OK, I have been using sparay paint for years. But I never really read the instructions. I have now. The paint I have says to apply second coat within 4 hours or 4 days! What in the world does that mean and why.
Andrew From Texas
Well, in the old days, we had mostly lacquer spray paints, which went on glass smooth (if you did it right), dried fast, and could be recoated anytime.
Then your government got involved. They decided to protect us and save the planet by tightening up VOC (volatile organic concentrates, IE SOLVENTS) regulations so that most of the spray paints sold now are enamels, mostly alkyd enamels. Such paints use 'weaker' (IE less volatile, meaning they dry slower) solvents, so the paint takes a longer time to dry. Because of the formulation changes, the paint also has to be recoated within a 'short' window (usually 1-4 hours, sometimes 12 hours, depends on the insturctions on the can and particular brand and type of paint) or left alone to dry for a longer period (usually 24-48 hours, sometimes a week, again depending on the type and brand of paint and the instructions on the can). If recoated sooner, bad things can happen, like the not-fully dry paint absorbing solvent from the new coat and wrinkling, or peeling off with the masking tape, blistering, bleeding, ect... Of course some folks have reported doing 'everything right' per the can instructions and STILL having these sort of 'disasters' befalling them and ruining the paint job, so ya take yer chances nowdays...
Don't ya just love it when your government helps you??
Good luck! OL JR
