  RAPCO SPRAY PAINT INFO About Our Paint: Our paint is a single stage air dry alkyd enamel. Alkyd paints are known for their strong resistance to wear, fade, and weathering. Our paint adheres very well to metal and many synthetic/plastic materials. Most metals should have our primer applied beforehand for best results, especially for Gloss finishes. Our line-up is comprised of colors that are or were actively used by the U.S. Military and it is matched to the Federal Standard (FS) color code/chip for the military colors. Our paint is durable and color matched accurately enough it's very common for us to sell directly to government contractors as well as many privately and federally owned military museums, in fact the majority of the military vehicle restoration hobby (an estimated 85-90%) buy their paint from us! Reading Color Numbers: All the five digit color numbers are the Federal Standard (FS) designation. The first number in the sequence determines the finished sheen: 1=Gloss, 2=Semi-Gloss, 3=Flat/Lusterless. All three digit color numbers are an internal designation. The sheen will be stated in the title of the color. Paint Application Guide: Thoroughly shaking the spray can the recommended 2 to 3 minutes after you hear the ball rattle helps reduce the chance of a clog occurring as well as properly pulling the flatteners back up into suspension. The flatteners play a significant role in the color and its sheen level. This should be done prior to any time you spray and can be done numerous times, the flatteners will settle down into the bottom of the can over time so it’s important to never forget this step. As a general rule the longer you let the paint cure the duller/flatter it will turn out. 1 to 2 hours should be dry to the touch, 4 to 6 hours should be tack free, and around 24 hours it should be completely dry. Complete cure times usually fall within 24 to 48 hours. The color is truly flattened out/cured/hardened in 1 to 3 weeks depending on factors mentioned below. Allow 1 to 2 hours between coats. The entire curing process is subject to many variables such as humidity/moisture levels, air and surface temperatures, ventilation/ability to gas-off, and the thickness of applied coats. Regional and seasonal conditions can further make cure times vary. 70 degrees Fahrenheit and up is the optimal temperature for applying the paint. Anything below this will extend your dry and cure time for both the previous coat and the current. If your spray can is cold, it might clog or not mix the flatteners correctly when shaken. When finished spraying make sure you clear the can when you're done using it. To do this: turn it upside down and spray away from yourself for a few seconds, it should spray a bit of paint and then just gas/the propellant, the spraying noise will change accordingly and this can be done onto some cardboard/a box to help visually identify when it’s cleared. Clearing removes the paint from the pick-up tube which does a lot to help avoid clogs and helps ensure the can works over multiple uses. Our spray paint has a 1 year shelf life. If you store it indoors, in a climate controlled building this can help preserve/extend the shelf life. The longer they sit, the more they settle, meaning the harder it is to get them working. Occasionally shaking them for a few minutes should help reduce this effect. |