DRYING TIME FOR PAINTS

[JARRNO88]

DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW LONG IT TAKES FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF PAINTS TO FULLY DRY ? I USED TO HAVE THE DRYING TIMED FOR ENAMELS, LAQUERS AND ACRYLICS WRITTEN DOWN SOMEWHERE BUT I DON'T KNOW WHERE I PUT THE INFO AT . A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO SOMEONE POSTED ALL THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PAINTS BUT NOTHING IS COMING UP WHEN LOOKING FOR THE INFO THROUGH SEARCH. THANKS,KEITH

[cobraman]

I'm not sure you can get a pat answer to that question. There can be a lot of variables to paint drying. Temps, humidity, paint thickness and many more.

[Daddyfink]

Just sit in front of it and watch it dry! Fun stuff!

All kidding aside, Ray is correct, too many variables to may it an exact science. Test shoot some paint on plastic spoons and see what works best for you

[SfanGoch]

Yup, temperature and humidity have an effect on drying times. Try to keep the painted part(s) at around 70 degrees/45-55% humidity. Colder temps and higher humidity increase drying times.

Enamels aren't completely dry until all the solvents have evaporated (degassed). They might seem dry to the touch after a few hours; but, that is only the surface skin. The paint underneath isn't fully cured. Enamel paints take 3-5 days to fully cure. If you can't smell the paint anymore, it's dry.

Ditto with acrylics. The paint is completely dry in about the same length of time. If you can run a fingernail across the surface without leaving a scuff, it's dry.

[StevenGuthmiller]

I look at it like this. When the paint is safe to polish, it's cured. Automotive style lacquers & clears can be polished after a couple of days. I usually give it at least a week just to be safe. Enamels? I wouldn't go near an enamel paint job with polish or pads or paper for at least a couple of months! Back when I used to use Testors enamel paints & clear coat, I would paint them & then box them back up for about 3 months before getting them back out to polish. Enamels can take a long time to completely harden. Steve

[Pete J.]

All the above are correct. Because of your individual painting techniques, only you can create a good table of drying times. Get a notebook and each time you paint record these items. Brand and type of paint, what you thinned it with and what paint to thinner ratio you used, temperature and humidity. If you use an airbrush, pressure and needle. Then make notes about how many layers and type(wet coats, mist coats etc.) and time between coats. Last, how long before you could safely mask the paint.

Some general rules: Hotter temperatures and lower humidity will cause paint to cure quicker. Two thin layers with 5 minutes between coats will cure four times quicker that a single coat of the same thickness. Thinned paint will cure quicker than a thicker paint. Paint sprayed at a higher pressure will cure quicker that lower pressure but is also more susceptible to orange peel. Paint cured in a food dehydrator will cure twice as quickly as paint dried at room temperature.

These are general rules of thumb, but they can help understand why paint is reacting in a given way.

[Krazy Rick]

There is no real "Chart", for paint drying., if it is pre-mixed / thinned, bottle, jar, or can - each color & batch will vary. All paints gas out, no matter what type. If you prefer to control of drying times, in oder to accomodate certain conditions; this will involve using & mixing automotive paints & thinners/reducers. ( and possibly a few more items, depending on how far you wish to go. ) I don't doubt that someone ( at least one "Pro" ) .... has come up with a chart, but in my opinion, there is only one true test - Smell - there shouldn't be even a hint of paint fumes.