PSA - Rustoleum Spray Paint: Sometimes The Can Isn't Labeled Enamel or Lacquer, So Which Is It?

[lakeroadster]

Digging through the Cans of Rustoleum Spray Paint in my stash... I discovered some of them were not labeled Enamel or Lacquer?

As we know, you can run into compatibility issues if you are using lacquers and enamels both on one project



These are the Rustoleum Spray Paint Cans that were not labeled as "Lacquer" or "Enamel".

7769830 Rusty Metal Primer​

249321 Primer Sealer​

260510 2 in 1 Filler & Sandable Primer​

210849 Copper (Hammered)​

279176 Army Green​

I emailed Rustoleum and the response I received is that they were all enamel.

But How Does the Consumer Find This Information The tech assistant stated to look at at the online TDS (Technical Data Sheet) to determine if the paint is Enamel or Lacquer.

Here's the rub... None of the TDS's state these paints are "Enamel". Digging into this more I learned that if the "Resin Type" is listed as some type of "Alkyd" that means it is Enamel.

 

[roc_boy]

Yeah, when I was getting back into rocketry a few years ago, it surprised me that lots of rattle can paint doesn't tell you what you need to know. I can't say with 100% certainty, but it appears to me that most, if not all, of the Rustoleum rattle cans I search through at Lowes or Home Depot for finishing are enamel. (FWIW, the only primer I use is Duplicolor, which is lacquer, and I have to go to an auto parts store for that).

 

[lakeroadster]

Yeah, when I was getting back into rocketry a few years ago, it surprised me that lots of rattle can paint doesn't tell you what you need to know. I can't say with 100% certainty, but it appears to me that most, if not all, of the Rustoleum rattle cans I search through at Lowes or Home Depot for finishing are enamel. (FWIW, the only primer I use is Duplicolor, which is lacquer, and I have to go to an auto parts store for that).

Lowes and Home Depot both show Rusto Lacquer clear available on their websites.... I don't know if it's in the store though.

Home Depot: 11 oz. Gloss Clear Lacquer Spray Paint

Lowes: Rust-Oleum Imagine 4-Pack Gloss Clear Lacquer Spray Paint

 

[Banzai88]

Then throw in the curve ball that very few of the enamels across even the same manufacturer's lines are even compatible! And "old" formulation vs. "new" formulation isn't always (if ever) compatible, either.

Bottom line, test on scrap.

 

[Hobie1dog]

Yes, all of their regular cans are enamel. But they do have certain formulations like the ones that are pictured above that are lacquer, and they say right on the front that they are lacquer.

 

[Alan15578]

I was looking into paint used on real sounding rockets and found Lacquer Enamel, whatever that means.