Rust bullet, flake, & clear coat question

[Tbarile]

I'm in the process of putting down rust bullet with flake. I had originally planned on doing 3 coats rb and then flake. It looks like I will have plenty of rb and could put down a 4th coat. Would the 4th coat help at all with flake and clear coat going on top?

I plan on doing my other garage so if the rb would keep, I could use it there too and not have to reorder as much.

 

[Garage Flooring]

I'm in the process of putting down rust bullet with flake. I had originally planned on doing 3 coats rb and then flake. It looks like I will have plenty of rb and could put down a 4th coat. Would the 4th coat help at all with flake and clear coat going on top?

I plan on doing my other garage so if the rb would keep, I could use it there too and not have to reorder as much.

So there are a couple of things to consider here. We talk about it in terms of coats, but in reality what we are trying to achieve is a specific DFT (dry film thickness.)

The first thing you need to do is look at your square footage. Divide that number by 400 and multiply it by three. That is how many gallons you should have used to do three coats. If you did not use that many gallons you may have put it on thin.

There is no downside to additional coats. Once opened it does not store well, so if you are not doing the other garage quickly, I would do it.

 

[Dick in Wisconsin]

There is no downside to additional coats. Once opened it does not store well, so if you are not doing the other garage quickly, I would do it.

I 2x what Justin says about not storing well after opening. I put a total of five coats of RB on my floor two weeks ago. I had to thin the last coat or two out of each five gallon can. It appears to me that from the instant you open the RB can, it starts to cure. Stirring/mixing introduces air (with moisture) into the RB which helps it cure. Any time spent with the cover not sealed tightly helps it cure.

I kept putting coats of RB on until I had used all the RB up that I bought from Justin. I have 1000sf, used two 5 gallon cans, got five coats, and there was very little RB in the bottom of each can when to quit using the can. That is 5000sf and 10 gallons. So I got about 500sf per gallon. I had ground the sealer off my concrete before I started and the first coat really took lots of RB. Trying to get the ideal 400sf/gallon is really, really difficult until you have lots of experience applying RB. Us DIY guys don't pull the trigger often enough.

Be careful not to put the RB on too thick. You'll probably need to "thin" the product at the bottom of the can. Remember the consistency the first time you opened the can and stirred it. There is a reason why Justin says stir for three minutes ... not two minutes (not enough) and not five minutes (too much, encourages it to cure).

Check my thread on my RB install:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=293804

I start putting RB on the plywood floor of my new enclosed race trailer tomorrow.

 

[benwah]

Like other have mentioned, once opened, MCU's start to cure slowly in the can over time. Once moisture is introduced the process starts. It helps to store the cans in a dry environment and seal immediately after use.