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  View original topic: Non ISO Acrylic Enamels?
bvd Wed Oct 09, 2013 5:50 pm

After doing bodywork to my 1974 Standard Beetle, I've been researching and considering paint options. Right now, the car seems to have single stage urethane paint on it that looks like it was done sometime in the late 1990s. I'm by no means looking for a perfect showcar paint job here, just something that is one consistent shade of orange and has some semblance of gloss that lasts a couple of years until I can afford a professional catalyzed paint finish. I will not be stripping the entire car down to bare metal, but will block sand the existing paint and apply the new coating directly over it.

- Catalyzed Urethane Paint: I really don't want to mess with this stuff in my backyard, as I realize how truly toxic the isocyanate hardeners in it can be. Unless I have supplied air respiration, I don't want to spray it anymore near my family, dog, or neighbors.

-Acrylic Enamel: As far as I see it, this really just leaves me with Acrylic Enamel Automotive Paints as my sole option. I realize the tradeoff is long drying time, but I don't mind. It appears that most acrylic enamels can accept a hardener, and indeed, it seems that some require it.

What I really want to know, is can anyone recommend an acrylic enamel automotive paint that DOES NOT require and ISO catalyzed hardener to be added to make it dry?

1) I've been considering this NASON INDUSTRIAL ACRYLIC ENAMEL. It seems like one of the few that doesn't need to be catalyzed:
http://pc.dupont.com/dpc/en/US/html/visitor/common...Binder.pdf


2) I've also been considering this AIC INDUSTRIAL/FLEET ACRYLIC ENAMEL sold at my local SHERWIN WILLIAMS jobber. It also says it can be sprayed without hardener/catalyst.
http://www.paintdocs.com/webmsds/webPDF.jsp?SITEID=SWA&prodno=K1&doctype=PDS&lang=2

Thanks in advance.

MMCCARTHY Wed Oct 09, 2013 6:11 pm

I am not up to date with all the new products out there but I have sprayed alot of acrylic enamel without hardeners. The main differance between using the additives was the gloss and durability of the surface. A suggestion would be to do all the body work and prep and have someone with a booth just apply the paint for you. I would also suggest applying a sealer before you apply the paint so that your unknown existing paint will not do something crazy like lifting. A guy down the road from me offered to spray my car for 100.00 in his booth which is cheap , just a suggestion. Mike McCarthy

CanadianBug Thu Oct 10, 2013 6:39 pm

I'm not up to date on any of the current acrylic enamels either, as far as what can and can't be done with them.
I can tell you what I've done in the past with AE though, as recent as 2008.
I've cheated on hardeners, even gone so far as to eliminate it once or twice. Cheating on the amount does let it dry properly (hardener actually slows down dry time) and cure somewhat hard after a bit. But, it will mark easily until it cures - water spots, bird crap, fingers in the hot sun, etc...
Eliminating hardener will also let it dry ok, but it will stay softer than normal for a good bit. You'll be abe to drive it, wash it, etc, but you'll never be able to wax it unless you're careful.
Back in the day, a shortcut on colour changes was to cut in the edges with uncatylized paint. It dried faster but you had to be careful to not let any full wet coats of catylized product hit the uncatylized paint or you'd get some serious wrinkling.
I've been unfortunate enough to have tried to paint over older uncatylized paint jobs. Never had any luck doing that and usually either had to dry-coat everything or bite the bullet and strip it all off.
Myself, it wouldn't be worth the potential trouble to spray anything you care to keep with an uncatylized paint.
If you're just spraying one or two jobs every few years, outside, isocyanates should not be an issue for you. Wear a new charcoal respirator and a spray suit with nitrile gloves. Keep the kids and pets away for sure, but it wouldn't stop me.
But than again, I'd never spray outside either.

Mike



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