Anyone ever use the rustoleum enamel in cans (not spray). I used it on a steel bicycle frame and it is tenacious.
- Eric
Tenacious? Yes.
Also takes over a week to fully cure too… :-(
Since you open up this can of …..
Down the rabbit hole we go:
I use enamel for re-painting/restoring equipment. Can take some time to learn how it likes to be handled.
Like NEVER spray above 90°, unless you like orange peel. The Arizona average LOW temp in July is ~85° which makes for a very short window of spray time. :-(
IMHO - If SPRAYING ANY brand of oil based alkyd enamel (Rustoleum, Majik, Valspar, Ace, etc), be sure to add some
enamel hardener. There are several brands available: Valspar, Majic, Krylon, Finish Pro - Wet Look Acrylic Enamel Hardener. Most are same thing = non-isocyanate catalyst.
Krylon sells it under a couple labels; one is Farm/Industrial Enamel Catalyst, and the other is Industrial Alkyd Hardener. Can find Krylon at Grainger or Fastenal distribution centers, and some farm/fleet stores. TSC carries the Majic brand. Valspar can be tricky? There is a version sold at farm supply centers, and there is an isocyanate based hardener sold at Valspar Automotive Refinish brand. Stay away from the Valspar automotive version.
Do not confuse the Enamel hardeners with Urethane hardeners for automotive market. The Urethane hardener has Isocyanate, and you need a full hazardous materials coverall suit and respirator to use it safely. Nasty stuff. Most city/county hazardous materials recycling centers won't accept ANY Auto Urethane paint components.
The enamel hardeners cut the dry time for enamel from several days to one day, and tack free time from several hours to well less than hour (depending on temp/humidity). I use 16:4:1 ratio of enamel/Acetone/Hardener for spraying, or about a pint of hardener to gallon of enamel.
Mix and give it 15 minutes to react before spraying. Only mix what you need to use in a couple hours. If added to an entire quart of enamel, whole can will be unusable in 4-16 hours depending on temp. DAMHIK
The only disadvantage to using the hardener, is it ADDS Gloss. Catalyst will turn semi-gloss into gloss, and gives flat camo enamel colors an annoying semi-gloss shine.
YMMV