I used oil paint I had in the basement, stored, to paint an exterior door. After 30 hours it is still tacky and the paint comes off in my hand...was it too old to use ? How do I fix this so I can use the door??
Oil paint doesn't dry through evaporation, which is how a blow dryer dries water. Oil paint dries through oxidation. Therefore, it will take time to dry as you desire. How long is unknown.
You do have the option to remove the door, strip the paint off and start again using a latex primer and then the colour of paint you desire in a latex finish. Ti swill dry much faster as it is water based.
if it's really old stuff, I would have tested it on a piece of wood first.
regardless, after 30 hours, unless you have a cold and humid basement, it should have cured. wash it off with mineral spirits and rags, dry the door, lightly sand it, and use new paint.
I hesitate to mention Japan drier, because if the paint is old, chemically hosed, and seedy, you shouldn't try to boost it and use it anyway. you could end up with a clumpy, splotchy mess that won't stick anyway. so don't try it.
take that crud to the hazmat location in your area, get new paint, clean up the door, and go at it again.
sig: if this is a new economy, how come they still want my old-fashioned money?
The paint has to go through a change where the binder changes into a hard material. Usually as the solvent evaporates the binder is exposed to the ari and that's when the oxydization takes place. If high humidity or cool temperatures slow the evaporation the cure of the paint will take longer. Sometimes age changes the binder so that it doesn't oxydize as easily. Time will eventually "cure" this paint. I hope you have the time. Of course removing the paint will take a lot of work and time too.
JdN
Posts: 7427 | Location: Elkader, IA, USA | Registered: Mar 07, 2004
When you pulled out the can, did you just shake it? Or did you use a stir stick and make sure all the settled material was well stirred up and in. I got caught in that trap once.
Well I shook and then opened and even though it looked well mixed I stirred it up good. I played mad scientist today. After 2 days it is still very tacky so took the paint brush, dipped it in mineral spirits and lightly brushed the door all over. It felt tacky when the spirits evaporated, but this morning it felt dry on the side I brushed and still just as tacky on the side I left alone. So, continuing the experiment, I turned it over and brushed the still tacky side with min spirits. I'll update this tomorrow. I don't know if I should put a second coat on if it dries of new paint... must it be oil or will I need to prime and then latex???
