shot and (3) hatch scratch closeup & wide shot. The paint on the door and the window frame are not scratches per se, the paint is actually cracked there. I think the paint on the hatch was rubbed off by a bike rack. I am unsure if I should: (1) buy spray cans for the rusted scratches, mask the scratches to protect from over spray and then spray the scratches or (2) use a small bottle with a brush. (By the way, I plan to use rubbing compound to remove the white paint on the door. It's a long & somewhat embarrassing story, but I got too close to a painted white pillar supporting a canopy in a parking lot.)

QUESTION: Does anybody have an opinion about whether one method or the other is better (for one or more of the pictured scratches)?

Somebody at an auto paint store suggested paint from a can could be sprayed into a cup and then applied to a car body with a brush.

QUESTION Can primer paint and/or base color paint can be sprayed into a cup and the applied with a brush?

If I can spray paint into a cup and then apply it with a brush, then I could buy spray cans and either spray it in areas that need touch up or apply it with a brush. In addition, there are some larger areas on the body that could probably benefit from being sprayed. if I buy a spray can, I could spray these larger areas later with the spray can. I am thinking I can buy a small brush somewhere, perhaps even the kind of brush that women use to paint their finger nails and toe nails would work or a brush from an art supply store.

Thanks,

R.

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[RMcG]

I am answering my own question(s) to some extent. There are several youtube videos on how to "decant" spray paint into a jar or bottle. I have looked at a couple of videos and the techniques are similar, although not exactly the same. It appears that a lot of people want to do this to use the liquid paint in an airbrush for hobby & craft work.

Here is an example video that is instructive: Gunpla Tutorial : Decanting Paint from Spray Cans (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VodRk7ikP6c). The examples I have seen so far appear to be more like base color paint, rather than primer. I think primer paint is "stickier" than base coat paint, so there is some difference. But so far, I don't see any reason to believe that primer paint cannot be decanted.

Thanks,

R.

[bronsin]

I watch YouTube videos myself when I need to learn how to do something new.

I think you got the right idea. Just go ahead and paint the car and show us what happens!

[RMcG]

Thanks for your feedback and encouragement Bronsin. I think I will do as you suggest. I just want to add something to my previous post about decanting spray paint. The guy in the video in the link in my previous post swaps out the head/nozzle of the spray can so that he can get a better fit for his straw. It occurred to me that that is unnecessary. You can take a pair of scissors and cut two roughly semicircular notches in a plastic straw and it should fit over the hole in head/nozzle of the spray can. And then you can secure the straw to the head using tape the way he does.

Thanks,

R.

[06YarisRS]

Apologies for the late response. I spray into the spray can cap and use an artist's brush, but only for small chips or gouges. I would always mask off a panel and spray for larger paint damage. Spraying yields much better results. Mask off several inches or a foot beyond your repair and feather in to the existing paint. Color matched paint rarely matches the car's paint. Looking forward to your repairs. :thumbsup: