Mike wrote:
I have 2 flat metal parts made out of steel. I want to paint them flat
black. I was recommended Rust-o-Leum 7777 as a perfect match for the
paint color and finish.

I first stripped the old paint with a spray-on stripper and than spray
painted. Looked great, but I wasn't pleased with how hard the finish was.
It scratched with my finger-nail.

Rustoleum dries particularly slowly. If you have a "hot box" or oven
you could bake the painted pieces in for a couple of days, you will go
from "soft finish" to "hard as it'll get".

It still won't be as hard as powder coat etc.

I re-read the directions and realized I did *not* use primer. Of course I
was ****ed off, but I decided to redo everything.

I stripped the paint again using the same, nasty spray-on stuff. I then
rinsed with water, and used a wire-brush attached to my electric drill to
get most of the old stuff off. I then wiped it down with a wet rag and
let dry.

This time I used Rust-o-leum primer first, then applied the same spray
paint. But it seems the finish is even softer than before.

There are a lot of different primers available. Generally there's more
paint to dry with two coats and it'll be softer for longer.

Tim.