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| | | | Joined: Sep 2007 Posts: 2,644 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Sep 2007 Posts: 2,644 | I've heard that adding a "hardener" to BPS Enamel improves drying time and produces a harder finish, more suitable for wet sanding and polishing. Thirty years ago we just used Enamel Reducer - regular for primer and added a little "retarder" to slow the drying time down to let the paint flow better... there was no such thing as a "hardener" in them days.
Does anyone have a source for enamel hardener that they have used and can recommend? | | | | | Joined: Mar 2006 Posts: 1,703 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Mar 2006 Posts: 1,703 | I always got enamel reducer & a can of hardner at NAPA..dont know if they still sell or not ..havent painted a whole vehicle in a long time ..Im sure the experts will chime in soon | | | | | Joined: Mar 2004 Posts: 874 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Mar 2004 Posts: 874 | They sell enamel hardener right at Tractor Supply along with the paints. At least at my local store they do. Cick here.
Last edited by Ghostrider; 02/11/2008 3:22 PM. Reason: Link added
| | | | | Joined: Oct 2007 Posts: 94 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Oct 2007 Posts: 94 | I know that Centari paint, which is an enamel, has a reducer (8022) and you also add in a hardener. The one that we sell is made by Transtar, and the part number is 8108. It comes in a pint and a half of a pint. | | | | | Joined: Oct 2006 Posts: 9,671 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Oct 2006 Posts: 9,671 | Hey Woody, let me just throw this out for you to ponder. after blasting and priming and sanding, i.e., lotsa work, I was prepairing to spray my running boards with rustoluim and heard all about adding hardener to enamel. I had a painter friend who told me that he always added hardener to enamel so I did. Marhide wet look hardener. The results were disasterous, I ended up with white speckles through out the entire paint job, it looked like I'd taken white sand and blew it all over the paint job.
My advise would be that if your adding a hardener, stick to the hardener tha the paint mfg recomends.
Denny G
Denny G
Sandwich, IL
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,269 Bubba - Curmudgeon | | Bubba - Curmudgeon Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,269 | "My advice would be that if you're adding a hardener, stick to the hardener that the paint mfg recommends."Truer words were never spoken. Every pro painter that I have ever spoken with starts any discussion about using any add-in chemicals with "only use what is recommended by the paint manufacturer". You are dealing with a chemical reaction (not just evaporation of solvents) and need to be certain that all combinations of chemicals work correctly together. Stick with the paint system's products. As mentioned above, therer is a Valspar hardener available for Valspar BPS paints. | | | | | Joined: Sep 2007 Posts: 2,644 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Sep 2007 Posts: 2,644 | Yes, I walked right by it I guess... swung by the TSC that was supposed to open on the 13th and they were open TODAY!  So, I got the hardener, but they didn't have any of those paint chip cards. Now I'm going to paint a test panel and put it out in the yard to see how it holds up. | | |
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