Are there any 2k paint systems that don't use isocyanate? I was searching online and came across a company that claimed to offer them but it seemed to come only in a rattle can which smelled a little like snake oil to me.

Local paint shop was no help, told me that epoxies also gave off isocyanate which also sounded like bull but if they do I would appreciate confirmation.

My situation is : Amateur (rank amateur at that) with a couple of different projects I want to do. One is a motorcycle petrol tank and the other is a kitchen unit,

The tank was done in Halfords rattle can but the petrol resistance was too poor, local shop sold me a can of XL pro clear and said that would be fine but it reacted badly with the Halfords paint and could be marked with a finger nail days later. I'm not looking for perfection (it's never going to be a show bike but a reasonable, useable finish would be nice.

The kitchen unit is being made with veneered marine ply that already has a finish of some kind applied. edges are going to be sealed with car body filler. Hoping to achieve a factory looking satin white finish that will be durable and able to cope with a damp environment.

No booth but intend to rig up a tent under the car port, small compressor with a dryer and an extended tank. Untested in a painting situation but it seems to work well.

Not an ideal way to get into painting I know but it's what I have and what I'm going to use even if it comes down to Rustoleum thinned with Acetone but any advice on what system is going to give the best results given the limitations would be greatly appreciated.

So on the non iso 2k, sigh, no you are searching for a unicorn there. On the kitchen unit have you ever considered art style poured epoxies? Since you are pouring the coatings on you aren't atomizing the stuff into the air. The epoxies still give off gas when curing but it's like pour it/leave it for the next day. You could do something like a poured on white base color with clear poured over it the next day. My wing was built using poured epoxies.... check here...
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=27971&start=130
What you would be doing isn't nearly as complex as that project.

Yes, there are isocyanate free 2K products. They are awful! Slow curing, yellow clears, crazy withholding periods and ridiculous sensitivity to almost anything. I battled with them for a few months in an attempt to reduce potential toxicity levels in the shop. It seems my anger with the behaviour of these products was a bigger risk than going back to isocyanate and just managing exposure.

Make sure you have full and proper PPE and manage your painting times so that release of hazardous fumes will impact on the minimum number of others, preferably none at all. Consider prevailing winds, traffic and expected neighbour activities, as well as proximity to passing pedestrians.

Don't get caught. In the UK, using 2K products not in a paint booth is a real no-no.

DarrelK wrote:So on the non iso 2k, sigh, no you are searching for a unicorn there. On the kitchen unit have you ever considered art style poured epoxies? Since you are pouring the coatings on you aren't atomizing the stuff into the air. The epoxies still give off gas when curing but it's like pour it/leave it for the next day. You could do something like a poured on white base color with clear poured over it the next day. My wing was built using poured epoxies.... check here...
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=27971&start=130
What you would be doing isn't nearly as complex as that project.

Lovely wing, no wonder you're proud of it . I had thought about epoxies but had been led to believe they were only sealing coats and couldn't be sanded as they gum up the paper. Did you find that wasn't the case?

NFT5 wrote:Yes, there are isocyanate free 2K products. They are awful! Slow curing, yellow clears, crazy withholding periods and ridiculous sensitivity to almost anything. I battled with them for a few months in an attempt to reduce potential toxicity levels in the shop. It seems my anger with the behaviour of these products was a bigger risk than going back to isocyanate and just managing exposure.

Make sure you have full and proper PPE and manage your painting times so that release of hazardous fumes will impact on the minimum number of others, preferably none at all. Consider prevailing winds, traffic and expected neighbour activities, as well as proximity to passing pedestrians.

Don't get caught. In the UK, using 2K products not in a paint booth is a real no-no.

2k is a non starter for me, we live out in the sticks with the nearest house about 100m away but even so it's not something I want to get into. A while back I was sold some interior gloss for wood that just wouldn't dry. Went back to complain and they sold me Terebine driers. That is a different thing to a 2k hardener isn't it?

Just to clear that up.... I was talking about "poured epoxy" not an epoxy primer/surfacer. Like these... https://masepoxies.com/
And yes, Terebine is a drier which is stated as, "A blend of metallic driers formulated to speed up the oxidative drying of solvent-based oil and alkyd based paints, stains and varnishes during the winter months or under very cold conditions. " Same idea as Japan driers (mostly metal salts) which are used in wood finishing. And, no they do none of what is needed for a hardening agent on the auto clears. You have to realize that auto urethanes are a liquid plastic just waiting for the completion of what is needed (the hardener) to kick off and complete their cross linking. Cross linking turns them from their liquid to that nice protective semi-flexible coating.