Spraypaint still tacky after 15 hours (HalloweenFilter)

October 24, 2019 4:17 AM

As part of my Doctor Octopus costume, I am using gloss spray paint on vinyl flexible vent hose. This paint it still tacky to the touch after 15 hours. Can it be saved?

The spray paint can wasn't working well (leaking and sputtering) but I went ahead anyway and painted.

The coverage.... wasn't great and I probably ended up putting it on too thick, but the end result is that it is still tacky 15 hours later.

I have it in an overly warm room to try and cure the paint, but is there anything else I can do to try and get it touchable BEFORE my party on Saturday night so I can wear it?

posted by Paladin1138 to Media & Arts (12 answers total)

Hair dryer?
posted by sourcequench at 4:25 AM on October 24, 2019

Response by poster: I tried the hairdryer a little before I went to work this morning, and it didn't seem to be doing much good, at least over a 10-minute interval.

Would a heatgun work better?
posted by Paladin1138 at 4:48 AM on October 24, 2019

Best answer: Having painted plenty of hobby stuff and costumes in my time, unfortunately you just have to wait. Give it another couple of days.

Also, this is too late to help, but always use primer. That is a lesson I learned at personal cost.
posted by Fleebnork at 4:58 AM on October 24, 2019 [3 favorites]

Response by poster: My instinct was to prime it, but the paint formulation said it bonded directly to plastic, no primer needed. :-/
posted by Paladin1138 at 5:00 AM on October 24, 2019

aim a fan at it, the better the air can circulate the better it will dry
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 5:14 AM on October 24, 2019 [1 favorite]

I suspect a heatgun would melt the vinyl and/or blister the paint. If you do that, go slowly and carefully -- and maybe try it out on a scrap piece first.
posted by sourcequench at 5:18 AM on October 24, 2019

Krylon is pretty reliable (dries quick).
posted by H21 at 5:19 AM on October 24, 2019

Response by poster: The can that was weird and drippy and spatter-y WAS Krylon :-(
posted by Paladin1138 at 5:24 AM on October 24, 2019

Response by poster: What about misting another super-thin layer on from a good can of paint - make it worse, or maybe fix it?
posted by Paladin1138 at 5:25 AM on October 24, 2019

Best answer: I did a painting party a few years ago with my friends, misc spray paint, and some smaller canvases. Some people went VERY heavy on the paint, and those pieces took probably 48 hours to get to “dry enough to move stacked on top of each other” status.

Things that should help it dry: warmth and circulation. Spray paint is a solvent, and dries by the materials in it volatilizing into the air. Things volatilize at a faster rate when they’re warm. And having a fan over it will blow away the gases formed from volatilization, and can create a slight negative pressure if blowing out more than in, mildly increasing the volatilization rate.
posted by DoubleLune at 5:40 AM on October 24, 2019 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Please do not add more paint. It will make the situation worse, no matter what the quality of the top layer.
posted by bilabial at 7:03 AM on October 24, 2019 [4 favorites]

What does your paint say the drying time is? A very flat paint can dry fully within a couple hours. Something textured and thicker will take overnight for a typical coat. Of course, if you've put an extra-thick coat on, that will take even longer. Moving air will help a lot and be a lot gentler than heat, especially high heat.
posted by wnissen at 11:09 AM on October 28, 2019