B7200 re-paint/mixing suggestions

[Work Horse]

I have no issue with Rustoleum at all. Mine dries hard but then I do the light first coat, let it flash off and then top coat which is what I always do anyway and then I let it sit in the sun and cook for a day or so.

I too did two coats. Let it flash in-between. Sat for 24 hours in my "booth" with the fan running and the hot sun on the trailer. I'm wondering if the primer somehow is reacting with the paint? I doubt it as they are both oil based, had to use majics primer as I could not get a good batch of the Rust-Oleum stuff.

One thing I learned was, no matter how good the respirators were, a bit of atomized product always leaked past them.

Tell me about it, I got a pretty long beard, so whatever particles that try and make their way through stick right to my beard. Luckily my beards orange as it is! Lol

I see you masked your wheels like I did. If you ever do that again, run the taper carefully along the edge of the rim using your fingernail to secure it. Much easier than trying to get it to lay against the tire. You only need a couple longer pieces of tape that way

Great idea. That wouldn't have worked on my rears though as the tire presses out beyond the edge of the rim. I'll have to keep that in mind next time. Came out great though!
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What's your opinion on the paint? Do you think it needs more time to cure, or did I make a crucial mistake of some kind? I mixed the primer per the instructions on the can, and for the topcoat I went 5:1 acetone instead of the 15% that is recommended. Thought that would be better since the weather hasn't broke high 50's here till yesterday when we hit at least 65

 

[Donystoy]

Well I guess that's relieving to hear. I guess I'll just have to baby the paint until it cures on the inside. Never seen paint do that before. A couple spots wrinkled from me applying to much pressure on them. I'll just touch up the bad spots later. Just maddening after I spent over a week blasting, sanding, applying Bondo, then two coats of primer/topcoat. Damn near perfect until I started installing parts...

What's weird was the paint was dry to the touch and I could handle all the parts. Then when something rubbed on the paint.. all over.

I think that your issues are temperature related. If you live where I think you do the temperatures have been quite cool lately and your parts are outside. It is recommended to paint above 60 deg F especially without hardeners. I have only painted outside in the summer and under shade. My first paint job was outside on my 1966 Volkswagen. Electric vibrating sprayer in one hand and tweezers in the other to remove the bugs.

 

[Work Horse]

I think that your issues are temperature related. If you live where I think you do the temperatures have been quite cool lately and your parts are outside. It is recommended to paint above 60 deg F especially without hardeners. I have only painted outside in the summer and under shade. My first paint job was outside on my 1966 Volkswagen. Electric vibrating sprayer in one hand and tweezers in the other to remove the bugs.

I live in MA. And we have had an unusually cool April and part of May so far. The weather is finally turning, and grass seed I planted weeks ago is finally taking. Definitely a factor - which is why I gave the primer 2 days. Paint is going on 3+ days as it is. Hopefully it continues to cure, got the tractor in the "garage" (box truck body), should be like an oven in there today. Lol

 

[Work Horse]

Paint is still a bit soft, but has gotten better with time. I still might have to strip it all off if I want a better product.. I'm wondering if it would have made that big be of a difference if I had sanded the primer, or if using acetone instead of mineral spirits was a big mistake. I've tried to be careful with the paint in the meantime, but you can see some of the damage done just by my boots or light contact.

Kind of wish I skipped the primer. *sigh*

 

[SidecarFlip]

My opinion is, you need some degree days so it will dry. 60-65 isn't warm enough. You need 75-80.

Me, I'd love to recharge the ac in my cab tractor but it's not warm enough for that either. Oh well, have to wait for some warm days and so do you...

I see you have some nice orange peel (tangerine peel) as well. We used to call that 'commercially acceptable'. That is usually caused by too heavy a first coat followed too soon by a second coat.

When I do a first coat, I just apply a light mist coat even and wait for it to flash off (when I can take the hair on the back of my hand and move it across the paint and it don't stick, it's flashed off. Your beard could do the same...lol

 

[Work Horse]

My opinion is, you need some degree days so it will dry. 60-65 isn't warm enough. You need 75-80.

Me, I'd love to recharge the ac in my cab tractor but it's not warm enough for that either. Oh well, have to wait for some warm days and so do you...

I see you have some nice orange peel (tangerine peel) as well. We used to call that 'commercially acceptable'.

Forgot to follow up! Paint has hardened a bit, but I can still dig a finger nail in and scrape down to the primer. At this point, it seems the primer had excellent adhesion. The top coat does not. I'm wondering if it's the paint, maybe I should have stuck with the majic brand. I'm pretty much done worrying about it for now, but I might get to a point again where I have time to go through each piece and redo the paint if it doesn't get better. Appreciate the help SCF.

And yes I'll admit that's a hell of orange peel!!! Turns out when your light source blows and your both filter cloggs up unknowingly - everything appears orange. Lol. I was just happy I didn't run any paint, talk about a rookie mistake.