Rustoleum Paints

[Evan_N]

Hey all,

Has anyone had any issues with Rustoleum Painter's Touch Flat Black, spray paint?  I recently used it to prime a frame and chasis, and I noticed that it still felt tacky weeks after application.

[JollySipper]

I can't help you with advice about that particular paint, but what I can offer is this..... Rustoleum makes flat black primer itself that works really well. I've used a lot of different paints over it without any reaction. It covers good and is dry in like 10 minutes.......

This is two coats of the primer over red plastic.........

[Evan_N]

6 minutes ago, JollySipper said:

I can't help you with advice about that particular paint, but what I can offer is this..... Rustoleum makes flat black primer itself that works really well. I've used a lot of different paints over it without any reaction. It covers good and is dry in like 10 minutes.......

This is two coats of the primer over red plastic.........

I think my problem might be that I used straight Flat Black as a primer, instead using an actual primer paint.  I've used Rustoleum primers before and they didn't give me any issues.

[DJMar]

2 hours ago, Evan_N said:

Hey all,

Has anyone had any issues with Rustoleum Painter's Touch Flat Black, spray paint?  I recently used it to prime a frame and chasis, and I noticed that it still felt tacky weeks after application.

 

1 hour ago, Evan_N said:

I think my problem might be that I used straight Flat Black as a primer, instead using an actual primer paint.  I've used Rustoleum primers before and they didn't give me any issues.

To clarify, your "primer" coat was Rustoleum Painter's Touch flat black? Over bare plastic? And it didn't dry on it's own?

Or did you topcoat the flat black, and then run into the tacky problem?

[Evan_N]

1 hour ago, DJMar said:

 

To clarify, your "primer" coat was Rustoleum Painter's Touch flat black? Over bare plastic? And it didn't dry on it's own?

Or did you topcoat the flat black, and then run into the tacky problem?

Yes, my "primer" coat was the flat black, and it stayed tacky to the touch. 

 

[JollySipper]

Paint and primer are a lot like shampoo and conditioner......... They each have a specific job, and work best separate!   

[Shark]

I have quit using Rustoleum paint for that reason. Last incident, I primed and used a grey paint for a circle track chassis and roll cage. Still tacky weeks later, so back in the box it went and used the paint cans for targets.

[mcs1056]

8 minutes ago, JollySipper said:

Paint and primer are a lot like shampoo and conditioner......... They each have a specific job, and work best separate!   

My takeaway from this is that one should Paint, Rinse, and Repeat. 

[StevenGuthmiller]

1 hour ago, Shark said:

I have quit using Rustoleum paint for that reason. Last incident, I primed and used a grey paint for a circle track chassis and roll cage. Still tacky weeks later, so back in the box it went and used the paint cans for targets.

Yeah, I agree.

Just not worth the aggravation.

There are so many other paints that don’t cause so many issues.

There’s no question that Rustoleum paints are one of the most problematic paints available.

All one has to do is look around on the various boards and groups and that becomes quite evident very quickly.

 

 

 

Steve

[Ace-Garageguy]

For what probably sounds like the bazillionth time, TEST exactly what paint product or combination thereof BEFORE you commit to putting it on an actual model.

AND...shooting stuff on 'spoons' is fine for color checking, but the plastic that spoons are made from is different from kit plastics...usually...so do your testing on part of the model you want to use whateveritis on so you'll encounter any weird reactions that might occur and avoid possibly ruining an entire model.

ALSO...this is doubly important because kit plastics can even be different from issue to issue of the same kit, depending on how many grains of rice of profit the manufacturer was trying to sneak out by cheapening the plastic composition, and paint manufacturers are well known for changing the chemical makeup of their products with no notice too.

Bottom line: what worked two months ago might not work today, and following advice from random people on the internet is pretty much a recipe for disaster...though we're fortunate here to have some guys who actually DO know what they're talking about, and the quality of their work backs up what they say.

Edited Sunday at 08:04 PM by Ace-Garageguy

[StevenGuthmiller]

1 hour ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

For what probably sounds like the bazillionth time, TEST exactly what paint product or combination thereof BEFORE you commit to putting it on an actual model.

AND...shooting stuff on 'spoons' is fine for color checking, but the plastic that spoons are made from is different from kit plastics...usually...so do your testing on part of the model you want to use whateveritis on so you'll encounter any weird reactions that might occur and avoid possibly ruining an entire model.

ALSO...this is doubly important because kit plastics can even be different from issue to issue of the same kit, depending on how many grains of rice of profit the manufacturer was trying to sneak out by cheapening the plastic composition, and paint manufacturers are well known for changing the chemical makeup of their products with no notice too.

Bottom line: what worked two months ago might not work today, and following advice from random people on the internet is pretty much a recipe for disaster...though we're fortunate here to have some guys who actually DO know what they're talking about, and the quality of their work backs up what they say.

All excellent advice, although I will add that most Rustoleum paints that people are using for models are simple enamels, and should be relatively safe to use on any plastic.

The problem is the paint itself.

