How To Repair Chips & Scratches On Your Bike | Professional Frame Painter's Repair Guide

There's no worse feeling than finding a chip or scratch in your bike's paint work. Seeing your pride and joy looking less than perfect can be really disheartening, and you might want to get it repaired! In this video, Manon visits Fat Creations to learn how professional frame painters repair damaged paint work and gets a few pro tips that you can try at home!
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Does your bike have any scratches or chips? Do you want to try to repair them yourself? Let us know in the comments below!
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[@gcntech]

Does your bike have any scratches or chips? Do you want to try to repair them yourself? Let us know in the comments below!

[@tombreen7927]

Ah mine has loads of them ..if I went to do it I'd ruin it .. Can't get anyone over here to do repairs/resprays which is a shame Maybe I should start a respray workshop Savage repair job quality work

[@tomahoks]

Hell yes it has chips and scratches, it is a commuter.

[@BixbyConsequence]

Of course it has scratches; they are beautiful souvenirs from many rides. Wabi-sabi.

[@slwsnowman4038]

Yes, but I'm okay with them. They make it mine.

[@tquindt1]

Yes, and Yes. I lucked out and found a touch up paint at my local auto parts store that is very close to the original paint color. Some paint stores will do a custom match but it isn't cheap.

[@brandenalexander6038]

This chap is so humble and knowledgeable on his work. Awesome!

[@an2nymous]

that one guy that gives you peace of mind, not just with his skill but the way he delivers the end result with no BS. yeah, humble and honest working chap. 👍👍

[@NoahStephens]

Yes!

[@jasondoust4935]

People who work all day with this stuff develop a crazy level of perfection with both colour and finish. His attitude is truly admirable.

[@antares8281]

I worked in the paint business for about 40 years before I retired. Among other things I worked with product finishing that included coating wood, steel, aluminum, and plastics. So first let me say: This guy is good. Real good. I've met and worked with enough half assed "professionals" to be able to tell the difference. I envy his tools, and the fact that he has his own spray booth. However a knowledgeable DIYer with a modest budget could purchase a small air compressor, air brush and gravity fed spray gun. All you need then is a place to spray that won't send overspray everywhere. If anyone tries it, always remember, MAXIMUM is NOT the only air pressure setting. Less is often better. As an FYI to Americans, I'm not 100% certain but I'm pretty sure that what he calls "lacquer" is not what the word means in the US. In fact in production real lacquers might be illegal under current VOC laws (sometimes called VOS laws depending on the state). I think he's using it to mean any fast drying clear coat. If you try to buy lacquer, you're going to have a tough time finding it. My guess is he is using that word to to cover any fast drying acrylic paint. What might be a genuine lacquer in the US is what he calls "nail varnish" and we call "nail polish." Those are or they used to be lacquers. His DIY method is clever but unless your bike is black or white, you're not going to find the correct color in that kind of product. I wouldn't bet on it holding up very long and I might bet on clear nail varnish to yellow fairly quickly, but it is still better than nothing. Nice video. Great work.

[@0verPar]

Quite often manufacturers sell the exact paint colour used for their bikes for the reason of filling in chips.

[@thomasanderson5929]

@@0verPar Trek needs to sell their Volt Green for fixing up their frame. That colour is amazingly cool and used on a bunch of bikes but finding anything close to it is nearly impossible.

[@sketchy0078]

A bike that is scratched and wears some battle scars is a bike that is ridden and loved. The first scratch is always the hardest though.

[@63Baggies]

After all no one dates a virgin forever ;-)

[@apurvdash7360]

This comment made my day which was going to be spoiled because of my first scratch on my Canyon 🙂 😞

[@thomasmcroy1756]

Yes. The first cut is the deepest. That shit pisses me off. Every......single.......time. But then I get over it.

[@SmackWild-yb1rr]

I scratched the top of a bike frame within about 2 hours of getting it home brand new. Bad parking and lesson learned, but was quite upset. At least i know it's repairable without having to go to much expense.

[@gerbiepiep]

Nearing 13k KM's with my everyday use to anywhere bike, wich is a bit more than 2 years old i can somewhat relate to this. It is more than wel maintained and cared for than probably most users ever will. The first real '' sudden storm fall'' damage whitin 1 month of owning it, i was pissed, but it got fixxed. Second fall, even with a change of hoping for a better parking spot, it got fixxed again. And today, eventhough it stormed quite a bit, it did not fall because it was parked sturdy as hell, but now got slammed into by another bicycle and now has 1 smaller in sight on top and 1 quite big paint chip underneath the top tube wich both are quite deep. What gets me most is not realy how the damage occured or by what, but that i cant keep it ''nice'' and intact, it still saddens me, but it does not get me that mad anymore. As said, its used allot, and loved for. And this paint damage i'll try to fix with an original matching paint can brush thing i ordered sometime ago.

