Paint problems, help!

[AbramJ]

So I've decided to start over on my painting of the truck so I can paint the whole truck at once (I have painted some panels individually). I used automotive spray paints since I don't have the equipment to paint it any other way. I've started stripping the parts I painted already and ran into a problem. Hopefully @ryoken and any others of you can help. Instead of just stripping off its actually more like rubbing off like if it were still partially wet, but these parts have been painted for at least a year. A part I painted even longer ago has sat painted side down on fabric and the fabric imprinted into the clear coat. It scratches very easily too. It's almost like it never cured. What would cause this? One of the layers below not fully cured? Bad paint? It's very difficult to strip because it is clogging up my disc. Hopefully you can see what I mean in the pictures below:



Scratching easily:



Fabric imprinting:

 

[AbramJ]

I should add, I am using two stage paint. The paints I'm using:

Rust-Oleum automotive primer
NMB I-match base color coat
NMB I-match clear coat
(http://www.imatchpaint.com)

Should I use a different primer and/or clear coat?

 

[76zimmer]

Not enough catalyst?
Did the paint flash properly between coats?
Use a chemical stripper

 

[76zimmer]

I try to use matching paint components for compatibility and follow paint can recommendations for mixing flash times and paint booth temps

 

[76zimmer]

Ok I see the his is rattlecan stuff right?
Different game then....no mixing involved!
were the cans ever frozen?
there is usually a window for recoat times, were those followed? It's important to let the coat flash off before another coat is applied, and temps still play an important factor as well.

 

[ryoken]

this is rattle can correct? if so, this is what happens with air-dried resins guys..... strip it to raw steel, (DA with 80).. and start over..... as you are seeing, rattle can stuff should be kept to a minimum thickness and cook the sh*t out of it whenever you can.. it staying soft is super common... a good fan running in the room will help tremendously over time...

 

[AbramJ]

Yes, all rattle can. Never frozen once I got them. I followed the instructions for the primer, let it dry a day then painted a couple coats of the base color waiting 5-10 minutes between coats. After that I think I waited another day to clear coat. Like I said, it's been at least a year so I may not be remembering the steps I took exactly. Ambient temps were most likely 90+.

 

[ryoken]

they are all basically air-dried enamels.. some stay softer worse than others... douching parts is one thing, but when you need to block out a hood, it's another..

this is why faults showing up down the road in air-dried projects is SUPER common.. the old "hand-rubbed, 13 coats of lacquer days" where known for it big time... shrinkage, scratches and bodywork showing up a yr later, all common...

catalyzed resins are a different beast...

 

[AbramJ]

So my only chance for the "best" home paint job would be to have an air compressor and shoot it using an HVLP gun?

Can't afford to take it somewhere (nor do I need such a professional paint job), hence why I am using spray cans.

 

[ryoken]

just a couple thoughts..... it really is all the materials... i shot my 78 power wagon in my early 20's... in white imron on a dirt driveway... i'd hunt the pics down, but i'm lazy... came out nice and we know how tough imron is..

you CAN go dirt cheap on paint.. you can get catalyzed gallons of enamel straight out of the 80's for under $100 at any swap meet.. but with that, you get all the work unfriendly components of lot's of dust, crappy buffing capabilities, and heavy oxidizing if you don't clear...

God, I hated the 80's..... I still have nightmares about painting fleet airport vans baby metallic blue in single stage enamel to this day...


all that said... Dupont nason poly is pretty damn cheap depending on color... you can get a catalyzed gal of base colors for under $200... same in high build primer is about $125.. horrible freight $30 gun can get you thru the project.. and, you could actually get by panel painting a solid color with a stooopid pancake compressor if ya had to... but a 110, 30 gallon would easily paint a rig with some patience and planning..

having a place to shoot can be a bit more challenging.. but hey, i shot mine on a dirt drive in a corn field, sooooo...... fly? mosquito? that's what tweezers are for!

 

[AbramJ]

So I'm thinking about getting one of these and setting it up in the driveway to paint the truck when it's ready for that

http://www.harborfreight.com/10-ft-x-20-ft-portable-car-canopy-60728.html

I'll fashion sides out of plastic drop cloths probably. I'll most likely have the truck ready mid summer, which means temps here will be in the 100s+. You think it'd get hot enough inside to help act like an oven to help the paint cure better? Sort of like a green house almost?

 

[JoshHefnerX]

Buddy of mine turned his garage into a paint booth. plastic'd the walls, ceiling and floor. used a bunch of box fans and home a/c air filters both incoming and out going to keep the paint mist down in the hood.

 

[76zimmer]

I would avoid the green house treatment for painting... Humidity and temps can be a problem.
I use my one shop stall (22x14) clean it real well, including ceiling, then put plastic on the walls, and cover and seal off the overhead door. I use a furnace filter in the ceiling and have a simple box fan on the opposite end pulling out the fumes.

the furnace filter is between the lights in the ceiling...simple roll of 8'x100' 2 mil plastic on the walls

The box fan is underneath the bench blowing out to the back yard.

 

[AbramJ]

I guess green house wasn't the best way to describe it, but humidity won't really be a problem (like everyone says, it's a dry heat here). My garage isn't deep enough for me to comfortably get all the way around the truck, but with that canopy I figured I'd put sides on it and leave the front and back open while I paint then put a front and back panel on with fans at the bottom pushing air through the "booth"