Langka's Complete Paint Chip...
Langka's Complete Paint Chip Repair Kit includes Prepaint, Blob Eliminator, Paint Sealant, three micro-brushes, a plastic squeegee card, and a microfiber cloth for $39.95. Instructions are included, and its plastic packaging can be reused for storing the products. The Blob Eliminator can be purchased separately for $29.95.
If you're gonna drive it, you're gonna chip it. There is no way to avoid it. We love to drive our Pontiacs but we hate damaging the paint. And while many would rather not have a body shop repaint these areas on a regular basis as it's cost prohibitive, most times our efforts to repair the chips on our own leads to less-than-stellar results.
Larry Johnson, owner of Langka.com, had similar experiences. Back in the early '90s, his $35,000 late-model luxury cruiser developed some chips, and he visited the dealer for a cure. After being handed a small bottle of touch-up paint and attempting to make the repairs, he thought to himself, There's gotta be a better way.
Being a pharmacist, he had the mindset to investigate how paint is formulated and how he could develop a product that would provide better and smoother results when repairing chips and scratches, without having to resort to sanding, repainting, and blending.
The process begins with cleaning...
The process begins with cleaning the area in and around the chip with Prepaint using the supplied cloth. It will remove wax, dirt, and any other contaminants to ensure proper adhesion of the new paint.
Next, comes a rinse with plain...
Next, comes a rinse with plain water and a wipe down with a soft cloth.
After a couple of false starts...
After a couple of false starts with body-shop touch-up paint that refused to dry, this Dupli-Color Scratch Fix in Universal Black was used.
One of the included micro-brushes...
One of the included micro-brushes was employed to apply the touch-up paint. It was simply dabbed into the chip.
Langka recommends that the...
Langka recommends that the paint be built up to a blob via multiple coats that not only fill the chip, but also extend slightly beyond the edges of it, and is higher than the surrounding surface. Be aware that the paint has a tendency to shrink into the chip (or scratch) as it dries. If you see a deep divot in the blob of dried paint, apply another coat. It took four coats applied 30 minutes apart to fill our chip.
Dry time may take anywhere...
Dry time may take anywhere from four hours to days depending on the type of touch-up you use and the ambient temperature—65 to 85 degrees is best. Sunlight or a blow dryer can speed the process. Once it’s dry, the blob can be smoothed out. The included microfiber cloth is wrapped around the plastic squeegee and twisted tight to provide a flat surface on the bottom.
With the help of a friend, Larry developed the Blob Eliminator. Simply stated, it's formulated to take advantage of the fact that after touch-up paint is applied, it isn't as cured as the rest of the paint on the car, even though it's technically dry. Additionally, Larry says the car companies generally use lacquer-based touch-up paint, and his product works effectively with that. He explains that it can be used with urethane or enamel-based touch-up paint, but the process will require more drying time.
Langka's kit is recommended for use on late-model two-stage (base/clear) paint systems, but Larry says it will also work on vintage cars that have been repainted with a modern paint system, in two-stage or single-stage. It cannot be used on vehicles built before '65 that have original paint.
The Blob Eliminator is liberally...
The Blob Eliminator is liberally applied to the cloth and spread around. It is formulated to soften the touch-up paint, and the nap of the fabric wears the softened blob down. Light pressure is applied as the squeegee is rubbed in a back-and-forth motion (not circular) over the blob for 15-30 seconds to soften it.
The touched-up area is checked...
The touched-up area is checked often and rubbed very lightly until it is nearly flat with the surrounding paint. Note all the black paint on the cloth, and the filled and flattened chip. Any excess paint left from the process will be lightly wiped off with a clean cloth.
Here is the result. (Yes,...
Here is the result. (Yes, those are cloud reflections in the photo.) The repair is flat, but the paint surface has multiple pinholes in it. Larry says it’s from air trapped in the paint (most touch-up paints recommend you shake them before use), and that air has to be released by poking the blob just after applying the paint. Larry says he has seen this before and using the “squeegee method” instead will get the air out of the paint, so we tried it.
If you're apprehensive regarding its compatibility with your single-stage paint, rub Blob Eliminator onto the paint for 30 seconds in a hidden area, using a soft cloth that is a different color than the paint. If paint color shows up on the cloth, don't use the product. Larry says this is very rare, and any automotive paint applied by the factory or by a professional shop since 1990 should have no issues.
It will work on solid colors and metallics, though metallics can be more challenging. Also, the product can be used on any body part that is painted, so plastics and urethane parts are okay. The Langka system is for DIYers and is available only online, through www.langka.com and other sites.
We decided to try the product out on-of all things-a black car. Black is like a mirror that shows everything, but we did it anyway. Read on to learn the procedures and see how our repairs came out.
After the touch-up paint is...
After the touch-up paint is applied, the included squeegee is held at a 45-degree angle and drawn across the paint, with a very light touch, to force it into the chip and wipe off the excess, making it even with the surrounding surface. Note that the squeegee is held longways, as it's more easily flexed and makes the process easier.
Here's what it looks like...
Here's what it looks like after a few coats and the latest pass with the squeegee. This method also works better with metallic paints, according to Larry, because it spreads out the metallic particles and dries more quickly, thereby reducing the chance of the metallic falling out of suspension and puddling in the blob.
Since the squeegee will also...
Since the squeegee will also cause the paint to spread wider than is needed, use the cloth wrapped around a finger to meticulously apply the Blob Eliminator-along the edges of the chip but not over it-while the paint is still wet to clean up the area. (Notice the paint has sunk into the chip and will require another coat.)