Rattle Can Dry Time

[treybrad]

Well, the weather is supposed to be uber crappy the rest of the week.... sooo, I'm painting the bike before spring and summer get here. What I'm wondering is how long I need to keep it drying before I can safely reassemble. The can says 24hrs to be completely dry, but I dont' know that I buy that... I mean, how long until it is hardened all the way?? Last thing I want is to ruin my paint b/c I tried to put it back together too soon.

I figure I can wet sand/polish it at 24 hrs?? (sound good?) And then let it sit in the apt for a few days, but was curious if anyone had any experience w/ it. Do I need to wait longer?

Anyway, thanks for any advice... time for the next coat.

trey

[tkm433]

Well, the weather is supposed to be uber crappy the rest of the week.... sooo, I'm painting the bike before spring and summer get here. What I'm wondering is how long I need to keep it drying before I can safely reassemble. The can says 24hrs to be completely dry, but I dont' know that I buy that... I mean, how long until it is hardened all the way?? Last thing I want is to ruin my paint b/c I tried to put it back together too soon.

I figure I can wet sand/polish it at 24 hrs?? (sound good?) And then let it sit in the apt for a few days, but was curious if anyone had any experience w/ it. Do I need to wait longer?

Anyway, thanks for any advice... time for the next coat.

trey

It all depends on what typ of paint you are using as to proper dry times. Usually or actually always the paint can will offer advise on dry times and again this is advise since it all depends on tempature, humidity, how thick you sprayed it on and if the Paint Gods are happy that day.  

Your plan of willing to take some time to do it right is the correct approach so read the can and stick with your plan.

[cernunos]

I've found that lacquer in a can will usually be dry to the touch and you can handle it in about 24 hours. Enamel in a can usually takes several days or it can smear and leave fingerprints. 'course I ain't painted a bike in about 10-15 years. Gotta love it...the Baby GS and this forum.

C.......

Oh and as far as sanding, I've also found that if you start sanding too early the paint will have what appear to be burn marks from the pulling of the dry outer layer of the wet under layer. On the lacquer I always waited about 3-4 days before sanding and on the enamel about a week. Hug yer GS and tell the forum you love 'em.

C.......

[Dom]

Ok. I know I have said that it's possible to achieve better than showroom results from a rattle can...but I was wrong.

Here's why...while you can achieve better luster than a showroom finish the durability of rattle can laquer will inevitably leave you disappointed.  The only way to achieve showroom quality durability is to use professional paints... either a 2-part epoxy painy or something with a hardener.  Rattle can laquer is too brittle, scratches like crazy, and extremely vulnerable to gas spills.  Gas eats through a rattle can laquer finish like a hypoglycemic great white.  Nothing you can do to stop it once it's touched down...ok, so you master the art of fueling using a paper towel at the ready waiting to capture any dribbles BEFORE and after you fill, so you pull it out of the pump and BLAM. all over your shimmering flawless paint job.  I don't care if you have nailed it at the pump twenty consecutive times....the 21st you'll get lazy and then all your time was wasted.  

Take it from me...ride the ghetto bike with the obviously rattle canned paint job that you cringe at every time you see it because you wasted 8 G.D. hours on it and now it looks like crap, or you bite the bullet and invest some cabbage in a paint job that will last.  My $0.02.

OK, my color-sanding and buffing techniques that you may or may not have read on here before WILL WORK with any paints... even enamels.

But here's the deal...if you want to use rattle cans I will tell you how but don't come bitching to me when you spill 92 all over it because you think you are giving it "the good stuff" when your bike actually probably runs better on 89.  Actually, I shouldn't tell you how....save you a little chunk of your life that you'll just want back later after you futz around with rattle cans for a while.

Rattle cans SUCK.  You'll never achieve the durability you're after...or nowhere near the durability of the stock paint job.  Sorry if I gave you false hope in previous posts.  But in actuality I never made any claims regarding durability, only that you could make a turd sparkle.  My color-sanding and buffing techniques are sound.

[treybrad]

Right, right. I knew it would be vulnerable to gas spills and what not. I wasn't planning on it being as rugged as the stock paint, but anything would look better right now. Anyway, I got done clearing it last night, probably wet sand/polish it out on Thursday night and see how it looks. Eventuallly I'll just bite the bullet and get it painted, but I already had primer and clear, all I had to go buy was some color paint... So for $15 I'll see what comes out.. my time certainly isn't worth much..

trey