Spray Painting Woes

Look at the can, it probably says recoat within an hour or wait two days(or more). When they say that, they mean it, and the wrinkle finish you now have is the result of not waiting long enough. The new coat dissolves the old one and the contraction of the new coat setting up is enough to wrinkle the coat underneath. I have had this happen with Rustoleum primer under their spray paints, it's NOT my favorite brand. They changed formulations back when CA CARB board decided spray paint V.O.C.s were an environmental hazard and it's sucked ever since. It's slooooow drying, it forms a film that keeps it from completely drying and it's too heavy, it runs. I've used a touchup gun instead of spray cans ever since.

Chemical paint stripper is the answer if you've got a fair amount of surface to clear off, beats hours spent with a sander.

Stan

There were paints sold to do this *intentionally* -- called "Wrinkle Varnish" paints -- and were quite common on electronics (and electric fan bases) for a while. I used to use it when General Cement sold it in rattle cans. If you paint -- let dry for a short while, and re-paint, you get a wrinkle effect. If you want a coarse one, let the second coat dry naturally. If you want a fine and tough coat, dry it in the oven on low for an hour or two.

I had only black, but it came in gray and blue as well, and probably other colors.

Here's the URL for a patent on an intentional wrinkle varnish:

Apparently scanned, with quite a few missed letters which are showing up as checkerboards.

Hmm ... if I *want* a wrinkle finish, that may be the way to god now, since I can't seem to find intentional wrinkle varnish products any more.

Good Luck, DoN.

You can make your own wrinkle paint. I did a dashboard for a racecar with homemade wrinkle paint, and it came out great.

That was 40 years ago, so don't ask me what's in it. It was just ordinary enamel with something ordinary added to it. I'm sure there are formulas for it around the Web.

-- Ed Huntress

For anyone who's interested you can buy wrinkle paint spray cans at most FLAPS (Friendly Local Auto Parts Stores) which, oddly enough, is marketed as for restoring car dashes. The stuff I have is Plasticote #217.

H.

hi ,

dont wait too long between coats , either wait 5 min between coats . OR wait at least 3 days if you HAVE to rub it and spray it agian..

I like and use the referenced paint. My recollection is the instructions on the cans dictate that you finish recoat either within 1 hour of your last coat or after a minimum period of 48 hours from your last coat. The period in between is a no-go painting zone.

Obviously, humidity and temperature may skew standard guidelines. Not applying it in an area where daytime mercury or ambient moisture is ever a problem, I don't immediately recall qualifications for the directions specified.

The Rustoleum people are accessible. You might want to call them for counsel on your particular conditions.

Regards,

Edward Hennessey

DId some crusty old server get spun up and just dump some archived threads here or what? Original posting was 2009!

Stan