Paint Touchup On X-Metals?

[psychephylax]

I have an X-Squared that I got used which has been placed top side down on a table/something else and has scratching there....
I am thinking I can probably touch up the paint (Polished Carbon)?

The questions I have is...
Anyone have some suggestions on how to paint it and blend it in to the rest of the frame?
Looking at the scratch, it looks like if it was beadblasted then it would become a polished frame?

I know X-Man can beadblast it and Dr Chop can probably touch it up or repaint it....So I can't screw up the frame too bad with my attempt :/

 

[artsnletters]

if it was bead blasted it wouldnt be polished anymore....it would more resemble plasma. Bead blasting is an abrasive process just like sandblasting just with finer glass beads. I don't know if even if the pros can do a polished carbon. Post up a pic of the damage. So yeah, you could potentially destroy them....attempting to repair or strip them.
Tim

 

[dr.chop]

I am not sure the process involved in the polished carbon, but the only suitable way I could see to fix it is strip it by chemical strip, re-polish, and then anodize it the brown/carbon color. Paint won't be accurate or near as durable. Anodizing it will, but honestly, I will pass on any X Squared work like that. I hate those center screws with a passion.

 

[Oakley-olic]

I have touched up black anodized parts with black perm marker. Makes it less noticable but not perfect and not that durable. For perfect I would send them to the X Man for a blast of choice or the new gloss black. Another option would be a strip and polish the raw Ti.

 

[psychephylax]

That's what I did at first but was thinking of a more permanent solution.

I guess the question I have is this:

if I try fixing it with something just so it doesn't stand out as much and fail...

Is stripping and polishing it going to result in a Polished X-Squared vs the Polished Carbon? I am ok with a natural finish as long as it doesn't cause additional issues

 

[Oakley-olic]

Yes, done right it will look like a polished XS, possibly better. I did a plasma Juliet. I think the carbon would be easier to strip than plasma.

 

[dr.chop]

plasma is a textural finish, polished carbon is not. The polished carbon will be by far easier to polish to a gloss, but anodizing over the top will be the killer finish. You can try to find a candy rootbeer /brown paint and touch it up, or a brown sharpie. Sharpie is by far the easiest for a quick fix. Strip, Polish, Anodizing is the best and longest lasting (plus you aren't limited to brown carbon) way to fix em..