Baking a fount

[arizonacamper]

I have just finished painting a fount and want to bake it. at what temperature and how long do you bake it for. I need help from all the painting gurus here.
Shawn

[D421]

Shawn, I'm sure others here are smarter than I on this. But, if it's not high temp paint I just put them in a sunny window once they are dry enough to handle.

Once they are to the point that I can't smell fresh paint I figure they are pretty much cured.

[Gunhippie]

I do regular paints in a small convection oven at 200-250F for an hour. Let cool for another hour before touching the fount, as the heat leaves the paint soft until it cools.

[RonMack]

I'm the king of overkill when I paint. When I paint a fount, i always top off with two coats of high heat clear. Then bake for 30 minutes at 200f. Then 30 minutes times two at 400f. Letting it completely cool between. I bought a toaster oven at Goodwill just for this purpose.

[arizonacamper]

I've been looking for a toaster oven but just can't find them. so my wife about made me fall over when she said just put it in the oven and bake it. and bear in mind our stove in brand new it's only a year and a 1/2 old.
Shawn

[Chucker]

I have a George Forman rotisserie toaster oven found at a secondhand store for this purpose.

I also use around 200 deg. F and cook it for 45 mins. That's with the base coat and clear coat both.

[Majicwrench]

I tend to follow directions on the can. But IMHE any paint is tougher when baked some even if it says nothign on can about baking it. If no instructions, I go 250 or so for 20 minutes, not very exact about it.

[TwoCanoes]

Toaster ovens are common in thrift stores around here. I got a very nice one for $7. I bake founts at 200 F for 1/2 to 1 hour. We have one of those natural gas fireplaces, with the fake logs, in our living room. During the winter, founts hang over that fireplace sometimes for days.

[WYSIWYG]

Shawn,
I picked up a nice toaster oven at the little thrift store on the right side on Oracle before Red Lobster. Sharing my honey hole so don't tell anyone. There is usually a woman mannequin by the driveway

[Old Cat]

I will start looking for a toaster oven. In the past, I have used a gas bbq grill with mixed results. The temperature has to be monitored constantly.

[BSAGuy]

I do regular paints in a small convection oven at 200-250F for an hour. Let cool for another hour before touching the fount, as the heat leaves the paint soft until it cools.

Whatever Timm says is the Gospel.

[gusty60]

i do 200 for an hour. has worked well for me

[10gage]

I've been looking for a toaster oven but just can't find them. so my wife about made me fall over when she said just put it in the oven and bake it. and bear in mind our stove in brand new it's only a year and a 1/2 old.
Shawn

I hope you recorded that conversation

[Phredd]

I baked a newly painted fount in the kitchen oven ONCE. I was then banned from ever doing this again by my better half.

So I bought a big toaster oven and bake at 225 for 20- 25 min. For frames or other parts painted with VHT Flameproof paint I cure the paint at 250 for 30 min, cool to room temp, the 450 for 30 min.

[RonMack]

Kevin,

You do it when the better half isn't home. Then pretend you don't know what that smell is.

[Happy Glamper]

+1 on a goodwill oven, that's where I got mine for all non food related baking needs. Heh

[Phredd]

RON - The Better Half will sniff out that something is wrong and ask.... and I can't lie... So I bought a big toaster oven and all is well.

K

[arizonacamper]

It was her idea not mine!
I was shocked when she suggested that I bake it in "her" oven.
Shawn

[MYN927]

It was her idea not mine!
I was shocked when she suggested that I bake it in "her" oven.
Shawn

Do not be surprised if there's snag to that.
I'm expecting the following to happen soon:-
1. She would no longer be baking anything for you in that oven.
2. She's expecting you to buy her a new one.

[ibutler]

Oven to 250, pop it in and turn off the oven. A few hours later I take it out. Seems to work well for an impatient person like me.

[Cottage_hill_bill]

I don't have any argument with what others have posted here, but I've found that for ordinary rattle can paints 170F for 30 minutes is enough. I turn the oven off and let it cool with the door closed. For high temp paints I follow the directions on the can, but rarely do the 600f cycle.

[Old Cat]

After getting in trouble while doing the final 600f stage, I tend to agree with Reese.

[ecblanks]

What kind/age of fount is it? If its brass they mostly use a soft solder which doesn't withstand much heat at all before reflowing. Even the steel ones of the 30's can't stand much past 300f, so keep that in mind when curing.
The later steel ones use a copper braze that, according to Coleman's info, is set at 2000 degrees.

[Gunhippie]

What kind/age of fount is it? If its brass they mostly use a soft solder which doesn't withstand much heat at all before reflowing. Even the steel ones of the 30's can't stand much past 300f, so keep that in mind when curing.
The later steel ones use a copper braze that, according to Coleman's info, is set at 2000 degrees.

I melted the solder seam out of the tank on my Monkey Wards "The lakeside" by curing VHT paint at 400F. There's really no need to use high-temp paints on a fount, but the way the "sled" of this stove is put together, the burner base and tank are connected. I was able to re-solder the tank.

