Technical Removing paint runs quickly

Let me start by saying I'm not a painter. Not a painter of cars, or anything else, so when I paint I always have to cut and buff, and occasionally need to deal with a run in my work!
So I had to reshoot the right front fender on my '39 Chev gasser after some moron turned right from the left lane in front of me and caused me to bump his big truck. Not bad damage, but enough to need bodywork and of course painting the whole fender to match. Once I finished I walked away, and came back to see 4 small runs at various places.
So I did a little search on Youtube for an answer, and found a video some British guy did on how to quickly remove paint runs. Wish I could post it, but he did it to a fairly new Honda that's way OT here! He started out by taking a single edge new razor blade and knocking the edge off the corners by running the corners of the blade on some coarse sandpaper until the blade was dull on the corners. Then he held the blade at a slight angle with both hands with his thumb and index finger, making sure it was angled back slightly. He pulled the blade back towards himself over and over and the run began to go away until it was flush with surrounding paint! Took maybe a minute to work it down.
After getting the run down even he used 1500 grit wet/dry with lots of water and sanded the run, and adjacent area until there was no signs of the run. Then buffed with polishing compound and no sign of where the run was.
I did this process on 4 runs on the fender, plus one on the headlight bucket, and it took less than 15 minutes to do all of them! I still need to get some polishing compound to bring back the shine, but I was pretty pleased to deal with these runs so easily and quickly. And the dull corners avoided any scratches a sharp corner might make! I'll still try not to get runs in the paint, but now it wont be a big deal to fix them anymore!

 

I’ve used a razor blade and also glazing putty
Sounds crazy but we’ve wiped glazing putty over the run. Then wet sand. The putty keeps the clear around the run from being over sanded.

 

Back in the 70's someone made a little wooden plane with a razor blade in it just for that purpose. Worked good but damn if I can remember who it was that made it. Lippy

 

I’ve cut runs off with a razor blade like that but didn’t think to knock the corners off. Great idea.

 

I think it would work great on solid colors , my not well on metallics

 

I have used one of these with great success comes from Eastwood

 

The thing is that if you remove them quickly you don’t truly remove them. Every run can be completely different requiring different techniques but they all require patience, lots and lots of patience.

 

Literally "cut" and buff.

Kinda like a planer.
Correction:
Exactly like a planer.
Correction:
It's a planer.

 

Unlike some I've seen who lay the razor blade flat and slice the run, in his video he leans the blade back a few degrees and pulls it across the run. It seemed to avoid digging into the paint, and only removed the high spot that the run is. It also makes it easier to do without going too far and digging into the paint.
I've tried slicing the runs off laying the blade flat and didn't work that well. Too easy to go too far for me. It's more like the reverse of a plane since the blade leans back instead of angled and pushed forward. But not as steep an angle; more like 5-10 degrees back from true vertical to the surface.

 

Okay. Draw knife.

Don't mind me.
I'm just "musing".

 

Having used a draw knife, it also pulls with the blade angle like a plane. This method angles the blade the opposite direction as you draw the blade towards you. Like using a block plane by pulling it instead of pushing it. The blade is almost perpendicular to the surface, so it wont dig in or slice.

 

It essentially becomes a scraper. Capable of taking very thin shavings without digging in. Thanks for sharing. I hope I remember this when my turn comes.

 

Seriously now, I wasn't paying close enough attention. So you're holding the razor blade perpendicular to the surface? Okay then. See, if I display my stupidity for long enough, you guys always knock me up side the head and get me going in the right direction. Thank you.

 

they make a little file for runs as well. kinda the same thing only different

I watched a guy get a huge run on the door of his truck and put more paint on until the run ran all the way to the bottom. he was also painting shirtless and no respirator.

 

I've used these in the past, now I just try not to run it.

 

I’ve used exactly the same ones along with the razor blade trick. I’ve seen that British guy and in one video he repaired and painted his wife’s SUV tailgate outside in the rain with a tarp and heat lights. Amazing and brave fellow!

 

Nib files work great for removing runs also!

 

Metoo,,,,used them for 20 years.

 

Yes. But I found that if I tilt the blade slightly towards me as I pulled it across the run it was less aggressive and pulled easier.

 

I had my headlight housing off of the fender while I painted, and figured I'd give it a couple coats also just to ensure it was a perfect color match to the fender. Came out perfect with no runs, but as I was looking it over I happened to still have the gun above it and a single little drip dropped on the housing! All I could do was watch it begin to run down the side for about 2"-3" and then stop. But that was the first run I tried with the razor blade and it went away fast.

 

I kinda miss the enamel days.
Just flow the run to the floor of the shop then cut the runs off

 

Yeah I went with single stage acrylic urethane enamel on this car. Just because it cost less and was easier to shoot in my home shop. And easy to touch up if needed! My other gasser is base coat/clear coat, and it looks great, but a bit too nice for an old gasser. The enamel just fits this car's era.

 

Wouldn't a bic shaver work?

 

Those aren't runs, they are flow checks. Every painter gets them (even though most will deny it) .
Mine are usually in the clear coat in area where there is a vent, opening, obstacle that prevents your normal spray pattern.

I use a razor blade, bend it slightly (so the edges are off my clear) and back scrape the run until you can see the run is gone and the blase is hitting the clear around the run. Then wet sand the entire area and polish as normal. I had a few on the interior on the PU (dash, that header panel, doors...I hate painting interior metal). Always remove the runs before wet sanding and polishing the panel, there is more material to play with.

 

I use a variation of that trick to fix finish dents in guitars. Rubbing the edge of the razor blade on a vise puts a slight 90-degree edge on the blade, and I shave the super glue fill right off.

 

I do this too, but borrowed Ted Woodford’s trick of applying packing tape to the edges as a depth stop.

 

Spend the small amount of money that the nib files cost.

 

This thread made me get a run in my rattle can semi gloss black trailer hitch paint job I did this morning

 

my paint supplier used to have the little sand paper dice.... they worked good, but haven't seen them in years...but, I don't paint much anymore either

 

Probably wont bother since I rarely paint, and this works so well and quick.