Crystal Clear is Drying Tacky / Sticky

Paul Hallenbeck
Paul Hallenbeck
in General

Hey guys I was just wondering if anyone could give me a tip. In many of the Stan Winston videos the teachers recommend Krylon Crystal Clear.

I created some Urethane Plastic parts from a Silicone Mold and then spray painted them metallic bronze and sealed them with Krylong Crystal Clear.

The only issue I had with the process is the parts seem to remain tacky afterwards in that they will stick to one another if they are stacked on each other. Has anyone else run into issues like this? Are there any recommendations for this type of project that will result in a tack free end product?

Thanks for any advice you can offer!


Comments

  • Chris Ellerby
    Chris Ellerby Admin
    Depending on how thick the layer is, it may just need more time to fully dry.  How long did you wait before testing to see how tacky the surface was?

    Other factors could be humidity or how well the can was shaken, but it's most likely that it just needs more time to fully cure.

    If you have a lot of layers of paint it will take longer to fully cure as well.  Make sure your bronze layers have had plenty of time to dry before putting on your clear coat.

    /Chris
  • Paul Hallenbeck
    Paul Hallenbeck

    Hi Chris, thanks for the reply.

    When I cast the Urethane Plastic parts I waited about a week before painting. Painted with Bronze Metallic and waited 20 minutes between metallic coats (2 coats) then two hours before flipping and painting the back following the same process.

    I waited about 3-4 hours after metallic coats to spray the clear coat. I followed the same process for 2 coats of clear coat (20 minutes between coats and 2 hours to cure). I tested to see if the parts were tacky about 48+ hours later. A week or two later they still seem tacky.

    Maybe I went too thick with the coats? Someone else mentioned shaking the can more and I will try that also on a second test piece. I will also follow your advice about the time between the clear coats. Would you recommend more than 24-48 hours before adding clear coat?

    Thanks for your help!

  • Chris Ellerby
    Chris Ellerby Admin
    Depending on how thick the layers are and how quickly they are applied it can sometimes take a few days for everything to cure, but if it is still tacky after a week or two that is unusual.  

    Your timing on coats sounds pretty good to me. 

    I've never had this particular problem (worst case I've just had to wait a day or two when I went a bit heavy on the coats) so all I can do is speculate.  Shaking may be a factor.  Could it be an old can?

    Few things are as frustrating as having paint not cure/apply properly.  Great way to ruin a lot of hard work and eat up a lot of time/energy.   I hope your next test piece turns out better!

    /Chris


  • Eric Salisbury
    Eric Salisbury ✭
    I have had clear do that after being frozen. Puttin it on too thick can melt stuff never to return to its former rigidity. I Also wonder if maybe some mold release residue could have something to do with it. Yes old paint could do it.    Hmmmmmm.
  • Nina Bolen
    Nina Bolen ✭
    I've had the same issue here because the humidity in TX is insane. I've found I had to wait 24 hours in between coats & then bring it inside to fully cure.  If it was in my garage it was like it would never cure :( 

    And Chris has great points, sometimes something as simple as not shaking the can enough can cause this or cans that have been in extreme temps like Eric said.  I figured out I had to store all my paint & sprays in my house & can no longer keep them in the garage. 

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