Quick Repair Tip: Touch-up pens are great but proceed with caution

[vintageparlors]

I use both the lacquer-based and stain-based touch-up pens to help with finish flaws, gouges and gaps. They do a fine job as long as I'm careful with how I approach their use. This is what I've learned about using touch-up pens.

1. ALWAYS test the pen on some other surface than the one you're working on before you use them on your project. They leak and gush and drip on occasion when you depress the spring-loaded tip and that is usually not good.

2. Dab, don't stroke, the area needing touch-up. Stroking the pen along a scratch or line will cause the pen tip to release more liquid then intended. This will be especially harmful to the original finish if using the lacquer pen in that the lacquer-based pen will start to dissolve the guitar top lacquer and create a worse mess than before.

3. The tips of some touch-up pens dry up yielding no liquid at all and/or refuse to spring back into position, thereby release the "gush" of liquid I referenced previously.


Touch-up pens are a great tool in the tool box that I use quite often. Remember to proceed with caution before working directly on your project and always dab, don't stroke.