[@blueshun]

I can sense him blushing when he said it's inevitable when asked if it will be better than original paint.

[@josuezuniga6776]

Manon needs her own show, she's so pleasent to see and hear

[@coolcycles]

I have often repaired paint chips in a similar way to what you did with nail polish, but matched the color perfectly, mixing modeller's enamel paints. If the frame has a clear coat finish, I use clear from a spray can and wet sand (800 grit paper glued onto a flat piece of plastic for the shape, then 1200, then 2000) and polish it by hand with car polish and cotton wool. I keep the area very close to the original damaged area, even with the spray color. If the frame has a metallic finish or color fade, this usually does not really work.

[@Solarsystem50]

I just put a "Made in China" decal on top of it. Nobody would notice.

[@Adrian-my8xk]

We need more Fat Creations content

[@clintnieves]

Always a treat to see Fat Creations shop

[@g.fortin3228]

Nice! and Manon ..Great job hosting this! I like the DIY tips for small nicks too!

[@jamiehughes5078]

What a great video, a true artist at work! Really interesting thanks GCN.

[@markbooth6745]

Great video Manon, yes I have used nail varnish it very good. Only on my frames though. 😃👍

[@ArnageLM]

Pleasure to listen to this chap!

[@michaelholden91]

Nice video. It's really interesting when the presenters interact with experts in different fields. Hopefully, with continued decreasing COVID restrictions, GCN can have more videos like this. Great work Manon and crew. ** A follow-up to this video could also be about repairing rim scratches. I have Mavic COSMIC ELITE rims (aluminum) and during a rainstorm, my wheel went in a crack in the road deep enough to scratch the rim. Thankfully I didn't crash or puncture but I now have a couple scratches 😢Help please!

[@SPMech1]

Awesome video and great tips for DYI repairs........thanks ! ! ! 👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@solitaryrefinement6787]

If your bike isn't chipped or nicked or scratched, you're not riding it enough. Anyway, that's why I don't mess with carbon bikes anymore. All metal for me. My stainless steel rig is like the Chuck Norris of bikes. I kicked up a rock once and it hit the frame and the rock needed to be touched up.

[@linea2000]

Thanks Manon. Great video

[@bludog4657]

Getting ready to re-paint my carbon road and these vids with Manon have been a godsend. All the best

[@gcntech]

Great to hear! Send a photo of the finished bike into the App, we'd love to see it!

[@yuurishibuya4797]

Thanks for going over it in detail.

[@philipcooper8297]

When I got the first scratch on my bike, it bothered me a lot. Then I got second scratch, paint chip... and I just don't care anymore. 😃

[@indrapt3765]

Sure, I agree. That's why to ride a new bike sometimes is "not comfortable".

[@levbobrov1398]

First scratch is always the deepest 😀

[@endeavour5316]

@@indrapt3765 Yeah! cause its always on your mind that ur gonna scratch it or somethin

[@tom0kiely]

As long as your bike is mechanically sound I wouldn't worry about a few scratches. They're for riding on not admiring the paint job and being frightened to take it out.

[@antares8281]

Yes, but a paint system does more than just look good. It protects the surface from the elements. Even non rusting surfaces like aluminum or carbon need some protection. A continuous paint film protects that surface while anything more than a surface scratch can allow water to work under the edge and cause further problems. A bike kept indoors most of the time, will probably not have that problem, but with enough outdoor exposure and rough riding terrain, there is potential for more severe damage. I would have repaired the gouge we saw in the first bike, but ignored the DIY chip in the second.

[@timothymadaras1613]

It always a pleasure to watch a craftsman at work!!!

[@scchua4203]

Great tips and tricks! Super!

[@Outback10]

Fantastic workmanship and handy touch up tip. Advice to anyone with a laquer finish to be very careful when sanding the raised area of nail polish down. You may get a bit of a dull haze on surrounding paint. To finish off add some wax/polish to protect and blend this haze in. Did mine happy 😁

[@CRM08]

Thank you so much for the tip!

[@gregknipe8772]

happy to see this show, will never need it but I know riders who really care. enough to have it done for them. thank you.

