Rustoleum over epoxy

[Lazy Jack]

It has come up on this forum before...I wasn't able to find it using the search feature

I applied paint over a West/205 surface which had been sanded flat three weeks prior, and simply went over it with a tack rag and didn't "wash" the surface. ( figured I had removed the blush with the washing and sanding weeks prior)

Well the paint is still tacky and soft after 4 days!

Wait and wait?

Apply another coat of paint over top with hefty dollup of Jap drier added?

grab a scotch-brite and a bucket of thinner?

What was the solution?

[jerry bark]

I did that too...

rust-o-leum marine primer over epoxy on a SNG kayak.

it will dry nicely, in a few weeks.

cheers
jerry

[gary porter]

First the epoxy has to be cured which could take several days and or perhaps a week depending on the temp. etc.
Then the primer has to dry and cure as well..
Then the paint.
It can and will work and if you get in a hurry it will be very frustrating.
Gary

[Thorne]

In this case, let it dry and think dry (but happy) thoughts...has worked for me in some cases.

Next time wash it right before painting, as the blush and other surface contamination can continue to perculate to the top over time.

[Concordia...41]

My late husband had a saying, "Don't press a bad position."

Seriously. If you recognize you have a problem. STOP!

It's hard some times when you have a limited time frame, but seriously, print this and put this on the wall in your shop, write it on your hand, in reverse on your forehead, whatever is necessary.

Don't Press a Bad Position.

[Lazy Jack]

I'm thinking blush 'perculation' is exactly what happened here. I did exactly the same thing on a different boat (paint atop epoxy that had sat around sanded for a couple weeks) without any problem, however it was much warmer then.

I guess I'll wait it out for now

So not being one to 'Press a Bad Position' I flipped it over anyway and started painting rails and decks. The tacky film is but the first coat http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r256/LazyJack/IMG_2363.jpg?t=1225923899

[TallShipDreamer]

What is the boat incidentaly?

[Lazy Jack]

An adirondack guide-boat

[RodB]

Standard fix for this when time is short between epoxy curing and painting... Get some cobalt drier from an art store... add about 12-15 drops to 6 ounces...and it will dry...and help dry the paint on the first coat too if the time has not been too long.

Rodb

[Todd Bradshaw]

If this is regular old Rustoleum (made for lawn furniture and such, not their marine enamel) I get the feeling that it has some sort of oily nature which seems to react with some surfaces. It really is good paint and I am continually amazed at how well it will stay looking good on old rusty trailers, but I have had times when I have painted a trailer and had it dry quickly and then found that paint from the same can took days and days to dry on some non-metal surfaces. I finally got to the point where I don't use it on anything except metal because I had unusual results. As I recall, it finally would dry and be OK, but sometimes it took a while.

And for future reference, it is always wise to wash epoxy surfaces shortly before painting them. There are far more things than amine blush that can cause contamination problems if it's been sitting for a while (even auto exhaust and other stuff you might not think of). After all that building work, it just isn't worth the risk of simply hoping it's clean enough to paint.

[kc8pql]

This doesn't directly apply to the thread but it may be useful to someone. I made the interior of my refrigerator by epoxy/glassing over a plywood box and painted the inside with white Rustoleum spray paint. It took about three days to dry completely. The stuff is tough as nails. After two seasons of being wet, frozen, thawed, spilled on and banged by all sorts of cans and things as the boat heeled and rolled underway, it still looks like new.

[chicagoross]

I use the Rustoleum marine version, the topsides. Tacky is gone after a day, but "hard" can take a few weeks. It is a very slow drying paint!

[Lazy Jack]

Rustoleum sure is useful stuff. It has been my trailer/car top small boat go-to paint and it looks decent and seems to last and last. Other than a remote experience 20 years ago of it not setting up over newly laid epoxy, I have never had another similar problem until now.

Gotta say I'm tempted by that cobalt drier strategy...but no need to rush for now. Its not launching until spring.

[neilm]

I've had good luck with Rustoleum Marine Primer on epoxy. It dried quickly. The Rustoleum marine paint is a sweet deal. I hope they make it forever.

Neil

[pila]

Rustoleum really is good stuff. I painted the entire bottom of my little S-10 Chevy pick-up with it, both with spray and brush. That was after new fenders, floor boards etc.
I used it for trim stripes on my old 26 Owens also. The gloss seems to last a long time.