Paint not drying issue

[Rob406]

Hey guys, I recently inherited an old 15' aluminum boat that i've decided to clean up and get some use out of. I picked up a bucket of rustoleum professional grey enamel that I rolled on straight (as recommended on the can). It has since been about 5 days and the paint still has not dried completely. The top is dry but I can scrape it off with my fingernail and it is still sticky underneath.

Online it seems this is a common problem -- maybe applied too thick, also it has been chilly at night and spent some time under a cover due to an afternoon shower but also has been in the sun for the most part. So I know it hasn't had the most optimum drying conditions.

MY QUESTION IS: will this paint eventually dry all the way though? (Somebody said give it a month) I know there is a lot of back-and-forth on this subject. IF IT WILL INFACT dry eventually (month or so) I will be patient and just touch up the spots I've already messed up. I thought rustoleum had a reputation for being rock hard, tough to sand and tough to remove (that is why i used it) But if it is going to remain in this state then I should probably start working on removing it. I would think eventually it will dry. I am asking you guys (the pros) because I am sure somebody here has done this and knows exactly what to do. Thanks in advance for any input you may have for me!!

 

[Woodonglass]

Yeah it will eventually but...I'd highly recommend you read this...

Paint Your Boat with Tractor Paint...Say What!!!

 

[Rob406]

No Title

Woodonglass, that is funny you mention about half way down Majic tractor paint. I used that stuff to paint my car. It is the international harvester red. HVLP one bay garage job with a box fan. I was happy with the results. I liked how that product came with a hardener and how it was sized to pour it right in.

The problem I am having here is that I have already applied the rustoleum product (maybe without the right amount of forethought) I assumed this was a "general purpose" type of paint and I definitely did not anticipate the long cure time. I fear it will not harden to the point of being easily scraped off with a fingernail.


I was hoping someone who has used this stuff could confirm how much CURE TIME i should expect or if I should find a way to remove it while it is in the state that it's in...I would be glad to provide any info needed if it will help or am I just being too impatient.

 

[Woodonglass]

Full cure on unthinned Rustoleum Paint in temps in the 70's and 80's will probably be 4-6 weeks and even then it will NOT be totally scratch resistant. You can use the Same hardener with rustoleum that you do with the Majic paint. They are both Acrylic Enamel paint and the hardener works just as well for either of them. Follow the directions in the provided link and it'll work great on your boat. I'd prolly go ahead and wait the 4-6 weeks fo this paint to cureand use it for the base coat and then mix up some more rustoleum with the added hardener and either HVLP spray it or roll it on over this existing paint. It'll work just fine doing it this way. Using some heat lamps might aid in the curing process as well.

 

[Ned L]

(If I am wrong please correct me)........ Rustoleum (being a one part paint) does not "cure" as such. There isn't a chemical reaction like a two part epoxy. It 'dries', in that the solvents evaporate out of it. Given that you applied it thickly and it has not had ideal conditions it will take a good while to completely dry. Yes, I could see it taking multiple weeks to dry completely.

I just read the sales literature for the "Majic Catalyst Hardner", .... I think my comments above are still correct. --- Just wait and it will dry.

 

[Woodonglass]

Yes, Technically "Drying" is the correct Term!! That's why thinning it with a bit of acetone IS always a good idea. It WILL speed up the "Drying" time since it aids in the evaporation of the solvents of the paint. Multiple thin coats is always a better idea than one thick coat.

 

[Patfromny]

Paint companies use the terms "dry" and "cured" because a Paint like wall Paint will be dry in 4 hrs but will be fully cured in 30 days. What this means is fully dry but I think using dry and fully dry would confuse people. Wall Paint is dry in a few hrs but if you get a mark on the wall that you have to scrub, you should wait a month before doing so. Rustoleum fits into the wall Paint category better than a two part Paint so I would say a month is the ticket. I would think the paint should be pretty dry throughout by now. Maybe you put it on way too heavy. Multiple light coats is best for just about any paint. Just my 2 cents. I think i would go with Woods suggestion and coat over it with his formula. Heat lamps or a space heater would do wonders too.

 

[Rob406]

Hey guys thanks for all the responses. I guess I will wait it out and see what happens. Also Hindsight is 20/20 and i should have known better. And yes I know for a fact i threw it on heavy. Patfromny you give me an idea of hitting it with some heat from my silent glow. Not sure if I will be able to achieve that angle or not. On a side note last night after I made that initial post I went outside to check on it. It is still in that "cured on top but sticky underneath" state. I hit a few small spots with a 100 grit sanding sponge, which would not gum up if sanded with light pressure. I came back a few hours later to find those spots were much harder than before. The weather here has not been great, and I have been trying to keep this project moving forward so it can see the water this year, all my ducks are in a row and i certainly am not looking for perfection but I do want it to be solid. The directions on the label are poor to say the least....I have plenty of paint left over so I can always thin it out/add hardener to touch up any spots that need it. Again thanks for the info and any insight/thoughts/suggestions are appreciated as always :yo:

 

[ondarvr]

Applying another coat of paint over a not fully cured layer can cause it to wrinkle, lift and peel, so I would hold doing anything over what you have on there now.

It can take a very long time for the paint to fully harden, just wait, it'll get there.

 

[Rob406]

If I was to hit it with a silent glow (salamander heater) would it be better to hit the face of the paint or heat the boat from the bottom? Yes ondarvr I will give this coat plenty of time before adding anything else. Even after the 4 to 6 weeks i will probably just doing a "touch up" at best

 

[Patfromny]

Direct heat from a space heater not great unless you are watching and moving it around. Best to heat the space it is in like a garage or a tented structure. The warmer the area is the better it cures. If it is a row boat, turn it upside down on saw horses and throw the heater underneath it.

 

[Ned L]

I think you would want to hear the boat from the inside. Heating the outside will tend to harden the surface even more, causing the 'inside ' of the paint to take even longer to harden. ... Does this make sense?

 

[Patfromny]

I think you would want to hear the boat from the inside. Heating the outside will tend to harden the surface even more, causing the 'inside ' of the paint to take even longer to harden

Or heat the area it is in. Paint does skin and dry from the outside in so heating the room won't hurt. But direct heat might make it dry unevenly and have different sheen levels. Or you could even burn the surface if left too long. I would try to heat the Boat evenly which ever way you go. Direct heat on the inside might give you a cured sandwich. Uncured in the middle. Even heat is the way to go.

 

[Ned L]

Yep,... Sounds good.

 

[Woodonglass]

Uhmmm You could host a Political Debate in your garage. All that Hot Air would make that paint Dry in NO TIME!!!!:lol::laugh::faint2:

 

[Rob406]

Sorry to bring this thread back from the dead. The paint has had some time to dry and is hardening up nicely. Some spots, mainly the floor where the paint is heavier, still needs more time. I have scuffed the entire thing with sand paper to help speed it up and I will inevitably "try again" when I think it is fully cured. I might continue to sand down some more and at least that way I will have a decent base coat.

I just finished my transom (2 pcs plywood laminated and coated with fiberglass mat and resin, all the way around) I think this will need to be painted too. Because I still have plenty of rustoleum on hand I would like to get use out of it, but I don't want to wait 6 to 8 weeks for it to cure... Maybe Woodonglass you can help with this. The directions on the can say to thin only with acetone, so I picked up some acetone. Also I went looking for some rustoleum brand hardener (no luck, I thought I have seen it in the past, maybe not) So if I lightly thinned with acetone, could I add the Majic brand hardener from TSC? (Will the Majic hardener work with the Rustoleum paint?) Also if yes would I expect a quicker cure time, say 24-48 hours? Obviously I will be going with lighter coats this time Thanks for the input guys

 

[Woodonglass]

Yes the Majic Hardener is what most of us use. There is NO rustoleum brand hardener. Go back to Post #2 and re-read the Link about the Paint. It has ALL in info you need on how to paint with the Rustoleum and the hardener. Pay CLOSE attention to the mixing instructions and follow them VERY IMPORTANT!!!! The Paint will Harden overnight.

 

[Rob406]

Awesome. Thanks again for all the help.