[MYN927]

I agree with Timm that you don't really need to oven-cure the paint on a fount. Ain't too good for the soldered joints.
If you really want a finish with a harder surface, there is an option of using the 2-pack, room-temperature curing epoxy paints. They'll cure chemically into a tough, solvent-resistant finish. Some of the solvent-free types are about as resistant as Caswells tank repair coatings. Colors can be customized too.
These are a lot more fuel/chemical resistant than the general air-drying paints. Sometimes, they're available in rattle cans from shops that offer pre-mixed paints, but you'd need to use them up before they cure inside cans.
The usual application means for these paints are of course, either compressed air-assisted or high pressure airless sprays.
They are more often used in industrial plants and marine than domestic.

[Gunhippie]

I agree with Timm that you don't really need to oven-cure the paint on a fount. Ain't too good for the soldered joints.
If you really want a finish with a harder surface, there is an option of using the 2-pack, room-temperature curing epoxy paints. They'll cure chemically into a tough, solvent-resistant finish. Some of the solvent-free types are about as resistant as Caswells tank repair coatings. Colors can be customized too.
These are a lot more fuel/chemical resistant than the general air-drying paints. Sometimes, they're available in rattle cans from shops that offer pre-mixed paints, but you'd need to use them up before they cure inside cans.
The usual application means for these paints are of course, either compressed air-assisted or high pressure airless sprays.
They are more often used in industrial plants and marine than domestic.

Not what I said at all.

I oven-cure all the founts I paint. It has many advantages: Faster time to usability. Harder finish in a short time. Better-looking finish--the heat cure really smooths slight surface imperfections.

What I said was there was no need for a VHT-type paint on a fount. If you can touch it when running, regular enamel paints are fine. 200-225F won't compromise solder--but 400F can.

[Chucker]

+1 Timm.

[bluepen61]

I worked for a coatings company for 20 years.

Air dry coatings are designed to cure at normal room temperatures or temperatures specified by the instructions on the label. Heating above or cooling below the specified ranges may produce undesired results.

Heat cure coatings requires heating to a specific temperature for a specific duration under very controlled conditions. A cool down process may be specified.

UV cure, multiple component, powder coatings, and other cure types have their own requirements.

Heating in ovens, over open flame, over electric heating elements, etc., is quite dangerous and is usually detrimental to the coating, unless you are following the manufacturer's directions.

If you are using spray paint cans, our lab used a paint shaker for 5 or 10 minutes to mix the product before applying.

Simply, carefully read and follow the manufacturer's instructions. Especially, the surface preparation requirements. Most of our customer failures resulted from not performing proper surface preparation.

I hope this helps you in your fount painting.

[MYN927]

Ah, I mis-read what's been mentioned by Timm.
Yep, you don't actually require VHT (that requires heat-cure for maximum performance) on a fount.
I agree with that. Its the high temp performance that's not exactly required on a fount.

[ecblanks]

Ah, I mis-read what's been mentioned by Timm.
Yep, you don't actually require VHT (that requires heat-cure for maximum performance) on a fount.
I agree with that. Its the high temp performance that's not exactly required on a fount.

You don't need it to be heat resistant, but you do need it to be fuel resistant.

[MYN927]

Ah, I mis-read what's been mentioned by Timm.
Yep, you don't actually require VHT (that requires heat-cure for maximum performance) on a fount.
I agree with that. Its the high temp performance that's not exactly required on a fount.

You don't need it to be heat resistant, but you do need it to be fuel resistant.

Out of curiosity, I'm wondering if heat curing the usual rattle-can paints would really make them more fuel-resistant than just leaving them out to fully air dry/cure naturally.
I've baked paints but did not really compare the results on a side-by-side basis. Its only by gut-feeling that it helps cure the paint more completely. I'm just assuming that some of the binding resins might cross-link further at elevated temperatures, as long as we don't go that high to decompose the paints.

[Gunhippie]

Ah, I mis-read what's been mentioned by Timm.
Yep, you don't actually require VHT (that requires heat-cure for maximum performance) on a fount.
I agree with that. Its the high temp performance that's not exactly required on a fount.

You don't need it to be heat resistant, but you do need it to be fuel resistant.

Out of curiosity, I'm wondering if heat curing the usual rattle-can paints would really make them more fuel-resistant than just leaving them out to fully air dry/cure naturally.
I've baked paints but did not really compare the results on a side-by-side basis. Its only by gut-feeling that it helps cure the paint more completely. I'm just assuming that some of the binding resins might cross-link further at elevated temperatures, as long as we don't go that high to decompose the paints.

No. Baking the paint doesn't change the paint. It just cures it faster and better.

I use an overcoat of Rusto Clear Engine Enamel 500F for a fuel-resistant top-coat. It cures the same as a regular paint.

[MYN927]

I guess you can't really make the paint any better than what it has been made or formulated to be. Perhaps, its just either they could fully cure or not.
At least I'm aware that oven curing the paints would often makes the finish appears somewhat glossier and harder if done right. They usually look better too.

[ecblanks]

I will also add that the Coleman paint will stand up to quite a bit of heat. I have torched the crap out of some very rusty fuel caps recently and the paint puts up a big fight. So whatever they used is heat and fuel resistant.

[arizonacamper]

Thank you everybody for your responses and advice I do appreciate it all. I ended up baking the fount at a 175ﾟ for an hour and a 1/2 and it turned out great. Added a couple of coats of clear coat and I'm happy with it. Again thank you everyone.
See photos in collections: restored thread.
Shawn