The Ford Barn

Bill S · 06-03-2017, 03:47 PM

I had some scratches and chips in my paint. I touched it upwith a small artist brush. I thinned out the paint with reducer. Since I did not use a catalyst how long do I have wait to color sand? I live in So. Calif.

WestCoast · 06-03-2017, 07:59 PM

acrylic enamel with out a catalyst is like oil based enamel, it takes for ever to dry, in hot sun you might be able to start to do some work with it in 2 to 3 weeks, it depends on who made the paint, and the reducer you used, fast medium or slow, how many coats applied, it will take awhile, go slow, test in an out of site place, if its not cured it will gum up

Bill S · 06-03-2017, 09:12 PM

Thanks WestCoast. The paint was PPG with DTR602 reducer.

d.conrad · 06-04-2017, 06:53 AM

I've used Acrylic enamel for many years with great results. If the directions call for hardener to spray, use it to touch up nicks and scratches.

rotorwrench · 06-04-2017, 08:11 AM

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The term acrylic with paint refers to acrylic resin dispersion added to an enamel base. This addition speeds up the drying time considerably. Straight enamels did take a long time to set up unless they were force dried which was practiced by all manufacturers that used it before the addition of acrylic resins. Acrylic enamel can also be force dried if the manufacturers instructions are followed. Now days you have to really look at the manufacturers instructions to see if it is a water base or solvent base since they are two different critters. Most stuff went to water base due to the EPA's problem with solvent based materials being sprayed into the atmosphere.

When hardener additives first came along, they were added to the solvent based acrylic enamels. Hardener added in changed the paint formula from a straight acrylic enamel to an acrylic urethane formula. With water based acrylics, it's not so easy to figure out what the hardener is as it used to be so it's even more important to follow manufacturers instructions with it. Most folks use base coat/clear coat now so they aren't as popular as they used to be and therefor not supported as well as they used to be.

I like the PPG Concept acrylic urethane. The rest of their products are an unknown to me since things have changed in the paint world so much over the past 20 years. They are talking about doing away with it so what to do next?

06-03-2017, 03:47 PM	#1
Bill S Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: H.B. So. Calif Posts: 411	Acrylic enamel cure I had some scratches and chips in my paint. I touched it upwith a small artist brush. I thinned out the paint with reducer. Since I did not use a catalyst how long do I have wait to color sand? I live in So. Calif.

06-03-2017, 07:59 PM	#2
WestCoast Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: oroville calif Posts: 893	Re: Acrylic enamel cure acrylic enamel with out a catalyst is like oil based enamel, it takes for ever to dry, in hot sun you might be able to start to do some work with it in 2 to 3 weeks, it depends on who made the paint, and the reducer you used, fast medium or slow, how many coats applied, it will take awhile, go slow, test in an out of site place, if its not cured it will gum up

06-03-2017, 09:12 PM	#3
Bill S Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: H.B. So. Calif Posts: 411	Re: Acrylic enamel cure Thanks WestCoast. The paint was PPG with DTR602 reducer.

06-04-2017, 06:53 AM	#4
d.conrad Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: St. Louis, Mo Posts: 359	Re: Acrylic enamel cure I've used Acrylic enamel for many years with great results. If the directions call for hardener to spray, use it to touch up nicks and scratches.

06-04-2017, 08:11 AM	#5
rotorwrench Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 16,425	Re: Acrylic enamel cure Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) The term acrylic with paint refers to acrylic resin dispersion added to an enamel base. This addition speeds up the drying time considerably. Straight enamels did take a long time to set up unless they were force dried which was practiced by all manufacturers that used it before the addition of acrylic resins. Acrylic enamel can also be force dried if the manufacturers instructions are followed. Now days you have to really look at the manufacturers instructions to see if it is a water base or solvent base since they are two different critters. Most stuff went to water base due to the EPA's problem with solvent based materials being sprayed into the atmosphere. When hardener additives first came along, they were added to the solvent based acrylic enamels. Hardener added in changed the paint formula from a straight acrylic enamel to an acrylic urethane formula. With water based acrylics, it's not so easy to figure out what the hardener is as it used to be so it's even more important to follow manufacturers instructions with it. Most folks use base coat/clear coat now so they aren't as popular as they used to be and therefor not supported as well as they used to be. I like the PPG Concept acrylic urethane. The rest of their products are an unknown to me since things have changed in the paint world so much over the past 20 years. They are talking about doing away with it so what to do next? Last edited by rotorwrench; 06-04-2017 at 08:17 AM.