# Touch up paint - mixing base and clear with strange results



## maxp (May 30, 2009)

Hi all,

I attempted to repair a scratch today with a genuine BMW touch up paint set this morning.

I'd read on the forum about mixing the base and clear together, which I tried in a pot, firstly in a 1:1 ratio. 

Within about 20 seconds of mixing the paint had already turned into an unworkable 'globby' gel type consistency. I then tried again with a 4:1 ratio (base:clear) and within about 30-40 seconds got the same results.

Am I missing a step? It was fairly warm, but I'd be surprised if this was the reason.


----------



## Christian6984 (Dec 20, 2007)

Hi, we have a Volkswagen genuine touch up kit which is in mini tubs like this, one paint and one clear, never tried mixing but it dried up as been sat around too long. Probably one of the best i can recommend is paints4u, they give you a tin of paint and the clear is mixed in, needs a shake before using but everyone has been good to use and a good match, only one that ever gave me any bother was a solid red paint for my fiesta which had a similar problem what you describe, if not constantly shaked got a skin on it and became stringy and unworkable, all the metallics have been fine.

because the Golf and the Van we have are older now, I've got some from ebay, (screw lid with brush in plastic container), brush is far too large but they have been ok and cost about £7, which could recommend if your car isn't worth much, if its newer would be more likely to go for paints4u


----------



## Demented (Nov 3, 2014)

maxp said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I attempted to repair a scratch today with a genuine BMW touch up paint set this morning.
> 
> ...


Is it possible that the BMW touch up paint set has a waterborne base coat and can't be mixed with the thinners like you would with a solvent base touch up kit ?


----------



## Caledoniandream (Oct 9, 2009)

Demented said:


> Is it possible that the BMW touch up paint set has a waterborne base coat and can't be mixed with the thinners like you would with a solvent base touch up kit ?


^^^^^^^^^^^^ This very much, learned that lesson.


----------

