Engine Block Paint - Baking It?

[vanhansen]

When using engine block paint for enclosures, does it have to be baked to be durable?  Has anyone not baked the enclosure when using this type of paint and if so, how did it hold up?

I found the thread where someone baked the enclosure for an hour at 140 degrees celsius with good results but I don't have a toaster oven to bake them in and the temps here in this part of TX have cooled down enough that sitting them in the attic for an afternoon isn't an option. 

I've got a couple enclosures that I painted over the weekend (one red and one blue) for terminal strip Rangemaster clones.  One for me and one for my evil twin bandmate (he doesn't know it yet - late b-day gift).

[jacobyjd]

It probably won't be as durable as it would be if baked--IIRC, it dries to relatively durable hardness though. Your corners probably won't be safe for too long, but it won't just come off very readily.

Another thing to note: you don't necessarily need engine-specific paint if you're looking for that kind of finish--any spray enamel will get really hard if baked

[Joe Hart]

My understanding (and I could be wrong) is that baking it is really just to make sure that it's totally dried and cured. I believe that this is just to speed up the drying time. In other words, the same results could be achieved if you just wait a couple of weeks for the paint to totally dry (or, I believe, "off gas"). But I could be wrong.
-Joe Hart

[jacobyjd]

My understanding (and I could be wrong) is that baking it is really just to make sure that it's totally dried and cured. I believe that this is just to speed up the drying time. In other words, the same results could be achieved if you just wait a couple of weeks for the paint to totally dry (or, I believe, "off gas"). But I could be wrong.
-Joe Hart

IME, that seems to be the case for acrylic--after a certain point, baking it doesn't make it any harder.

However, with enamel, I get a distinct change in finish--baking makes it super glassy and much harder than if I just let it dry--however, on a long enough scale (say, drying enamel for a week or more), you may come up with the same result

[John Lyons]

Baking is only done to cure the paint faster.
It does change the appearance and makes it glossier depending on the paint,
but the durability isn't changed at all.
It's basically a matter of a couple weeks drying vs an hour in the oven.

john

[vanhansen]

Interesting.  Well, if baking just makes it cure faster, then I won't bother and just see how well this engine paint holds up.  From what I can tell with the finished boxes right now, it appears like it will hold up.  I'll just make sure I make this disclosure to my buddy about that. 

After 4 years of DIYing, these are the first enclosures that I've painted.  Crazy, huh?