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Paint doesn't dry on rubber...why?

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dmk
  • Member since
    September 2008
  • From: North Carolina, USA
Posted by dmk on Tuesday, January 27, 2009 6:37 AM

Good question! I always wondered too.  Thanks for the explanation Triarius.

I've seen recomendations to use acrylic paints to do tire lettering. I guess it doesn't attack the tire in any way. Probably a good idea to wash the tires in mild detergant and water first to remove any surface contaminants. 

  • Member since
    November 2006
  • From: north central Indiana, USofA
Posted by buildit on Saturday, January 24, 2009 7:57 PM
I suspected something of that nature, but had never really heard an explanation for it.  I generally use decals for tire lettering, but I was just wondering about the "why" of it all.
  • Member since
    January 2003
  • From: Peoples Socialist Democratic Republic of Illinois
Posted by Triarius on Saturday, January 24, 2009 2:55 PM

Rubber contains chemicals that keep it soft and pliable. Some solvents in enamels and lacquers may attack the rubber or at least mobilize these chemicals, causing them to move to the surface and keep  the paint soft and pliable.

Try using "White-out" correction fluid or dry-brushing. 

Ross Martinek A little strangeness, now and then, is a good thing… Wink

  • Member since
    November 2006
  • From: north central Indiana, USofA
Paint doesn't dry on rubber...why?
Posted by buildit on Saturday, January 24, 2009 2:13 PM
I think we're all familiar with the concept that painting lettering on tire sidewalls doesnt' work well because the paint never really dries and remains soft and sticky.  Can anyone explain why this is?  I thought most paints dried as the solvents in the paint evaporated.  So what is it about the rubber tire surface that doesn't allow the paint to fully dry?
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