Method of physical pendulum is used to study transformation of the mechanical properties of filming layer upon drying and polymerization. A distinctive feature of hardware implementation is that the physical pendulum relied on half cylinder rolling on a fixed plane. The sample of filming agent is located between the plane and supporting half-cylinder. Statistical effect of integrated energy losses of the rolling cylinder empirically derived in conditions of periodic force impact on the studied film during the formation of solid coating starting with solvent evaporation up to the onset and full completion polymerization is considered. A conclusion is made about the sensitivity of the method to the composition of filming agents at different stages of film formation. Methodical recommendations regarding using the technique in the study of mechanical and structural features of film-forming materials are specified.