Rustoleum w/hardener

N

NYTrainer

On another forum we were discussing painting frames, underhood brackets, etc.. I use SPI black epoxy (sometimes adding reducer depending on the gloss needed) and leave it with no topcoat. Some felt that epoxy is an undercoat only and want to put an enamel black over epoxy as a minimum and some just use a black enamel DTM (to me not worth the effort to prep and not use SPI epoxy as a minimum).
So my question is based on what some folks said they use and that is a semi-gloss Rustoleum that they throw some "cheap" hardener (activator) in it. Doesn't an activator or hardener need to be compatible with the paint in order for the "chemical reaction" to occur? Seems to me many believe it makes the Rustoleum cure like a urethane when adding activator. I do use an activator in base coat that is compatible with the clearcoat that I use and used to use Centari with a hardener back in the day but can you use a generic hardener in an alkyd enamel and get anything more from it other than just a "feel good" result?
 
urethane cat doesnt need any reactivity with the paint i goes in to harden. it will harden on its own. just look at what happens when it gets in the threads around the cap of the bottle it comes in. if you dont use it often it will kick off and harden like a rock. with that said though, if you add too much to a paint and there is no reactivity then it can leave the paint soft for an extremely long time period. the higher the moisture content in the air the faster it will kick off. epoxy primer however will last far longer than cheap oil based paints like rustoleum. your far better off with epoxy. its a rock hard cross linked finish when its done.
 
Also to add:
The epoxy is so much better chemical resistance then any paint you can put over it, it is just a waste of money and time UNLESS the engine compartment or underside needs to be same color of car.

Approx 70% of our business is Restoration shops or Rod building shops and I talk to these painters at maybe a rate of 5-10 a day and its rare occasion that they don't leave the engine compartment or frame in just epoxy.
 
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