There are a number of problems that are frequent and inherent with Rustoleum that are virtually nonexistent with other products.

Most of that can be attributed to the formulation of the paint, the delivery system, and unreliable re-coat recommendations.

In other words, most of the problems that Rustoleum users experience don’t have anything to do with incompatibility with the plastic, but everything to do with the properties of the paint itself, the horrible application system, and the incompatibility with a great number of other products, as well as a lot of other Rustoleum products.

It makes the whole concept of using Rustoleum paint for models a gamble.

 

 

Steve

[Chariots of Fire]

Agreed.  Rustoleum paint is without a doubt the worst paint for model work.  It's thick, Does not spray cleanly and remains tacky for days.  It also is worthless after the first two or three uses.  The nozzle cloggs and cannot be cleaned.  The paint in a can might be ok for outside house paint but that is about it.  Tamiya and Testors have some great colors that are rattle can ready.  Not a bad way to paint in some ways.

[StevenGuthmiller]

2 hours ago, Chariots of Fire said:

Agreed.  Rustoleum paint is without a doubt the worst paint for model work.  It's thick, Does not spray cleanly and remains tacky for days.  It also is worthless after the first two or three uses.  The nozzle cloggs and cannot be cleaned.  The paint in a can might be ok for outside house paint but that is about it.  Tamiya and Testors have some great colors that are rattle can ready.  Not a bad way to paint in some ways.

Clogging nozzles are an issue that I forgot to mention.

I probably have a half dozen nearly full cans of Rustoleum paint in my shop.

Every one of them clogged after the first use, and yes, I did invert and spray to clean the nozzle.

I’m convinced that the paint was designed to be a once and done system.

Not particularly useful for small jobs.

 

 

Steve

[Swamp Dog]

i been using Rustoleum paints for many many years with no problems.  my truck builds are painted with it. i dont use Tamiya or Testors paint.  i read negative comments all over this forum and groups on Facebook. clogging nozzles are an issue, but if you look on the back of the can their is a phone # that you can call and request spray nozzles. they will be glad to send them to you at no cost, free shipping. i get 30 at a time an i may change the nozzles 2-3 times if the can has set up while spraying. another thing you got to do with these big cans shake the heck out of them. new can 3 minuets by the clock no less..once it gets down half way you can drop that to 2 minuets unless it has been sating up for a while then fall back to your 3 minuets. yes you gonna think your arms are gonna fall off like mine but that's the way i do it with no problems. some say it remains tacky for days. it could not be shook up well enough or your spraying when the conditions are not right. i dont have that problem. for you outside painters bring that paint in if its cool the day before and let it warm up..

[Sledsel]

I am with Swamp Dog. Shake the heck out od it. I have never used flat black as a primer but have used it for chassis parts without issue. That being said, I have used it for base coats AFTER actual primer without issue also. Those that say it is not for modelling have their own preferences and that"s fine, but Rustoleum works fine for me.

[bobss396]

I follow some modeling groups on FB and 99% of paint woes involve Rustoleum paint. 

[Ace-Garageguy]

FWIW...I've used some Rustoleum and other big-box and hardware-store paints and some no-name el cheapo bargain-store rattlecans for model work, usually for things like engines or particularly bilious colors that you might have seen on a '50s Earl Scheib job, with just fine results, but never ever ever ever without shaking the jello out of them, and testing prior to committing to use.

But the reason I'm such a repetitive advocate of testing is because I've had some real disasters, where hours and hours of work were spoiled by using an untested product that was "supposed" to be OK for what I wanted to do.

[StevenGuthmiller]

2 hours ago, bobss396 said:

I follow some modeling groups on FB and 99% of paint woes involve Rustoleum paint. 

Fact! 

 

 

 

Steve

[michelle]

rust oleum 2x  paints and primers and clears as well as rust oleum bright coat and rust oleum wheel and rust oleum metallic and rust oleum universal are pretty much the only paints i use when painting  plastic car/truck/suv bodies and bumpers and rims and engines and chassis and interiors  and resin printed car/truck/suv bodies bumpers rims tires chassis 
the only time i run into issues with it is if the humidity is higher then what it says on the can or the temp is above or below the temps stated on the can and that happens very rarely cause i call the weather now service for my town  to find out the temp and the humidity and the only other time i have issues is if very fine layer of dust i cant see ends up on the parts between the primer stage and paint stage or the paint and clear coat stage cause the weather gets bad ie rain  between the two stages and i can't get the paint or the clear stage done for a few days to a week but again that does not happen often 


 

[Swamp Dog]

9 hours ago, bobss396 said:

I follow some modeling groups on FB and 99% of paint woes involve Rustoleum paint. 

i have seen them also and i can bet you about 75% of them are hear say as they have never tried the paint. i own 5 Groups on Facebook and no telling how many im a member of. a builder can show his model and say he used Rustoleum paint and its like a bunch of flies on a dead hog. its cut down time, its Tamiya paint this and Tamiya that. they dont give the builder no credit at all.. i dont go around knocking Tamiya paint Testors or any other brand that builders use. im 70 years old and it's sad how builders have got now days.