# When can I apply polycrylic?



## NoSleepTill (Apr 23, 2012)

I painted a wood surface using acrylic-latex paint (after priming it) and I gave it a good 6 weeks to cure. I was about to apply polycrylic (I need a hard, no-stick surface) but I noted a few spots that needed a touch up after a light sanding.

I took a cotton swab and gently applied new acrylic-latex paint over the spots with the lightest coat possible (the cotton swab allowed for was was almost just a re-coloring and barely a re-coat).

However, in order to apply the polycrylic, do I now need to wait days or weeks again for it to fully cure? The new "coat" I applied via cotton swab is only 5-10% of the whole surface area (if that). Or since it's such a light coat in not much of an area, would a shorter time (24-48 hours) suffice until I can apply some polycrylic?

Thanks for any advice!


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

NoSleepTill said:


> I painted a wood surface using acrylic-latex paint (after priming it) and I gave it a good 6 weeks to cure. I was about to apply polycrylic (I need a hard, no-stick surface) but I noted a few spots that needed a touch up after a light sanding.
> 
> I took a cotton swab and gently applied new acrylic-latex paint over the spots with the lightest coat possible (the cotton swab allowed for was was almost just a re-coloring and barely a re-coat).
> 
> ...


I would make sure it was completely dry.









 







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## NoSleepTill (Apr 23, 2012)

cabinetman said:


> I would make sure it was completely dry.


Hi, Cabinetman.

Do you mean "completely dry" or "cured"? Because if just "dry," it was completely dry in a few hours after application, given the light smear I put on.

Thanks


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

If it's reasonably warm where you have your project it should be safe to topcoat with polycrylic after letting dry overnight. Colder weather extends the drying time. 

When ever you paint a solid color it's usually best to use a finish with the sheen you like and not clear coat over it. When you use different products in layers you run the risk that the top layer could start pealing on you. I'm sure you've seen cars with the clear coat pealing.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Steve Neul said:


> When you use different products in layers you run the risk that the top layer could start pealing on you. I'm sure you've seen cars with the clear coat pealing.



Can't say that it's that widespread. Problems like that can come from a variety of reasons. Poor products, poor preparation, poor applications. It could be from product incompatibility but very doubtful. Most automotive products are used with compatibility in mind. Older cars are more likely to just fade than to have their paint flake off. Of course, that might be just from exposure, or poor maintenance (like washing and waxing).









 





 
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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

cabinetman said:


> Can't say that it's that widespread. Problems like that can come from a variety of reasons. Poor products, poor preparation, poor applications. It could be from product incompatibility but very doubtful. Most automotive products are used with compatibility in mind. Older cars are more likely to just fade than to have their paint flake off. Of course, that might be just from exposure, or poor maintenance (like washing and waxing).
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 It's becomming more widespread because auto manufacurers are using more and more water based finishes.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Steve Neul said:


> It's becomming more widespread because auto manufacurers are using more and more water based finishes.


They are using waterbase because their testing proved waterbase to be more durable. Newer cars don't seem to have the problems that the solvent finishes had.









 







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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

cabinetman said:


> They are using waterbase because their testing proved waterbase to be more durable. Newer cars don't seem to have the problems that the solvent finishes had.
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> 
> ...


They tell you that like they tell you global warming is man made. It's a bold faced lie to sell environmental garbage. The consensus of autobody people is water based finishes are an inferior product. Many of the newer urethane finishes really are more durable than the older lacquer finishes.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Steve Neul said:


> They tell you that like they tell you global warming is man made. It's a bold faced lie to sell environmental garbage. The consensus of autobody people is water based finishes are an inferior product. Many of the newer urethane finishes really are more durable than the older lacquer finishes.


If you noticed, I didn't mention the "environmental" thing, or "global warming". Do you need to pull that into the discussion to sell your point to bash waterbase? You seem so bent on lacquer. It may be fine for furniture, and I used it for 25 years, but consider it is NEVER used for flooring, and waterbase is. BTW, I could come up with a "consensus of autobody people" that swears in favor of waterbase. 








 





 
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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

cabinetman said:


> If you noticed, I didn't mention the "environmental" thing, or "global warming". Do you need to pull that into the discussion to sell your point to bash waterbase? You seem so bent on lacquer. It may be fine for furniture, and I used it for 25 years, but consider it is NEVER used for flooring, and waterbase is. BTW, I could come up with a "consensus of autobody people" that swears in favor of waterbase.
> 
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> 
> ...


 We could argue this point for days but it doesn't have anything to do with putting polycrylic over latex paint so I'm done.


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## rrich (Jun 24, 2009)

I asked. I was told to allow the latex to "CURE" for about a month.

I did and the results were great.

There is one got-cha. The Polycrylic will take a few weeks to "CURE" completely. Until the curing is complete, it will feel sticky. After the cure it is a durable finish. Even though it feels sticky nothing sticks.


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## Da Aardvark (Oct 11, 2012)

On the polycrylic. I use it, and it is durable. I spray it. I would give a few days + before coating the paint. Both are waterbased (as I recall) so they are compatible, and from what you are saying you just did a 5% touchup, so the base coat is set up. The touchup is just surface re-touch and thin and not a big issue, but a few days+ would be wise.
I push too fast on materials and for me, I would likely get anxious and do it next day, but that probably isn't wise.
........
On the waterbased car paints and global warming aside, I have had many cars (over 60 cars so far) that haven't held up well when they came from the factory with waterbased paint. I used to do bodywork and paint for a hobby. They sorta went over to w/b for environmental reasons, but I think other factors were part of it as well. Cost also entered in..
In the 1970's Chrysler experimented with w/b for their purple color (and 2 other colors as I recall). They were already getting flak from the EPA, and started experimenting.It came off in large flakes. GM also did some soon after. In 1996 my Mercedes was w/b, and the result has been rust due to moisture penetration and basically Merced went to a worse metal also. My 1991 Merced had 5 more years and 75k more unkept miles on it and never rusted.
You can almost see the w/b paints deteriorating in automotive use. I do believe they are getting better as the chemistry has been improving.


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## GoIrish (Jan 29, 2012)

Last year I made tombstones for Halloween. I put the ployacrylic over the pair after it set over night. They were out in the sun and rain with the sprinklers for a month and have been out again this year. I did not use treated plywood. I have seen no problems. It did not feel sticky after about an hour. I applied(with a foam brush)two coats of the poly in an evening(maybe an hour or so apart).


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## Charles Neil (Oct 21, 2007)

well for what its worth, I recently had a friend who used my spray booth to spray a set of cabinets, he did, he primed them with some BIN, shellac base, then we shot them with a flat latex black paint, let it dry overnight, or until it powdered when scuffed with some 320, did a second coat just for coverage, same thing let it dry until it scuffed and produced a powder, then laid to it with some waterbase finish, did 2 coats, they look great, no issue, tolal time 3 days, start to finish, booth was about 70 degrees,


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