So a couple of weeks ago, my daughter and myself, finished sanding down her car, masked it off and went to Tractor Supply for a gallon of matte black...it's a "Majic" brand, so I really only noticed the "enamel" on the can-note to self, take glasses with you to read fine print" and after spraying it,my kid asked me what "oil based enamel is"...hmmn...dunno, only ever bought enamel and lacquer back in the day. So reading the can-here's the screwed up on my part-seems I was supposed to use a hardener with it...I didn't, just the reducer. It's been a few weeks, and she wants to wet sand it down to even things out, and have me clear it...now...it's possible this paint might have decent UV protection...I don't really know...some internet searching has me to think this paint my not fully cure for a few years because I didn't use a hardener with it. So, bottom line, can I clear it...and if so, suggestions for a clear to use. Thanks
I think it's alkyd enamel. Doesn't REQUIRE hardner, but hardner will make it, well, harder. I've used all kinds of paints that recommend hardner without using it and never had a problem.
Don't clear it. The clear will harden and the oil will not be able to evaporate the vapors Sent from my HTC One M9 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
They're local in Columbus Ohio. Here's their contact info........Majic Paints 1920 Leonard Avenue Columbus, Ohio 43219 Local: (614) 253-8511 Toll Free: (800) 848-1898 Fax: (614) 258-3062 Email: [email protected] Give them a call, we are east coast time! KK
I'm more concerned about long term...i/e, I've have to mix the paint again, spray it, wait a few weeks, clear it...then wait a year to see if it starts going to hell... Or are you saying spray a test panel, wait a few weeks, clear it and a problem should show up then? It should be obvious I don't do this fora living
If you do end up using clear it will no longer be matte black unless you use flat or matte clear. Just wet a section with water and that's how it would turn out.
Are you planning on using a urethane clear? You are taking a real chance if you are of the strong solvents in urethane paints eating into the enamel and causing a serious mess especially when a hardener wasn't used. If you go for it and it has dried enough to not react with the clear then you will definitely have to sand the whole car down to have any chance of adhesion of the clearcoat now that it has been a few weeks. If it hasn't dried enough it will all wrinkle.
The enamel will take quite a while to completely dry, so I would agree that you shouldn't clear it or put anything over it that might be harder. If you seal in with a topcoat the enamel will probably cause checking or cracking of the outer finish ; which would be the solvents from the enamel trying to escape.
According to the guy who owns Southern Polyurethanes, you can spray clear urethane over alkyd enamel but you have to use hardener in the enamel if you plan to clear it. Also, you let the car sit overnight between the enamel and the clear. Seems like the simplest thing to do is sand the car, shoot another coat of your black using hardener, and then shoot the urethane clear the next day.
I don't think that the owner of Southern Polyurethanes understood that the enamel didn't have hardener added to the paint before it was sprayed.
I used to use a lot of that paint on my dirt track cars. Orange and blue. It does not need hardener ,but will not have much UV protection and will fade in the sun in about 4 months without hardener. At least it did in the hot south Ga. sun. I never tried to clear it , but I would wait about a month and scuff it and re shoot it with more paint with hardener. Sort of using your original paint job as a base. When I was racing dirt cars I was more concerned with keeping the fenders on the car than the paint. It looked good at 100 mph from the grandstands.
While you may have your answer already, I would not clear over that. I think reverb2000 has it right Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk