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  for Metal Finishing since 1989
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Paint accidentally mixed with clear instead of hardener

Clear was mixed with paint instead of hardener. Can I shoot a top coat of hardener over paint? Will I have to strip paint and start over. The store made a mistake. What is the easist way to fix this problem. Truck is not drying.

James Blair
Classic Auto Restoration - Sherman, Texas
2005

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First of two simultaneous responses --

It will never dry properly. As the solvent evaporates, it may get dry to touch, but it will always be soft because the chemical reaction of curing will not take place without hardener. The only remedy is strip and repaint.

Jeffrey Holmes, CEF
Spartanburg, South Carolina
2005

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Second of two simultaneous responses --

Give the keys to the store manager and tell him to bring the truck back to you when it's right.
I would think that you are going to have to start over, trying to spray hardener over it now will probably leave the surface hazy(never tried it, just guessing)either way, if the store is admitting to the mistake, the bill for the re-do needs to go to them. I've never used a store that mixed hardener into the paint for a customer, they must be full service.

Sheldon Taylor
supply chain electronics
Wake Forest, North Carolina
2005