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Problem with paint and letters...
- Thread starter Texas_Signmaker
- Start date
Texas_Signmaker
Very Active Signmaker
I never really had a problem with rusteoleum before either. I've used that stuff for over 15 years and it holds up well. I painted fabricated metal letters white before and they did not chalk or run and that's been 7 years now... I drive by them and check on them.
The client is a contractor and the architect is the one that asked for the wrong color. If you have a building and want to change something, they charge your ass... I charged them for new letters, they paid already and order is in production .. problem solved. They are happy because it will be installed before their inspection date. I appreciate everyone's input.. I'll remember next time about the 2-24 hour thing. On to the next one....
The client is a contractor and the architect is the one that asked for the wrong color. If you have a building and want to change something, they charge your ass... I charged them for new letters, they paid already and order is in production .. problem solved. They are happy because it will be installed before their inspection date. I appreciate everyone's input.. I'll remember next time about the 2-24 hour thing. On to the next one....
Notarealsignguy
Arial - it's almost helvetica
It's not Rustoleum that is bad, it is actually a decent paint for what it is. The problem is that it is an alkyd enamel, they just don't hold up well in UV rays. As far as I know, white would hold up the best because it uses titanium dioxide for pigmentation but it will still lose it's gloss and then chalk. The other colors are more problematic, especially reds and yellows. We used to use synthetic enamel on trailers and stopped because they would be dull in a years time. Florida sun is hard on paint, I'm sure that texas is the same way.
Texas_Signmaker
Very Active Signmaker
I used red once and 5 years in it's almost black.
GAC05
Quit buggin' me
In today's politically charged climate trying to make black letters appear white could be problematic, hence your difficulties.
signbrad
New Member
I have had similar lifting problems with Rustoleum brand paint in a spray can. It has a longer cure time, and spraying on plastic makes the cure time even longer. I have never had good success spraying plastic with Rustoleum. Sometimes it seems it didn't cure for days. Would a barrier coat make a difference? I don't know. Rustoleum does have a spray-can paint made just for plastic, but I haven't tried it.
Krylon Fusion (by Sherwin Williams) has a very aggressive solvent system. It doesn't seem to have the re-coat problems that Rustoleum has. It is the only spray-can paint that I have used that sticks to vinyl sheeting, so I know it's aggressive. The "window" for recoating, which every solvent-based paint has, is more forgiving with Krylon.
It's a mistake to think that just because a paint in sold in a spray can that it is automatically of low quality. The propellant-filled can is just a delivery system. The real problem is film thickness. You don't always get optimum film thickness using spray cans. This is far easier to achieve using standard spray equipment—a spray gun simply delivers more product to the surface. For example, the optimum dry film thickness for Matthews Acrylic Polyurethane is 2 mils. You usually only get this from two wet coats with a flash time in between. Thinner or thicker will have a shorter life. (At the Matthews paint school they give you a thickness gauge along with your training manual).
This is Quincy explaining the use of a film thickness gauge:
Quincy demonstrates spray technique:
https://www.matthewspaint.com/Fabricators-Distributors/How-To-Videos/Spraying-NovAcryl.aspx
A clear explanation of using a thickness gauge by a lady speaking in slow motion:
Typically, Gemini uses ABS plastic (not acrylic) for their products, except for laser-cut acrylic.
Brad in Kansas City
Krylon Fusion (by Sherwin Williams) has a very aggressive solvent system. It doesn't seem to have the re-coat problems that Rustoleum has. It is the only spray-can paint that I have used that sticks to vinyl sheeting, so I know it's aggressive. The "window" for recoating, which every solvent-based paint has, is more forgiving with Krylon.
It's a mistake to think that just because a paint in sold in a spray can that it is automatically of low quality. The propellant-filled can is just a delivery system. The real problem is film thickness. You don't always get optimum film thickness using spray cans. This is far easier to achieve using standard spray equipment—a spray gun simply delivers more product to the surface. For example, the optimum dry film thickness for Matthews Acrylic Polyurethane is 2 mils. You usually only get this from two wet coats with a flash time in between. Thinner or thicker will have a shorter life. (At the Matthews paint school they give you a thickness gauge along with your training manual).
This is Quincy explaining the use of a film thickness gauge:
Quincy demonstrates spray technique:
https://www.matthewspaint.com/Fabricators-Distributors/How-To-Videos/Spraying-NovAcryl.aspx
A clear explanation of using a thickness gauge by a lady speaking in slow motion:
Typically, Gemini uses ABS plastic (not acrylic) for their products, except for laser-cut acrylic.
Brad in Kansas City