[@nickelly8002]

Incredible precision on the stripes he had to mask off. the matte finish before the clear coat also looked dope!

[@fattoamanowoodwork3638]

absolutely loved this video.

[@framedge]

Incredible work here. A true artistic craftsperson. Sure I couldn't afford this kind of treatment but surely can appreciate it!

[@yisraels4555]

The scratches on my bike match the scratches and scars on my arms and legs... Both are signs of an active life well lived.. I can laugh about most of them. Maybe not so much when they happened.

[@richardstevenson0111]

Ali did a massive 'Easyjet' chip on my Dogma last year.... unbelievable repair - absolutely cannot see where it was! Top man.

[@fabianbv82]

Love this kind of videos.

[@SlimPickins_07]

The cage nut for my water bottle holder spun when trying to remove the bolt on my brand new bike just the other day. Haven't even ridden it yet and have a chip. Glad I got the first one out of the way though lol

[@gfrizzleshizzlemanizzle]

What a great gent. Shouts out from New Zealand!!

[@sinansarikaya3662]

I've got some chips on my vintage Peugeot which I decided to fix up and thankfully this popped into my recommendations. Regardless, it's always charming to see Manon on the show, a lovely addition to the GCN cast!

[@JubbLaRacing]

I also got a vintage Peugeot! with scratches 😬

[@TobiMcTobeface]

I have an entire network of scratches with a vintage Peugeot holding them in place

[@roseedge5626]

I got a scratch and I've owned my bike for less than a week. Had an electrician come into the area the bike was stored and scratch. This is really helpful and timely.

[@nelsongracia]

Excellent video , like it .

[@raleighkellyc9375]

Out standing GCN .all my bikes road/MTBs are all carbon since 2013 ( no dinks /scratches) but I do worry thanks Too u u renew may faith in carbon frames

[@bengtjohansson6364]

This was in interesting video, with useful content. Thanks!

[@MISSION315]

Great channel very informative your great on camera, cheers baz.

[@matthavilah7422]

Love the tip. I've got a lovely 90's steely Eddy Merckx that needs some TLC. Want to do the original paint job justice.

[@kidstux]

I've never been to the paint shop, but if I see Ben Foster's signed & framed jersey on the wall (14:30), the shop must be THE real deal!

[@antoniiocaluso1071]

When first applying thickened Epoxy (as "filler") it's best to apply with a somewhat stiff applicator. You'll need to try which works best with your "touch", (from biz card, to cedar shake, to credit cared, to rubber edging,....). Doing so avoids "humps & depressions" in the filler, which using a relatively "soft" applicator like one's fingertip, often leaves!! Requiring more sanding (planing-off is better!) the humps, or re-applying more filler. Ughhhh. I build catamarans, using glass/CF & epoxied and never-felt the use of gloves necessary, if handled well. Epoxy is relatively benign, unlike other "activator resins" used in composites. I like reflective stickers or tapes as a temp patch :-)

[@TheMiloRez]

Amazing!

[@01FozzyS]

Fat Creations always do quality!

[@Jpifr]

I repair rowing boat and what that men did is very very professional, I found out the "nail paint technique" not a long time ago and I definitely would have love to see this video before, as he said, a little chip takes you a full day to repair and that a pain when you have to be fast and cost effective, with the right nail varnish you can do quite a good job almost for free but it work well only on gloss white paint, what's pretty convenient for boats which are almost always gloss white. For black the best technique I've found is epoxy resin with some black paint, it work perfect. I would have show some non destructive testing just to motivate people to see a professional.

[@VideoNash]

Thank you so much.

[@brushworkkay3076]

Great frame Ill work on you any day of the week!!..manon

[@albullit]

I remember looking through nail polishes in Boots when an assistant wandered over and asked if I needed any help. “Yes “, I replied “Do you have anything to match this?” As I held up a RockShox Boxxer lower. Her face was a picture, but she picked out a perfect match!

[@mrrodriguezHLP]

I did my chip repairs with epoxy putty as filler, that you can find at any hardware store. It doesn't react with paint or carbon, it should last forever, and it is very easy to sand, prime, and paint. The biggest problem I had, as a DIY'er, was matching my paint color. Wear gloves when messing with epoxy putty.

[@aremuolayode8661]

I have 20-year old alloy road bike frame, dark colour. When I get occasional scratches and chips through to the primer or metal I dab the spot with a black permanent marker pen, then buff around it with a micro-fibre cloth. It is not a proper repair, but keeps my old pride and joy looking neat, tidy and loved.

