Hammerite drying times??

[Moonshane]

cheers Kevin and George

I applied the paint as thinly as possible (but obviously thick enough to provide a good coverage) so maybe I'll just have to be patient.

Heat seems to be a good solution to the curing of this paint so I am hopeful that the oven treatment may well work.

actually, thinking about it, I have a halogen camping heater which I can stand it in front of instead. perhaps this will be better from a marital perspective than putting it in the oven and stinking the house out.

I could take the areas I need to adhere the teflon to back to bare metal but I'll still have the problem of messing up the paint job with all the various fixings I need and also the carpet tile pads for the mirror supports etc.

[Moonshane]

this is really cheesing me off now. I have just had it next to a heater for over an hour and the metal was reasonably hot to touch. I let it cool and the paint is still soft, taking a nail easily and if I hold it too long (like more than a second) it even takes a thumbprint. that's after being painted on Saturday lunchtime.

I fear I am going to have to strip it all back to bare metal and start again, completely ridiculous for what I considered the market leader in metal paint. like many I thought 'Hammerite' when I thought of painting metal. I'll never be buying it again.

[Macavity]

this is really cheesing me off now. I have just had it next to a heater for over an hour and the metal was reasonably hot to touch.

I certainly took it BEYOND the point of touchability. The tube supported by dowells / screws. So at least (for me) a fair bit more than 60 deg C. <G> It doesn't seem to melt...

[syd_malicious]

cheers Olly

the cell was shot blasted so it was well cleaned.

maybe it is stirring as I did a little but the tin said not too much or too vigorously.

I'll try the oven technique on Tuesday when I have the house to myself.

I did my own trial accidentally. I stirred as the tin said (ie not too much) and had the same problem as you. I ended up taking the tine back to B&Q demanding a refund - after much kicking and screaming from them I got a new tin.

I stripped off the previous coat and stirred the paint very well and it worked fine.

Conclusion - ignore the tin and stir properly.

Paul

[spaceboy]

Conclusion - ignore the tin and stir properly.

Paul

I agree! I did some gates for the in-laws and in the attempt to keep the cost down I hammerit'ed the gates. Reading the tin it says you can paint directly to bare metal or rust. Followed all the directions to a "T" and although I didn't have the drying problems Shane is having I did with in 3-4 months have the in-laws telling me the gate was starting to show signs of rust. Days went into painting them leaving hrs between coats only to fine my hard efforts were wasted. Paint straight to bare metal my ar se All most killed myself breathing in those fumes!

[Gina]

Strange! Unless this is a recent phenomenon (maybe changed the formula). I've used Hammerite on rusty steel gates, boat trolleys and trailers and numerous other items and never had any trouble. Even with regular dipping in the sea, I've found the paint lasts ten years or more. Think I'll do a test sample before painting my pier adapter though.

[Moonshane]

well I am in a 'slightly' better mood tonight as a few small areas where I used the heater last night have started to show signs of curing, becoming a lot matter and harder - no longer taking a finger nail.

perhaps I can oven bake it for a while at maybe 100 degrees and it will then be OK.

I cannot do this for a few days as I am working today and tomorrow but maybe I can try it on Thursday when the bad smells police are at work / school.

if I can get it somewhere close before the weekend, I'll be happy.

sorry for all the moaning but it seems that I should have gone with my instincts and stirred properly!

anyway, I finally seem to be getting somewhere.

[martin_h]

Hammerite works best on surface rust...I used to do iron work...gates etc...Used to weld them up and stand them outside for a few days before painting. Its useless on "bright" steel.

[the_laughing_crow]

I put two coats of hammerite on some wood a while back. Took a month to fully dry, I kid you not.

[Moonshane]

definitely going to try the cooking method (when I have the house to myself of course!).

I'll report back with the results shortly. it was all bright steel.

[callisto]

Watching this with interest as I used to work at their factory in Prudhoe

[Moonshane]

oooh, is my problem a common one? it seems so from some of the responses.

[Astrokev]

I put two coats of hammerite on some wood a while back. Took a month to fully dry, I kid you not.

I'm guessing you were using "bright wood" in that case!

