Paint question for experts


 
LMichaels

LMichaels

TVWBB 2-Star Olympian
So not a grill question but one you flippers know well. I am working on a KA Commercial 8qt than will soon be up for sale. But, this one had imperfections due to what appears to have been someone wearing a ring when operating it. So areas around the top and switch are/were scratched. Because it's black it's an easy "refinish" for me. I thought about going one of 2 ways. High quality rattle can, or getting a bit of enamel and doing it with my small spray gun going the "pro" route. With mixing, hardener and all that fun shtuff. I decided on the rattle can. The paint laid down beautifully BUT, developed 4 or 5 "pimples" or "bubbles" (I think it may be dust bumps). In any case not up to my standards. My thinking is a wet sand and then another light top coat.
How long do you need to wait with rattle can stuff though before this can be done? I did it yesterday afternoon early and this morning while dry to the touch it still feels "soft?" When I paint with my gun I use a hardener and usually by next day if needed I can wet sand and re-shoot. Not used to rattle can stuff.
Great finish and gloss like factory otherwise.
 
Yeah, I don't care for cans now that I have learned how to spray. But, it just did not seem "worth" it to buy a half pint of paint, do all the mixing, and prep for one little piece. I'm hoping I won't regret this decision. I have nearly as much $$$ in the rattle can as I would have had going the "pro" route
 
Most of the rustoleum stuff I use on grills can be recoated in minutes but after a couple hours should be allowed to dry for 24 hrs before recoating. If sanding, I would go with the after 24 hrs. Sanding paint that is not fully cured might lead to bad results.
 
Bruce said:
Most of the rustoleum stuff I use on grills can be recoated in minutes but after a couple hours should be allowed to dry for 24 hrs before recoating. If sanding, I would go with the after 24 hrs. Sanding paint that is not fully cured might lead to bad results.
Click to expand...
Yeah, that s what I was hoping the find out. How long before it would cure enough for me to knock down those imperfections with some 800 grit and then do one more light coat. It's sad that I got those imperfections in it (or dust specks). Because it came out as nice as factory finish. Very smooth, deep gloss. Just those darn flecks of dust UGH
 
I hear you Larry. On a grill frame, that isn't such a big deal. But on something like a mixer, it is a shame.

I did a green Q300 a few years ago. I got the lid all sprayed nice and shiny green and then a flock of gnats decided to decend on it before the paint dried. What a mess.
 
Yeah, I guess I should have not left the garage door open. But, I wanted the sunlight to see better, because I don't wear my glasses when I paint. (Don't want to have overspray on the lenses LOL). So I need all the light I can muster when I paint. Trees are all budding and little red flecks of something flying all over the place. I think it was a Rustoleum premium product. It was pretty expensive (nearly $10 for a small can of paint). It laid down nicely as well.
 
I do a lot of rattle can painting, even though I have airbrushes and trim sprayers. I've found that humidity really effects the curing time along with temperature. Here in AZ it's very dry most of the time although when we get the monsoons I don't even bother to paint, with humidity in the 80-85% range it's very hard to get a decent coat put down.
As far as rattle cans go rustoleum seems to have the fastest curing time.
 
Jon, Maybe the winter season would have better for humidity down there. The middle of the summer gets very hard to find days with sub 70% humidity up here as well.
 
Yes, it was somewhat less in the winter, though seldom on the dry side. In the summer I used to call it the 90/90...90 degrees and 90 percent humidity😩.

Hobe Sound Weather 3-29-23.png
 
You need cool nights to get the lower humidity the next day. I think that is why places like AZ have such low average humidity is that it gets pretty cool at night there, even in the summer.
 
Bruce said:
You need cool nights to get the lower humidity the next day. I think that is why places like AZ have such low average humidity is that it gets pretty cool at night there, even in the summer.
Click to expand...
Proximity to large bodies of water will have an equally powerful impact on humidity!
 
OK officially pi$$ed off BIG TIME!. So I let the paint cure a good 2 days. It was hardened well. I wet sanded, cleaned and dried the piece. Hung it and as soon as I started shooting it (same paint mind you), it started going alligator skin. WTH happened?! Now what? Do I have to get chemical stripper take it to bare metal and start again? I HATE rattle can paint!
 
Larry, I have come to the realization that it is something used to prep the item before painting. I was using 99% alcohol and was getting that issue. It was strange, because it would only happen in some areas on a grill part that I was painting. And, yes, I had let it dry for sometimes a day or more before painting. I actually find that prepping with plain water or even a simple green solution and rinsing with water is a better prep. Of course, drying very well after rinsing with water is necessary before painting.
 
That still doesn't explain what happened to me. All I did was wet sand, wipe clean with plain water and cloth, dried very well, air dried as well, and treated basically as a second coat of the same paint. So WTH did this happen?! It's nuts! Now I have to figure out how to get all that Rustolum crap off and start fresh :mad: I'm so angry I could spit nails! I have done this all the time with my spray gun paints.
 
I have never used it Larry, but it sounds like it would work fine. Just be careful of the temps as well. Up here, I have yet to find a day that I would feel good about painting this spring.
 
I get it. What I do is leave the paint and piece in the house. When all is ready I take them out to the garage, hang the piece and shoot it before it gets "cold" plus the garage is warmer than outside. I called a powder coat company. $50 - $60 to strip, blast and powder coat. That eats big time into my profit margin. I should have never used a rattle can. I haven't touched one in years and now I know why
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top