What is One Hour Enamel?

You’re reading this because you want the low down on how to paint your way to a Sleek, Strong, Stone like finish, on your front door, kitchen cabinets, furniture or trim, using One Hour Enamel by Wise Owl Paint.

Slightly longer answer; it’s a water based, fast drying, fast curing, abrasion resistant, stone like hardness, acrylic enamel paint. Fairly certain that was a run-on sentence, but it all needed to be said. It dries fast and it is fully cured in 14 days (most paints are 30 days). What is even more impressive, 90% of the curing is done the day you painted. Yes, you read that correctly.  Which means, the day after you paint, you can start using everything you Just Painted!! Wild I know.

Before I get into the details, take a look at your project piece. Prepping your project correctly is So important, for all paint but especially an Enamel paint. If there’s currently paint on it that’s peeling/chipping you really should remove it. The exception to that rule is something painted Prior to 1978. If so use caution as it could be lead based paint. There are lead test kits, that are super easy to use and not expensive. Safety first Friends!

If you’re going to strip, I highly recommend GreenEZ Stripper. After you’re done stripping *its ok, laugh, its funny to me too*, I use GreenEz Cleaner. It’s the Best damn degreaser you’ve ever used. It makes prep work so easy. I often dilute the cleaner 70/30 and for super tough to remove finishes, I use full strength. If this was a corny infomercial, this is where I would say “Just wait there’s More”…but seriously, there’s more. It’s safe for you and the environment, and its Actually works, which is a rare anomaly when it comes to cleaning agents. Even if you’re not stripping, I highly suggest degreasing with GreenEz Cleaner, and rising well after. As I like to say, a clean, oil and goober free surface is paramount to a successful project.

I suggest 2 coats, allowing 4-6 hours of dry time between coats. Is it always necessary to always Prime? No. I mostly use it to create a solid base color to paint over, aids coverage, adhesion and added durability. Also, if you ever experience tannin bleed through on a project you’ll be wishing on the stars above that you primed. That’s some sage wisdom right there. Wise Owl Primer is Water Based, so its easy clean up. As if that wasn’t awesome enough the Primer comes in different colors; White, Gray, Dark Gray and Clear. Yes, they are all amazing and quite probably the most impressive primer you’re ever going to get your hands on.

Choose the best Wise Owl Primer color according to your desired final paint color as follows:

After the last coat of primer dries (4-6 hours), its time to Paint. After you open your can of paint, its Very Important to stir. I can hear you saying “How long do I stir for??”. I was just getting to that. If you’re stirring by hand 2-5 minutes and less if you’re fancy and using a drill attachment to mix. I don’t shake One Hour Enamel paint (OHE). Shaking can often cause bubbles as I’m painting and I don’t want bubbles.

To apply the paint, you can use a Brush, you can Spray it and you can roll it. My favorite is spraying because I love instant gratification. Wise Owl offers a highly impressive StingRay Sprayer, made by the incredible folks at Apollo Sprayers, Inc. OHE sprays easily and does not need to be thinned.

If I’m brushing, I’m probably in an internal debate between a ClingOn SA-50, ClingOn S-50, an O35 and a Wise Owl Premium 1.5 Micro Angle brush. Taking this up a notch, if you forced me to Only pick one, I’m getting the S-50.

If you choose to use a roller, make sure to “tip off” with a dry brush to achieve a super smooth finish. Tipping off is basically popping any little tiny bubbles the roller causes. I’m very specific about which roller covers I use. The Super Doo-Z, 4” x 3/16 roller cover, is what you want. I don’t think you want me to go into stats on rollers; so trust me when I say, this one gets you the finish you’re looking for.

Allow each coat to dry for 4 hours. I say 4 because I know at 4 hours your paint is dry. I wish I had 47 other steps to go through but that’s seriously it. This paint is a miracle time maker for me. Its the crazy fast dry time, and super speedy return to service because of the super short cure time. Those are just a few of the many reasons everyone loves it so much. The fact that it holds up in my house, a house often full of dogs living their very best life, is why I trust it.

1—Clean with a degreaser/deglosser like GreenEZ cleaner
For areas with a lightly hood of high grease/oil contamination, such as near a stove or kitchen table, you may want to clean it twice to be certain all contaminates that prevent adhesion are removed before proceeding. Rinse the cleaner off well with water.

2—Scuff sand. Nothing super vigorous in most cases!  Just a quick once over by hand with a sanding block to make sure there aren’t any uneven spots and to scuff up the surface a bit. If you have a glossy surface, you may want to sand more.

3—Wipe down with a lint free cloth and water or denatured alcohol again. Old t-shirts work great for this. Do NOT use tack cloths, many are embedded with wax which will prevent adhesion. Dry fully. Denatured alcohol dries and evaporates very quickly. Water takes longer.

4—Prime!  2 good coats, letting each coat dry for 6 hours. Primer gives the paint extra grip and helps with stain blocking. I recommend Wise Owl Primer, which comes in white, clear, gray, and dark gray. If you are distressing, always use clear. Otherwise:  For light colors, go white. For dark, that you are not distressing, use gray or dark gray accordingly.

(Do NOT prime with clear shellac...it does not interact well with enamel type paints. You may get crackling.   WO primer has been tested extensively with OHE. If you choose to use another primer, we suggest you do a test area to make sure there are no undesirable interactions between the primer and paint).

5—Paint!  Two to three coats of Wise Owl One Hour Enamel Paint!  Recoat time is 2 hours. It has a built in top coat that dries to a stone hard finish and will last many, many years. Enjoy!!!

***Wise Owl Primer and One Hour Enamel go extremely far.  Each gallon fully covers approximately 400 square feet!  Each quart covers approximately 100 square feet!  

—Remember to stir your paint and primer extremely well, scraping the bottom of the can, before AND occasionally during each use!  I like to store my paint cans upside down so all the good stuff is on the top of the can.  Stir. Do not shake the OHE paint, which can cause bubbles.

—Paint in a climate controlled area. Temps 70-80 are ideal for painting and storing of paint. Humidity and/or cold temperatures will slow down the drying process, which could cause uneven drying. Avoid drafts and/or fans.

—If this is your first time using an enamel paint, you will notice it is quite different than you are used to. Once you get the hang of it, you will love it!  We suggest doing a practice board or two before starting your project. Apply the paint like a top coat!  It dries and cures fast!  Lay it down, smooth it out, and leave it alone to self-level and dry. Dragging your brush through partially dry paint will result in brush strokes, so resist the urge to go over it “just one more time”.  If there are imperfections once dry, do a light sanding to smooth it out or remove drips with a razor before your next coat.

—You’ve got this!!!  Have fun and enjoy the transformation. If you need inspiration or have questions, a great place to gather info is our free sharing group on FB here:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/455794175804029/?ref=share_group_link