# I need advice on paint



## timlee49 (Jan 12, 2008)

Hi all, 

I have started the painting of my M&SV combine as detailed in the "masterclass" thread. Undercoat has gone on well and the beast is now flat primer grey. 

My problem is the top coat, gloss acrylic that just does not want to dry! It has now been a tad more than 8 hours and the paint is still tacky, i.e. two pieces placed accidently together will stick to each other. 

This is not cheap $3 a can paint but mid price national (Australian)brand stuff. I use their flat colours all the time with no problem. 

Are temperatures critical? Today was 15 - 10 C or 56 - 46 F, humidity less than 40% 

So far I have only top coated the truck side frames so if needed I could scrap them and start again - I guess. 

I'm looking for all and any advice on this as I really want to get on to the combine body. 

Thanks in anticipation, 
Tim


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## Richard Smith (Jan 2, 2008)

I have had this problem with some paints other than Krylon. I believe humidity and temperature have something to do with the slow drying and some paints just take a long time. Be patient and wait a bit. I had one item I painted take three full days to dry but eventually it did. 

Also....don't apply the paint too heavily. Several thinner coats is better than one heavy coat.


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## San Juan (Jan 3, 2008)

I usually don't do multicoats (primer and top coat), but I find model paints such as Floquil and Scalecoat take several days to dry fully. 8 hours seems quick to me for paint to dry. 

Several years ago I found out that even after a week of drying time that my dry transfer letters weren't sticking to the painted surfaces correctly. I waited another week for the paint to cure more and the transfers worked perfectly then. 

So paint sometimes can take a long time to dry. I find that the more humid or cold it is outside, the longer it takes for the paint to dry. 

I like to use oil/lacquer based paints because when the smell is gone then you know the paint if fully dry...and clean up is easier too. This smell test sometimes can take up to 3 weeks to go away in some situations. But by then you know the paint is fully dry. 

Are the primer and top coat by the same paint manufacturer? Sometimes the paints don't mix well and curing time can take a while when this happens.


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Krylon is dry in about 15 minutes. Other sprays take much longer, it seems. Jerry


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## Greg Stevens (Jan 3, 2008)

Gloss paints generally take longer to dry, sometimes upwards of a week or more. Yes, temperature and humidty have a bearing on the drying time. The cooler and more humid it is, the longer the wait. Can you carefully take this paint job into the house where it is usually warmer and dryer? If not, just wait. Also, sometimes if the paint is old it will not dry as you might like it to. I don't know if your stuff is date coded, but check it out. The older it is, the longer it takes to dry. Good luck.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

And your temperature is a little low. That make it dry slowly. 

When I was hanging around with avaiators in my younger days, there was a guy who always had the most incredibly beautiful paint jobs on his gyrocopter tails. His secret? He'd lay the tail flat and paint it with krylon paint (the old laquer stuff you can't get now) when the temperature was in the low 40's (like 5C). It would take a day or two to dry, but would be so smooth and deep! 

"Isn't that Imron?" 

"Nope, Krylon."


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## timlee49 (Jan 12, 2008)

Thanks all, 

I need to learn patience. I need to learn patience. I need to learn patience. I need to learn patience. I need to learn patience. I need to learn patience...... Hurry up and learn already!!!!! 

The truck side frames are dry now, 2 and a bit days. 

I painted the doors the cream colour tonight and they are dry already, 2 hours +/-, same brand colder and raining outside while drying. Could the colour have an effect on the dry time? Dark blue v pale cream? 

Another question, or should I begin another thread about floor polish gloss? 

I cannot find the "Future" brand that you guys extoll, however I have found similar acrylic floor polish products and use them to convert flat black etc. to semi gloss. 

Question is: can I achieve better than semi gloss by dilution, spraying or what? 

Thanks 
Tim


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## silverstatespecialties (Jan 2, 2008)

Some gloss enamels take up to 3 weeks to completely gas out...the warmer & dryer (read: less humid) your climate is, the faster it will fully dry & cure (all gases/chemicals cured).


Sounds like a road trip to Western Australia might be in your near future for a quick cure! 


IIRC, Future is sold overseas but under a different label; it is only branded as "Future" for the North American market.


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By silverstatespecialties on 07/01/2008 8:48 AM

Sounds like a road trip to Western Australia might be in your near future for a quick cure! 




Nah.. we got just what ya need right here in Utah.. this week.. temps in the 100's and low 20% on the humidity scale..


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## rpc7271 (Jan 2, 2008)

Gee, I take something outside to paint and in the 115 degree heat it is dry by the time I get it inside.


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## timlee49 (Jan 12, 2008)

Don't get me wrong! I'm not complaining about the cold and wet, it is the season for cold and wet and better to be cold and wet now than hot and dry in this season. It is only a few weeks since we had the longest "hot spell" in recorded history and that started at about the time of the change of season to autumn. 

Although it is raining outside now, we need so much more rain (SEND IT DOWN HUGHIE!!) most of the possible rain here is falling on the ocean south of us. 

Back to topic: 

Just noticed that my first application of the cream paint has LUMPS! I shook the new, full can for 2 - 3 minutes then stood it in warm water for 20 minutes (changing the water twice and shook the can) then shaking again before and while applying the paint. 

I think the paint may be faulty. It will be Saturday before I can return it to the hardware store, with the physical evidence of the painted pieces. 

I shall try to get a photo on the weekend to show you what has happened. 

Thanks 
Tim


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## jlyans (Jan 2, 2008)

I've done some work on violin repairs. There are only two formulations that are considered "correct" for varnishes. Oil based finishes and Spirit, (Alcohol) varnish. The oil varnishes can take a week to dry between each coat if the humidity is low and up to two weeks to dry if there is rain or high humidity. The Spirit varnishes dry in a day. The color in a violin is in the finish, not the wood so many instruments have seven to ten coats of finish. Most of the better instruments are finished with Oil varnish so you are talking somewhere between two to four months to finish a decent violin. You can grow old waiting for the varnish to dry. That's why I spend more time painting trains. 

John


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## steam5 (Jun 22, 2008)

You will always get a better result spraying. 

I haven’t tried this, but I have seen a model finished in Wattyl Estapol. 

If you don’t have access to an air brush, you can get Estapol in a pressure pack. 

There are similar products in that range, have a look for a UV resistant one (it could be called satin???), and if your game have a shot on a model; I’m temped too give it a shot at some time. 

I am new to Garden railroads, but not new to model trains. In HO I finish a model in Floquil flat finish, unfortunately this yellows in UV light, and so no good for outdoors. But Floquil crystal coat does not yellow in UV. 

Have a look at this question I posted a couple of weeks back 


Subject: Floquil crystal coat clear finish… or better? 



Alan


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