Wiggleplum Posted February 19, 2011 Report Share Posted February 19, 2011 Hello everyone, I painted my helmet yesterday with some Rustoleum enamel, and its looking great. But how long should I wait before handling it? The can says dry in 24 hours, but since I put on more than one coat im guessing it will be more. How long does it take this stuff to fully harden? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarthVeach Posted February 19, 2011 Report Share Posted February 19, 2011 Rustoleum, from when I used it a looooong time ago on an old Fett helmet took a while to fully cure. It's called "gassing out" and it is how that paint sets up. Depending on how thick you put it on, sometimes you may have to leave it sit before really handling it a lot. I used to use some Rustoleum engine enamels on model cars and I could handle them in a day or too, but the strong smell was there, which means it is still curing. I waited a good month before clear coating and polishing to be safe. Not suggesting you have to wait THAT long, just an example! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hdtheater Posted February 19, 2011 Report Share Posted February 19, 2011 Rustoleum, from when I used it a looooong time ago on an old Fett helmet took a while to fully cure. It's called "gassing out" and it is how that paint sets up. Depending on how thick you put it on, sometimes you may have to leave it sit before really handling it a lot. I used to use some Rustoleum engine enamels on model cars and I could handle them in a day or too, but the strong smell was there, which means it is still curing. I waited a good month before clear coating and polishing to be safe. Not suggesting you have to wait THAT long, just an example! If you can wait 48 hours, you should be safe to not do any heavy handling. The rattle cans take much longer to cure than multi-stage paints that you have to mix. The rule of thumb, I always use is to find an inconspicuous place and push a finger nail into it. If it leaves a dent, be careful. What you really have to be careful about when handling is leaving finger prints in the paint if it is still soft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoVATie[Admin] Posted February 19, 2011 Report Share Posted February 19, 2011 I think Rusto says re-coat within an hour or after 24 hours. If you did one coat, I'd give it at least 24 hours before doing another one, and 48 before handling it. Better safe than sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FIVE[501st] Posted February 19, 2011 Report Share Posted February 19, 2011 Depends on a few things like, where you live (i.e., humidity), how long you waited between coats (the recommended 5 minutes? longer? shorter?) and so on. But yes... 48 hours should be really good. Just touch it somewhere "underneath" at first to make sure it's not tacky or that you don't leave a nice big fingerprint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.