Painting question

[Cody Meister 2]

I am in the process of repainting a gravity box, I was wondering what other people's thoughts are are using hardener in the paint, some people have thought that I should NOT use hardener beacuse the paint will crack when the box is loaded if the sides flex at all. Any thoughts?

 

[rrlund]

I've always scratched my head over hardners. Never use one. If there was a reason the paint wouldn't work the way it was made,wouldn't you think the maunfacturer would do something to improve it?

 

[Dick L]

I do not think hardeners make paint brittle.
It is more a cure premotor so the paint can be dry/hard to the touch quicker. Using hardeners will let you make repairs quicker than without it. It will also make the paint more resistant to the sun. Cheap paint with hardeners will still fade just not as fast.

Catalysts are formulated for specific types of resins, functionality of the resins, percent solids, etc. This is why there are many different types of catalysts. Therefore, it is important that catalysts are used as recommended by the paint manufacturer. Enamel catalysts are commonly referred to as "HARDENERS" and urethane catalysts are known as "ACTIVATORS".

 

[Josh in Pa]

I would use it. Some paints require it to dry. Just today I was cleaning up and found a can I had dumped some acrylic urethane in after I got done spraying a few months back. I pried it out and it was like a block of rubber. Very flexible.
Josh

 

[Bodyman]

rr, I look at it a little differently than you I guess. It"s not that you MUST have hardener but it will make the paint more durable and look better and last longer, also makes a much better finished product. I would say the small additional cost of the hardner would be kind of like buying a new car without factory tinted windows or getting only 2ply tires to save a few bucks. Just my opinion and you know what they say, "opinions are like --- holes, worth the most to the owner... ave a nice day.

 

[Bodyman]

rr,lund, I look at it a little differently than you I guess. It"s not that you MUST have hardener but it will make the paint more durable and look better and last longer, also makes a much better finished product. I would say the small additional cost of the hardner would be kind of like buying a new car without factory tinted windows or getting only 2ply tires to save a few bucks. Just my opinion and you know what they say, "opinions are like --- holes,everybody has one and it"s worth the most to the owner... ave a nice day.

 

[casecollectorsc]

Using hardener, the paint will keep its color much longer and make it more durable.