I just read the can label online and see that the dry time is 2 hours and recoat time is about 24 hours. Can I leave the canister with the paint, thinner and hardener in it for 24 hours or will it harden on me overnight? Temps around here are high 80's to mid 90's and lows in the mid 70's. Also should I sand with 400 dry or wet?
NO don't let the paint in the gun for 24 hours or you will have a plugged gun to clean, and it will be a bear to do that as well. When I was referring to recoat time, I was merely asking about applying the light coats one after another. Not necessarily applying additional coats. In other words, you spray the initial light coat, you wait for a few minutes and spray again, and you continue doing that until you have the item covered properly...without runs. That is the recoat time I was referring too. No don't sand between those recoat efforts. There really shouldn't be any sanding while painting. Also, practice on some paper or poster board to get the spray gun adjusted properly. Adjust your compressor to around 40 psi for starters. If you apply too high air pressure, especially with certain type spray guns, you can blow the canisters out. So start around 40 psi and see how the fan works out. If you need more pressure, do so in five pound increments. Also adjust the fan to allow you to cover without so much overspray. You will get the hang of it really quick. I even install a pressure regulator AND a moisture trap right at the gun so the air is clean and water free while spraying. I also drain the compressor right before starting so the water build up in it is drained out. I'm sure your gun specifies what pressure to use. Usually around 40psi at the gun will yield the proper tip pressure to spray properly. You shouldn't have any problems with the temps or the humidity... One last thing. After you are finished spraying and know you are not going to spray anymore, clean the entire gun at that time while the paint is still wet. It is always a great idea to get into that habit... Your spray gun will last a lifetime if you do that and work properly as well for the next usage.
I am use to using PPG automotive type paints and their instructions explain recoat times, thinning amounts per temp and humidity, tape off time, sanding times and even clear coat times. So using that type paint makes it really easy to follow their directions. And they even tell you how much paint to hardener to use. So I am use to that type setup. As a matter of fact, this morning I did sand a ton of items sitting around waiting for the right time for me to paint that I had previously primed. And this morning was that time. So I mixed up the PPG Shopline paint and thinner and painted all those items. The dry time for this paint was about ten minutes. So I was able to apply about three nice coats of paint. In the next few days, I will apply the graphics and then clear coat finishes.
I'd use a touch up gun for a small job like this. It's got a 1.0 mm tip and will really lay down a really nice spray pattern just like a Rattle can. This is a good one...