[@fetizsrami]

Perfect timing just bought me self a merida scultura endurance and I'll be going off roading because it has 32 cc tyres. Definitely will be getting scratches and chips from stones and what not.

[@gcntech]

All part of the fun!

[@paullinnitt5450]

Get some helicopter tape for the downtube. This will stop the worst of the chips. Bit more crossover from MTBs.

[@pahl99]

Good video and I'm amazed how professional craftworker is, not common nowadays.

[@TheOrgil220]

What a humble guy.

[@kylehagertybanana]

This guy is great

[@dh7314]

The paint on my new orbea orca is ridiculously thin, chips and scratches all over it within a week. I've decided to not stress over it, instead see it as an opportunity to get a fat creations respray in a few years.

[@charliedillon1400]

My daughter recently bought a used Orbea Opal. There are so many chips and scratches on the clearcoat that I wonder how many times the former owner crashed it. Luckily no cracks in the frame and it's a great ride at a great price, due to the frame being beat up.

[@D4D22]

Mesmerizing

[@LRF49]

I have chip on one side of the rear triangle😖 My bike color is carbon(no paint). How would they make the color match? Side note: Manon is😍🔥🔥🔥

[@Kowabrass]

If you can’t find your colour in the nail varnish shelf try scale modeler‘s paint. Lots of RAL colours there in tiny tins, and it’s good quality enamel.

[@seanmccuen6970]

This dude is a master.

[@motoservo]

Wish this was more of a real "how to...". It covered the broad strokes but few of the specifics. I doubt a person not already experienced with the process could attempt this at home after watching this video. But thanks for sharing, gets me closer than I was.

[@BooklessT]

I have a white bike (Silverback Scalera) and have suffered from chips in the paint around the drop-outs. In similar vein to the video, clean it well, add the white nail varnish sparingly and build-up in small increments till the chip has (almost but not quite) totally disappeared.

[@rajatsoni6525]

This video was titled "How to Repair Chips and Scratches on Your Bike" which Google and everyone obviously takes to mean how YOU repair them because it keeps coming up when I run a search. But the video is "How the *Professionals* Repair Chips......" The equipment and technique he uses is waaaaaay outside the profile of a normal person. While this is interesting, and the video is quite fascinating and admirable it is ultimately misleading and deceptive. This video is like watching a how-to-descend video about mountain biking by watching a Red Bull competition.

[@rickvoss709]

Alistair has got to be one of the best in the country…can’t wait to get mine done…bare carbon and gold 😍😍

[@zukzworld]

Generally, I use a filler putty and then a sticker (halloween sticker mostly), and it looks lovely! On another bike/occasion, used few coats of nail polish, worked perfect!

[@bearirving7002]

I have a GCNCC sticker over an area where some lacquer flaked. The Red goes with the colour scheme!

[@junyongzhao]

Great video, what grade was the sand paper (assuming it was a sand paper) to smooth the nail varnish back towards the end of the video?

[@jimmygee1969]

Interesting and good that half decent results can be achieved at home. However, both bikes worked on had gloss paint and lacquer whereas many of us have matt finishes. How does one tackle those?

[@itarry4]

Nail varnish is a great way to match the colour and get a hard wearing cover.

[@HoshPak]

Really cool video! A part two would be really appreciated where you fix up a bike with a matte finish.

[@trimmxx2169]

use a matte clear coat or use gloss and finish with 3000 3m trizact discs wet leaves it looking matte

[@solefreak2]

Had chain suck on my Tarmac SL6 which has taken a fair chunk of paint off near the bottom chain stay, just hope it hasn't damaged the carbon! Luckily you can buy touch up paint from Specialized

[@fishellb]

How did you match the paint to the factory colour? I refurbish old frames from the 80s and 90s and I always have chips like this. I get the filling, sanding, and priming, but I seldom get a decent match.

[@steffenstengardvilladsen3740]

Could you do a video where you go into detail with bike polishing? I expect that it both help protect the bike + make it shine

[@adolforave]

Manon ♥️♥️♥️

[@VideoNash]

Using a block base coat/primer will add a rich luster to the "red" finish coat and you will only have to use a couple of coats of paint witch will save a lot of money in the long run, in fact, with the money saved on the finish paint supplies, you can maybe paint the whole frame on a similar budget, or close to it anyway... Just a tip, although you are the professional, so I don't want to intrude... Hope this helps. 🙂

[@tintansigloXXI]

Great job, would love to work in that workshop

[@EryPrihananto]

Your cloths match with the frame color 😁

[@KenChiwo]

For those that want an easier option at home, but with decent results then use a Dupli-Color Scratch Fix pen.

