Bad hardner?

[SouthernMudSlinger]

Last night, I sprayed some paint on a couple cards to get a color match, then sprayed a coat of clear on it, and then today, I was looking at them again, and noticed the clear is still soft, you can easily leave a finger print in it, and its still slightly tacky if you hold your finger on it for a second then remove it. When I sprayed them last night, the room was heated to about 60 degrees, and left over night with out the heat on, so the temp fell some (it was about 30 degrees outside overnight). The temp did drop in the room to maybe 50 degrees I guess. Its a new can of hardner, I just got it yesterday. The clear coat is Deltron Concept 2002 clear, using DCX61 hardner. (I used the right hardner). I've used this clear before, and it was hard enough to be able to put the part back on the next day. Im wondering if there is a certain temperature the room has to be, or the hardner will not work, or if its a bad can of hardner?

[Volkspanzer]

2002 has an air dry time of 19 hours at 70 degrees. You need more heat. For every 10 or 15 degrees cooler you can almost double air dry times. Same goes for being hotter you cut the times in half for every 10-15 degrees. You should try using Concept 2042, the air dry time is around 8 hours at 70 and it mixes and sprays like 2002. PPG also makes the Velocity line of clears- dc3000 and dc4000.
http://www.ppg.com/cr-refinish/phase1/frmFindProduct.asp
This is the ling to PPG's clear coat product sheets so you can check out all the dry times.

[SouthernMudSlinger]

The tack free time for it at 70 degrees is about 3 hrs....but after about 20 hrs, its just barely past that (its still tacky if you hold your finger in it for a second then remove it).

[Hurst]

You mixed it 4:1:1? 2002 is one of PPG's slowest clears, but still should have been tacked up after that amount of time.

2042 doesn't spray anything like 2002. DCU2002 is sloooow.

[barthmonster]

in addition there is the 'metal is colder' phenomenea (sp??) When you're shop is 60 degrees, the metal will always be 10 degrees cooler, not sure why...

[SouthernMudSlinger]

I wasn't spraying on metal, I was spraying on little plastic cards to get a color match. I mixed a little clear, and put it on one of those cards, and brought it in our house where it will stay at a constant 70-73 degrees. I guess i'll find out in a few hours. The last time I sprayed that clear, it was tack free in about 3 hours, and it was around 60-65 degrees.


You mixed it 4:1:1? 2002 is one of PPG's slowest clears, but still should have been tacked up after that amount of time.

2042 doesn't spray anything like 2002. DCU2002 is sloooow.
I might look into getting a faster clear.......I just got a quart of 2002 yesterday, and haven't opened it yet, so I might take it back and get a faster clear. Would that help with my colder temperature problem?

[Hurst]

I wasn't spraying on metal, I was spraying on little plastic cards to get a color match. I mixed a little clear, and put it on one of those cards, and brought it in our house where it will stay at a constant 70-73 degrees. I guess i'll find out in a few hours. The last time I sprayed that clear, it was tack free in about 3 hours, and it was around 60-65 degrees.


I might look into getting a faster clear.......I just got a quart of 2002 yesterday, and haven't opened it yet, so I might take it back and get a faster clear. Would that help with my colder temperature problem?

I like 2021. Faster than 2002 but still flows out real nice. DC4000 is good too.
What are you spraying?

[SouthernMudSlinger]

Im spraying a bumper and a grill. Does 2042 cost any more than 2002?

[Hurst]

All of the DCU clears are pretty similiar in price. I haven't ordered 2042 in a while, but I think it was a few dollars more than 2002. Or maybe it was the other way around.:confused:

[justing70]

Im wondering if there is a certain temperature the room has to be, or the hardner will not work, or if its a bad can of hardner?

It has been a couple of years since the PPG class but they told us if the temps get below 55 degrees the hardener will not cross link with the clear. It will air dry but it will not cure(harden). Was the clear and hardener cold when you mixed it? I would say it just got too cold over night. The only time I've had a problem with a hardener going bad was when it sat on the shelf for awhile after being opened, It made the clear really seedy, like I cleared it on the beach or something.Try shooting another panel and keep it warm over night or force dry it with a heat lamp or heat gun, if it dries fine ,then you know it's not the hardener.

[SouthernMudSlinger]

I did another piece last night and brought it into our house so it would stay warm all night long (70-75 degrees). I just checked it a few minutes ago, and really easy to leave a finger print in it, and has a slight tack to it if you hold your finger on it for a couple seconds and remove it. Last night when I checked it about 3 hours after it was sprayed, it was still really tacky, and on the information sheet, it says tack free in 2 1/4 to 3 hrs @70 degrees, and was at least 70 in our house. Im going to take it back tommorrow to see if they'll give me a new can of hardner, and return my new can of 2002 and try to get some faster clear.

[dt196]

If you want something faster, try the DC4000.

Dan

[SouthernMudSlinger]

I went back to the paint store and returned the 2002 clear, and got some DC3000 clear.

[justing70]

I went back to the paint store and returned the 2002 clear, and got some DC3000 clear.

So did you find out what the problem was with the other clear? Was it a bad catalyst?

[SouthernMudSlinger]

I asked about that when I was in the paint store, but they didn't really know. Those test peices I sprayed finally dried, but I dont know why it was so slow. Its possible the cold weather had something to do with it, but i've never known anything to take that long to dry. I plan to paint the stuff i've been working on tommorrow, so i'll see how the new clear does.

[Hurst]

I went back to the paint store and returned the 2002 clear, and got some DC3000 clear.

You went from one extreme to another. 3000 will work good though if you're just spraying a bumper and grill. Which hardner did you get?

[SouthernMudSlinger]

I got the low temp hardner for 55-75 degrees. Suprisingly, I was able to get a quart of DC3000 and the hardner for the same price as a quart of 2002, which I returned, so it didn't cost me anything.