Is There A Raptor Liner Hardener Substitute? (Explained)

Unfortunately, at the moment, there are no Raptor liner hardener substitutes. If you find yourself in a scenario where you have some Raptor liner without a hardener, the best course of action is to make arrangements on how you can get some hardener made specifically for the Raptor liner.

Unlike the raptor liner itself, whereby you can choose from other liner brands, the same can’t be said for the hardener.

Irrespective of what you read online or hear from colleagues, you should understand that there is currently no Raptor liner hardener alternative.

When buying a raptor liner, make sure that you get the hardener as well. Otherwise, the liner installation project won’t be successful.

Why Would You Be Interested in a Raptor Liner Hardener Substitute?

There are many reasons why you may be interested in a Raptor liner hardener substitute. The most common reason is when you buy the liner and forget the hardener.

If it’s your first-time applying raptor liner to your car, you may not know that a hardener is a must-have ingredient. Therefore, you may forget to buy a hardener as well.

Nonetheless, most Raptor liner kits come with a hardener. The chances of purchasing liners without hardeners are very slim.

The other reason you may be interested in a Raptor liner hardener substitute is if you have accidentally run out of hardener.

Sometimes, if you are applying the Raptor liner on a big surface area, you may run out of the hardener or liner itself. In this case, you could have run out of hardener and are therefore looking for an alternative.

We are very sorry to be the bearer of bad news. There is no substitute for your Raptor liner hardener.

What Does the Hardener Do?

The purpose of a Raptor hardener is pretty straightforward. As the name suggests, the hardener helps the liner harden or cure on your car.

Hardeners are curing agents whose primary purpose is to trigger a chemical reaction in the product, which helps it in drying. You can’t use a raptor liner without a hardener. These two go together, and they must be mixed in the exact ratios.

If you use too much or too little, there is a good chance that the Raptor liner won’t cure as required. Besides being a critical ingredient, you need to be very careful with how you handle the hardener.

Can I Use the Hardener of Another Bedliner?

Back to exploring raptor liner hardener substitutes, if you are looking for other options, you may be wondering if it’s okay to use the hardener of another liner.

The thing is, hardeners are formulated to work specifically with the liners from the same company. As you may already know, liners are formulated differently. That’s precisely what happens with hardeners.

The hardener of the raptor liner is made to be used with products from the same company. You can’t interchange one hardener from a particular brand and use it with a liner of another.

The chemical reaction could be consequential, and you could end up ruining both products. To be safe, please stick to the hardener made for your liner.

Don’t interchange hardeners and liners. Changing them wouldn’t be a problem if there were a universal hardener. But since that’s not the case, please stick to the hardener designed for raptors.

What Happens If You Don’t Add Hardener to Raptor Liner?

Even though this rarely happens because products should be used exactly as instructed by the manufacturer. The final finish will be terrible if you don’t add a hardener to the Raptor liner.

Without a hardener, the Raptor liner lacks a curing agent. Therefore, when you spray or roll the Raptor liner to the car or truck, the paint will remain tacky.

You need to know that the Raptor liner isn’t the same as ordinary car paint. It will not dry on its own. Therefore, if you don’t use a hardener, the coating will remain tacky, and it could take weeks to dry.

Are you willing to wait an entire week for the Raptor liner to cure on its own without a hardener? Probably not! Make sure that you always use a hardener. And not just any hardener but the one made for the product you are using.

How Easily Available is Raptor Liner Hardener?

We are saying you shouldn’t bother looking for a Raptor liner hardener substitute because you can find the right hardener almost anywhere.

Raptor liner, as a product, is widely available in popular e-commerce stores such as Amazon, eBay, and Walmart. You can also buy it in a store near you. It’s almost everywhere.

Because of the wide availability of Raptor liner products, it doesn’t make sense for you to start using the wrong substitutes that can ruin your liner installation job.

Isn’t it better to drive to the nearest store and get some Raptor hardener instead of experimenting with products that don’t work?

What If You Use Too Little Hardener with Raptor Liner?

There are instances when you may only have some little hardener left. Raptor recommends that 250ml of hardener should be added to a bottle of liner.

In case you already used up some of the hardeners and are left with something less than 250 ml. Please don’t be tempted to use an insufficient hardener. That will only result in an incomplete and ineffective mixture.

If you find yourself having too little hardener, do not proceed with the installation of the liner. Instead, visit a store near you and get more hardener.

Alternatively, you can order it online. That will require you to be patient and wait for the hardener to arrive. Before embarking on such a project, it is advisable to assemble everything you may need, including a spray gun, masking tape, and hardener.

How Much Hardener Does Raptor Liner Need?

Raptor liner should be mixed in a ratio of 3:1. If you have 15l of raptor liner, mix it with 5l of hardener. That will give you 20l of product which can be used on an area of around 60m².

If you want to use the Raptor liner in a much smaller area, you can reduce the liner and hardener quantities but ensure you stick to the ratio.

Some people claim that a ratio of 4:1 is also ideal, but we would advise you to stick to the recommendations made by the manufacturers. Using too much or too little hardener can have consequences.

How Long Does Raptor Last Once Hardener is Added?

Unlike most hardeners, the Raptor gives you ample time to spray the mixture. When you mix the hardener into the bottle of Raptor liner, you are advised to shake the can and spray it on as soon as possible.

When you wait too long, the hardener and raptor liner mixture can start to harden when it’s in the can. That would be a waste of money because it becomes unusable when it hardens inside the bottle.

So, even though there is some wiggle room when you add hardener, you are advised to spray the contents, if possible, on the same day.

How Should I Mix Raptor Liner with Hardener?

Mixing Raptor liner with hardener is not rocket science. Anyone can do it since it doesn’t require special skills or knowledge.

When you buy a kit of raptor liner, inside, you will find both a hardener and some raptor liner. Open the hardener and one bottle of raptor liner.

Add the hardener to the raptor liner bottle until it reaches the top of the indented fill line. Alternatively, you can measure 250 ml of the hardener and ass it to the bottle.

The first method is more straightforward since the raptor has already made a mark on the bottle, ensuring you don’t over or underuse the hardener.

Are Liner Hardeners Universal?

There are plenty of products out there that are universal. Unfortunately, a liner hardener isn’t one of them. Liner hardeners are formulated to work with their specific line of products.

Let’s take Raptor, for example. Their hardener is designed only to activate raptor liners and nothing else. If used on another liner, it may not initiate the curing process, or it may ruin the finish of the coating.

Is Hardener Sold Alongside Raptor Liner Kit?

The good news about the raptor liner hardener is being a part of the raptor liner kit. You will get the product and a hardener when you buy a raptor liner kit.

You, therefore, won’t have to go into too much trouble to find a hardener. However, if there is no hardener, don’t start looking for substitutes.

You will find a hardener in the same place you bought the liner. Or even better, you can order one online and wait for it to be delivered.

Should I Use a Raptor Liner Hardener Substitute?

If you come across a product that claims to be a Raptor liner hardener substitute, kindly refrain from using it. Installing liner on your truck bed, bumper, or even the entire car is tedious.

It would be very disappointing to find out that you used the wrong hardener and now you are stuck with a spray-on liner that doesn’t want to cure.