[@TheSamwhyte]

Raiding my girlfriend’s nail polish set is always my first port of call for scratch solutions! *but don’t tell her - she is already baffled by the state of the frills on the application brushes! 😆🤫😇

[@MrIanD1]

Unfortunately my wife doesn't use black nail polish.

[@cornishcat11]

nice repair but i wish these people would call it clear coat not lacquer because it is NOT lacquer and has not been for bloody years.

[@russstarke6004]

Would love to know more about how he matched the color. I have a chip on a Cervelo and requested color code info and heard nothing back.

[@dudeonbike800]

Me too. I'd assume a shop like this doesn't waste their time trying to track down paint codes. First, who knows if the code is actually correct, and second, paint fades over time, so you want to match what's actually on the bike, not what it USED to look like. So I assume they use a color matching system that ensures accuracy.

[@beardyface8492]

If you take it to an auto-paint supplier they've often got a machine that'll scan & give them a recipe to match the colour. Downside is, you'll be stuck with buying 1/2 a litre minimum when you want 1/10th of that or less. A few places can also mix you up a rattle can, again probably much more than you want.

[@ctcboater]

A bike without scratches is (in automotive parlance) a Trailer Queen.

[@WorldofColnago]

Dear sir, how do u determine the exact colour beforehand, since it is verie hard to get the exact colour (if the colourcode ain't availabl) ?

[@WesternUranus]

What do you do about dents/cuts on BB welds ?

[@pedrohurtado627]

My Trek Madone got a chipped how much this guys charge to fix it ? I would like to get in contact with him Very professional

[@LarsTclips]

But what after the last sanding, when you take away the remainders of the nailpolish. Do you put on a blanc lacquer?

[@radfordbean2164]

A couple of days after buying my new Trek Émonda, I got a chip in the coral paint at the end of the chain stay. Sadly, Trek doesn't make any touch-up coral paint.

[@cashhunt2519]

Is there a link to this chaps website to get a quote for a respray?

[@jamiepottermusic]

Do Fat creations have their own KZbin channel, because they are seriously missing out. I’d watch the masters at fat creations all damn day long.

[@anthonybrown7448]

How do i get in contact with this gentleman to help sort my bike out ive only had it 4months and its gone down twice and caused some nasty chips in my frame very visible and bothers me big time im not confident enough to tackle it myself plus the fram is a blackframe but when the sunlight hits it it gose like a matalic green this is the reason why a professional needs to sort it my bike is a scott patron ebike and its damaged on the top tube.

[@joeyc8546]

Chipped my bike when i was still building it, putting the cables through the frame and the handlebars got loose, swung into the frame. Realised how silly thin the paintwork is on the new bikes. Not robust like the old stuff. Will get it repainted one day as a new colour when i figure what it will be. That looked so much work for a chip as a pro level!

[@motoservo]

What are the thick, white, foam strips you used for feathering your mask?

[@marksmits1911]

You can buy a laquerpaint stift. Works like a charm vor scratches

[@SmackWild-yb1rr]

Is nail varnish really better for small chips than enamel paint? I have a couple of chips and scratches that are relatively small but they are down to the bare metal and I'd like to at least make them much less visible. Should I use an enamel primer first? Surely an enamel coat on top of primer would be tougher than nail varnish, or am I wrong? Any advice is much appreciated.

[@boriss.861]

Aluminium Oxide or Silicon Carbide (wet and dry) paper perhaps! Oakley makes Glass paper it was never sand paper.. How was the paint matched or was it a stock RAL colour?

[@yishaithegift9953]

Yeah I have a few scratches and chips. I actually want to get my bike repainted. Because I wasn't crazy about the paint job to start with. It's a 13' Supersix. So it's due for a new color. What's a good place to have it done?

[@DigininjaRobin]

Looks a lot better than when I used car touch up to do a chip in the same spot. Lucky no one is looking at mine

[@Arfonfree]

All my bikes have scratches and/or chips. The only one's I've bothered with are the steel frames. A dab of rust converter and then something to protect it from water.

[@bradydewart7209]

What is the white masking material used?

[@ewolam]

What’s the masking material around the scratch before painting? Is it plasticine?

[@Ergustavinho]

What about a dyi trick for matt finishes ?