[Chris Stacey]

I've just acquired an 18ft trailer for the mobile observatory i'm putting together...stripped it will get going with the hammerite soon....i'm guessing going by these drying times i'll be put on hold for a while after painting :-/

[spaceboy]

definitely going to try the cooking method (when I have the house to myself of course!).

I'll report back with the results shortly. it was all bright steel.

You must be a desperate man Shane as I would rather spend hrs stripping the paint and spraying it than put hammmerit'ed steel in the oven where my Sunday dinner gets cooked.

[Moonshane]

you make a good point Nick.

my father in law might have a gas blower for his large shed so may try that first (assuming he does still have it).

[spaceboy]

I fear you will end up like a dog chasing his tail. I would strip the paint (brush and bowl of thinners) take it down the local powder coaters and offer them what it would cost to paint it. Times are hard and a powder coater knows if they charge too much the customer is going to go straight to B&Q or Halfords to grab some paint. Depending on how busy they are you could have it in and out in a day. The only thing is you would have to check clearances as on average PC adds roughly 1-2 mm to the surfaces and you would have to either request any threaded holes be corked or you re-tap them after. The only other thing I can think of is maybe go to Halfords and try some car spray paint. You could undercoat & paint the cell in 3-4 days but this would end up with a reasonably easy to damage paint finish.

[Macavity]

Well, it's certainly got to be one of the longest (paint-drying?)

threads - Albeit of decidedly common experience / interest.

[Gina]

I think they've changed Hammerite! I've just been painting my pier adapter and it definitely smells different, more like it's using white spirit as solvent rather than the original Hammerite solvent/thinners. That would explain why it no longer has the usual fast drying/curing properties. It also says NOT to thin it on the tin - that's different too! Of course, white spirit is much cheaper than the Xylene (I think) based solvent used for the thinners and previously in the paint. It's also far less dangerous. Pity! Hammerite used to be really great paint!

If my pier adapter paint stays stays soft I'll bake it. OR strip it off and use some or the older Hammerite we still have. That would be signal red, dark green or dark blue. Guess red would be OK.

[Psychobilly]

All these new "friendly" formulations... I guess somethings got to give...

[Gina]

Very true!!

I've noticed another difference I think - must go out and check one of the old tins (if not covered with paint). It now recommends TWO coats on bare metal whereas I'm sure it said one coat was enough, as indeed it was. It brushes differently too, leaving brush marks just like standard white spirit based paints! To say I'm disappointed is an understatement!

[Psychobilly]

The old stuff used to stick better if you let a clean surface rust for a few days...

[Moonshane]

for me the lesson is to defintely use a spray no matter what the paint option. at least I am not losing it (appearing not to anyway). I can see gradual signs that it is curing with the off patch a little thinner than the rest and duller too.

maybe I will arrive home one day and it will all have cured instantaneously (if a week can be considered instantaneous!

[Gina]

Hmm... I don't like sprays - paint goes everywhere but on the object to be painted for the most part. I have spray painted, both with cans and a proper spray gun. It takes a lot of practice to get a smooth coat. Too little and an orange skin effect - too much and sagging (unless on a horizontal surface).

[Moonshane]

here's the reply from Hammerite:

Thank you for your email.

I am so sorry to hear about the disappointing results when using our Hammerite Paint, if the instructions are followed this usually proves to be a successful coating. If the product has been at the store for a while, the pigments and thickeners can settle to the bottom of the can - turning the can upside down prior to use and using a flat bladed instrument to stir it usually gets them incorporated in the body of the product - this has not happened on this occasion resulting in the less bodied first application, and then thicker second application. Tackiness is caused by three reasons:-

1) Over application - film thickness is too high causing the product to take longer to dry.

2) Moisture at the time of application.

3) Application of the product to a shiny surface with using the necessary primer - i.e if the product is applied to non-ferous metal, such as aluminium it will require a primer, such as Special Metals Primer.

4) Applying the product to a contaminated surface, not rubbing down before application etc..

When coats of paint are in a tacky state they are on their way to drying but will just require longer to recah (sic) full mechanical hardness.

I suspect that the reason this went wrong is therefore a need for more stirring than the tin suggests so as mentioned - ignore the tin and stir a lot before use.

either way, it seems to be gradually curing and eventually will do so fully.

let's hope so!