Rust-oleum spray enamel won't dry!

[mrjaw14]

I've got a piece of painted metal that I roughed up and sprayed with Rust-oleum spray enamel....2 days ago. Sprayed outside, and quickly brought inside where it's warm. 2 days later after drying in 70 degree house it's still tacky and wet.

someone told me it was due to their new "green" formula....anyone else haveing trouble with paint not drying?

 

[BlindViper]

did you put on a bunch if light coats or 1 or 2 heavy coats?

 

[930dreamer]

I place painted item in front of the salamander heater for a few minutes.

 

[Bobf]

I used rustoleum spray cans for probably at least 20 years, until last year. They did something to the product and or spray tip in that they plug up and quit with 2/3 in the can. I had several cans all do the same thing. In the past when finished I've always turned the can upside down and sprayed inside a trash can until the paint stopped, then wiped the plastic nozzle and it was ready to go the next project. Not anymore. I started using Krylon some time last year and haven't had those problems.

 

[sloorider]

Does not cure well in low humidity I believe to be the problem.

 

[NewShockerGuy]

If they are small items bake them in the oven.

I sprayed my blue metal brackets for my shelf flat white then baked them for 285 degrees for about 40 minutes. Came out quite well.

-Nigel

 

[rburke65]

I have not had good luck with Rustoleum spray paint recently. Their nozzles are ****!

 

[Kevin C]

http://www.rustoleumibg.com/images/tds/CS1762_1112_SRT_SRT_01_Stops_Rust_Enamel_Sprays_TDS_Rev4.pdf

The data sheet says humidity needs to be below 65% for proper drying. Under "normal conditions its pretty slow to dry. It has mineral spirits. The MSDS for mineral spirits lists its flash point at 100.4°F. Could to be why it drys slowly and needs lower humidity.

 

[Cryptic1911]

I place painted item in front of the salamander heater for a few minutes.

isn't that a big no-no? I've read that the residue from burning the fuel creates fisheyes in paint

 

[Modifieddriver]

For years I always have that slow drying problem with Rust-O-leum.

Although hard to find around here, my favorite spray can paint is Plastikote.

 

[JakeKohl]

They changed their formula several years ago and it made it impossible to layer colors without getting a crackle finish where the two colors overlap. I even talked to their support folks by phone, and there wasn't much to be done besides lay down multiple fog coats and have to sand to a decent finish...I know that sounds like a lot of work for a rattle can paint job but it's hard to justify buying two $45 quarts of automotive quality paint to paint a 3 foot r/c sailboat.

 

[dmeadow]

If they are small items bake them in the oven.

I sprayed my blue metal brackets for my shelf flat white then baked them for 285 degrees for about 40 minutes. Came out quite well.

-Nigel

^^^This.

Same thing worked for me with some small brackets and black paint. Wait for SWMBO to be out for awhile, though. It does create a tell tale smell.

 

[chipper]

It could be a reaction to the original paint if its important to you strip it to bare metal and start over

 

[sselander]

try finding something other than Rustoleum at HD - NOT.

I have to go to the local hardware store or car parts store to get Krylon.
I did not know until recently that Krylon is owned by Sherwin-Williams.

Rustoleum has a huge presence at the big boxes.

Interestingly Krylon industrial also owns Duplicolor and VHT which are found in the car parts store.
http://www.kpg-industrial.com/
The parent company of Krylon is Sherwin-Williams:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krylon

The parent company of Rustoleum is RPG InternationalL
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RPM_International

 

[mrjaw14]

humidity here is 40-50% in the house right now. Last night it was still really tacky like 3 days later. I got out my heat gun and heated it for a few minutes. that seemed to make it worse, but then once it cooled down over night it feel drier this morning. I was wondering about the oven, but my wife wouldn't like that smell too much lol. I may just have to deal with the long dry times on this project and then switch to krylon as you guys are suggesting.

I think to coat the other side I'm going to try heating the surface of the metal with a heat gun to 90-100 degrees, then spray a few thin coats a few minutes apart. That'll probably need to dry for 3-4 days...but somehow knowing that it'll take that long is better than worrying about wtf won't it dry when not expecting to take that long...I guess it's all about managing expectations

 

[Worldpowerlabs]

I have had some luck with heating small parts in the oven once the paint is sprayed onto them. I've had better luck with preheating the parts a bit (perhaps to 100 - 110F) before painting. Sometimes heating after painting has caused wrinkling.

