Reaction from tack rag?

[88v8]

Painting an old internal door. Part old paint, part sanded to bare wood.
Oil primer, oil undercoat, Sikkens AZ oil topcoat, all of which I've used before.

After sanding, I used a tack rag before painting. Sanded between coats as well of course, and tack rag again.
The rags, kept in their sealed bags, are about 8 years old.

Each coat has been very slow to dry. The primer took over 24 hours, longer where the wood was bare. The undercoat near 24 hours, yesterday's first topcoat is still slightly tacky after 22 hours. The room is around 66F.

Was wondering whether there might be some chemical change in the tack rags, leaving a deposit that inhibits drying.

Anyone had this problem?

 

[Fred Blogs]

I have no idea of the chemical reactions of very old tack rags but at 8 years old I would be binning them and buying new ones anyway.

 

[88v8]

Well I did say that I've used the paint before... about thirteen years ago to be precise, and even though it's been sealed it does appear that old paint 'goes off' . I bought a bottle of terebine driers and it says that it revives old paint that takes a long time to dry.
The driers were prompted by painting some copper pipe with even older paint, that took nigh on a week! I have another coat to do, we'll see how it goes with the driers.

So perhaps the tack rags were not to blame. I would apologise to them if they had not gone to the tip.

 

[opps]

I regularly use Terebene. I only started to do so in 2010 when the VOC regulations came in to force (new paints were still tacky the next day). Some (older than me) decorators say that it can make the paint more brittle- personally, I have seen no evidence of that over the last 14.5 years.

 

[88v8]

I regularly use Terebene. I only started to do so in 2010 when the VOC regulations came in to force (new paints were still tacky the next day).

I never tried it before as I feared it would make the paint dry too fast and leave brushmarks.
Do you find any difference in use?

 

[opps]

I never tried it before as I feared it would make the paint dry too fast and leave brushmarks.
Do you find any difference in use?

The paint will flow normally.

For many years I specialised in painting (raw) MDF cabinets. Pre 2010, I used to use Owatrol Oil and a tiny amount of white spirit. I was using a 170mm Anza paint pad to apply the paint, maintaining parallel (very shallow) tram lines. The two products helped me to maintain a wet edge even when painting 8 by 4 sheets. Post 2010, when I started using terebene, I didn't see any difference in the lay off of the paint.

BTW Owatrol Oil helps to maintain a wet edge with oil based paints

Owatrol Oil | Rust Inhibiter Paint | Owatrol Direct

A powerful rust inhibitor which penetrates through rusted surfaces to isolate sound metal below & a paint conditioner for oil-based paints improving flow.

www.owatroldirect.co.uk

The same company sells Floetrol which helps to maintain a wet edge when working with waterbased paints.

 

[88v8]

Wet edge with waterbase... now there's a magic trick.
That is the reason I only use waterbase outdoors... quite hopeless on anything like a panelled door.
Thankyou.

 

[opps]

Wet edge with waterbase... now there's a magic trick.
That is the reason I only use waterbase outdoors... quite hopeless on anything like a panelled door.
Thankyou.

Personally, I don't like the way that waterbased paints lay off. In part, my frustrations are down to my technique, Perhaps I am too concerned about parallel tramlines and, when painting doors, ensuring that the tramlines follow the rails and styles.

Floetrol, XIM bonder or even bog standard propylene glycol will make it much easier to use waterbased paints to paint panelled doors. When doing so, I paint the panels first, using a damp rag to wipe any build up from the surface rails and styles. I then paint the bottom rail and work my way up the styles, painting about 8" at a time (in the hope of maintaining a wet edge on both sides).

 

[88v8]

I regularly use Terebene. I only started to do so in 2010 when the VOC regulations came in to force (new paints were still tacky the next day).

So now it's varnish... the old tin of Rustins from maybe ten years ago had separated to the point where I couldn't be bothered to revive it, so I buy a new tin of the same stuff or what appears to be the same. Yacht varnish, satin.

After 15 hour's it's still tacky. Complete pain.

I used a spirit stain so I can't use something like Polyvine water-base varnish. I guess I just have to wait for it to dry, then I'll add terebine to the tin.

This is rather like petrol. Petrol just used to be something you took for granted, then they started putting ethanol in it, now if you have an old car, petrol is a menace. Govt interference with things that worked perfectly well.
Grrr.

 

[opps]

Spirit based stain an be overcoated with waterbased varnish.

I try to avoid waterbased varnish over waterbased stains because the varnish can "dilute" the stain when you are brushing it on. Oil based over spirit based tends to be more forgiving in that respect.

 

[88v8]

Oh. Thankyou.
In that case, I'll use the Polyvine.
I feel like we're being pushed away from oil coatings, but that would imply a conspiracy, and that would need a degree of intelligence on the part of the govt.

 

[88v8]

So, the Polyvine waterbase went on fine over the spirit stain. Dried as it should. Hooray.

Now I need to use some oil paint again... to be clear, do I add the driers to the can once and that's it?
Or do I add it each time I use the can?

 

[opps]

I decant the paint or varnish into a seperate container as required and add the oxidising agent.

 

[88v8]

I added two doses of driers to about 500ml in the can. It went off overnight, as in the good old days.
So, I think that each time you use the paint you need to add more driers. Or as opps says, decant and just add it to your pot.