I'm not a fan of Rustoleum in aerosol cans -- it does take a long time to dry. The only way I'll use Rustoleum is if I can brush it on or spray it out of an HVLP gun. Either way, I add Valspar catalyst. It still takes a while to harden, but eventually it does.

 

[Wally57]

Quickest solution when Rust-Oleum spray paint won't dry...
Spray additional coat of similar based Rust-Oleum Clear over
tacky paint as a topcoat. Spray when humidity is lowest
{eg. noon-3m on a clear day} to help prevent being tacky.
Thanks, Brian

 

[mmb617]

Rust-Oleum in the spray bombs used to be good paint. Not anymore. And the nozzles they use now are really bad. It'll be a cold day in the netherworld before I buy any more of their paint.

 

[rcktsled]

Amazon has a great selection of spray paint, just about every brand, every color, and it's usually cheaper than Lowes or HD. I never buy spray paint locally any more, just order it online.

 

[Blk88GT]

I've had the same thing happen, junk paint was the result.

 

[LXCam]

try finding something other than Rustoleum at HD - NOT.

I have to go to the local hardware store or car parts store to get Krylon.
I did not know until recently that Krylon is owned by Sherwin-Williams.

Rustoleum has a huge presence at the big boxes.

Interestingly Krylon industrial also owns Duplicolor and VHT which are found in the car parts store.
http://www.kpg-industrial.com/
The parent company of Krylon is Sherwin-Williams:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krylon

The parent company of Rustoleum is RPG InternationalL
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RPM_International

Well that explains why duplicolor and VHT are such good products. I stopped using rustoleum years ago because it was **** and by other posts it's obvious it's gotten even worse.

OP, when you cleaned your part did you happen to use brake cleaner on it. If so some brake cleaner leaves a residue that is not paint friendly what so ever and could be the cause of your problem. When I spray bomb parts I hit the part before spraying it with a map gas torch. This will burn off any residues and contaminates and really makes a huge difference with the quality of the finished part.

 

[TractorJeff]

I painted a machine recently and used 28 cans of Rusty-O. Only one had nozzle issues. All dried rather quickly also. Before you ask, couldn't get that color in quarts or gallons! Even called the Factory Distributor!

 

[gregtwojeeps]

What I have found with Rustoleum's newer white spray heads that spray while upside down is.... before spraying the first mist, shake, shake, shake, shake, and still shake every two laps while spraying down the object. ....

When those new "upside down" spraying heads first come out, I just shook them like I used to when the cans had the small black head spray heads on them. When I heard the ball rattle I stopped shaking the can. I did the new cans the same way and wow, 4 out of 5 newer cans clogged up on me. I have better luck with them now. Just shake, shake, shake and rock and roll.......

 

[engineer2]

I always hated the Rustoleum overspray that seems to stick on everything with in 5 feet. I'll never spray it in the garage again.
Their paint has always been slow to dry and can be soft for days. Bake it or leave it in the sun for a day or two.

 

[Sweet Baboo]

I have not had good luck with Rustoleum spray paint recently. Their nozzles are ****!

I agree Rustoleum nozzles have gotten more touchy lately. Especially with certain colors. For me, it’s a few of the lighter colors. When I have emptied a can, I remove the nozzle before throwing away the empty can. I put the nozzle in some lacquer thinner for thirty minutes and then finish removing any paint residue with a Q-tip. I have a stash of clean nozzles and if I have a nozzle issue on another can, I remove that nozzle and pop on a clean one. So far this has worked every time. Knock on wood! I live in Arkansas where there is always a lot of humidity but I don’t have drying issues with Rustoleum. Years ago both my Dad and my husband told me I spray painted with a “heavy hand”. I started painting a little faster and not lingering in any spot and discovered they were right. After my first coat dried, if I wasn’t happy with the coverage, I applied a second coat with a “lighter hand”..,well, lighter finger really! Krylon has some great colors but I rarely use it because my end result never meets the one I get with Rustoleum. But I know there are people that swear by Krylon...just not me!

 

[Zeke]

Not the cheapest by far but if your project means anything to you and you're getting the advantage of easy application, buy Valspar.
Incredibly good. About 14 bucks a can depending. I buy Rustoleum in black and their primers when cheap, I can afford to throw them out if only after one job. Never had problems with black or primer.

One thing about spray cans, they are not kidding about shaking for a full minute. I shake and swirl while watching a clock. A minute is a long time to just stand there and shake a can. The worst is XIM white primer. Leave that for a year means you killed it.

Also, when the pigments settle to the bottom they settle in the bottom of the pick up tube. No amount of shaking is gonna clear that so you need a spare nozzle drilled out to shoot out the debris before you clog your regular nozzle. If you clear that with an air hose it will clog over and over until you've finally expelled the junk. One burst with a wide open drilled out nozzle will get rid of that problem every time.

 

[FrankLee]

Not too long ago, I called Rustoleum customer support regarding a half-full can of White Clean Metal Primer that wouldn't spray. They sent me a refund, but also said that the can must be shaken for a full TWO minutes.

Nozzles.... I always remove the nozzles and drop them in a small jar of acetone for several minutes. Then blow them out with compressed air. That usually prevents any issues.

 

[lolaetype]

They changed their formula several years ago and it made it impossible to layer colors without getting a crackle finish where the two colors overlap. I even talked to their support folks by phone, and there wasn't much to be done besides lay down multiple fog coats and have to sand to a decent finish...I know that sounds like a lot of work for a rattle can paint job but it's hard to justify buying two $45 quarts of automotive quality paint to paint a 3 foot r/c sailboat.

I've had that happen and thought it was just my technique. But if the paint has sat for a while, say a month or more it doesn't happen.

Once my spray painted items reach the point where stuff won't stick to them, I set them out in the sun.

And I do what Frank Lee does to the nozzles. I also remove the nozzles from empty cans, clean and save them to replace those that clog.

 

[nadogail]

I bought two cans of Engine Paint on Friday, tried to paint of Saturday, one nozzle clogged immediately, I took the full can back to the store and exchanged it.

 

[rlitman]

They changed their formula several years ago and it made it impossible to layer colors without getting a crackle finish where the two colors overlap. I even talked to their support folks by phone, and there wasn't much to be done besides lay down multiple fog coats and have to sand to a decent finish...I know that sounds like a lot of work for a rattle can paint job but it's hard to justify buying two $45 quarts of automotive quality paint to paint a 3 foot r/c sailboat.

True. The changes are due to EPA regulations, but it is what it is, and you're not the only one to have noticed it.

 

[ZRX61]

Bought two cans last week. One sprayed great, the other was a POS.. Dried fine here in the Mojave Desert

 

[Jagmandave]

I also heat the paint before I spray it - put it in a jug of hot water and shake it from time to time till the can is as warm as the water. I lay the parts out in the sun for an hour or two, blow them off and shoot with the warm paint. Seems to work well enough, but Rusty O Leum does take a few days to harden - I usually try to give parts a week of dry time before I do anything with them.

Oh, and shake for two minutes prior to using and shake good before the next pass.

 

[bluedog225]

What a disaster thread for rustoleum.

 

[PCustoms]

What a disaster thread for rustoleum.

10+ years in the making.

Bumped by a new user with 3 posts, all in ancient Rust-Oleum threads. Waiting for the spam.....

 

[PugetDude]

Rustoleum dry times are measured with a calendar, not a clock.

 

[Nutria]

Like everyone else, I think that Rustoleum has gone downhill. I've been making myself leave newly painted projects alone for literally two months in order for the paint to harden enough for real use. Even then I don't find the paint durable. Now I brush whenever I can get away with it.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

So if Rustoleum taking forever to dry is a commonly known problem why do you suppose the company doesnt reformulate to address this issue?

I applied Rustoleum Hammered finish using a literal 79 cent Home Depot, throw-away foam roller with ZERO prep on a structural beam & columns that supported the back of my old garage when I removed almost the entire rear wall. That stuff came out GREAT. Was hard as a rock and had a truly nice hammered finish. It is a weird paint in that it gets "gooey" - don't know what other word to use - WHILE you're rolling it. But I just kept putting more on the little roller and it rolled out good and formed the stipple finish promised. I am truly impressed with it and would use again in a heartbeat. But that was almost 20 years ago so I don't know if it's still as good

 

[Jeff Ivers]

Rustoleum is the only spray paint I use since a brand sold by Kelly Moore was discontinued about 20 years ago. I have not experienced problems with the paint.

 

[Copymutt]

My new go to for basic paint projects. No complaints, dries in minutes, flows nicely, on about my 6th can now, no plug ups. Oh! Did I mention its a fraction the cost of anything else.

 

[zak77]

Speaking of spray paint, i used a can of Eastwood paint yesterday that was about 18-20 years old. The pattern was a little weak, but it didnt matter since it was just the underside of a mowing deck, but the nozzle didnt clog at all and it kept spraying till the can was empty. I wish Rustoleum was like that.