Being on a tight budget, I've had my eye on the truck and trailer enamel at Tractor Supply. I think it's the same stuff you can get from Ace. My question is, can you use a flattening agent with this type of paint? I know PPG and DuPont make them, but will they react with the "budget" enamel? I'm trying to get that semi-gloss sheen, like the T.S. Semi-Gloss Black, but I want something other than black. I should probably mention that this is my first paint job. Part of the reason I'm trying to keep it on the cheap is if I **** it up too bad, I'm only out $50. Anyone have any experience with flattening this paint? Thanks, WB54
Don't know about that particular paint but can tell you that PPG has two flattening agents ,one for enamel and one for urathanes that can't be interchanged
I've uesd the black you're talking about and one thing you should know is that even with the hardener added that **** takes forever to dry. And I mean forever. Mine took like two days. Granted, it was a little colder then I would have liked, but that was crazy. I wonder if the can wasn't shaken long enough before I used it. I still have about a half a can and haven't ruled out using it again, but I'll use it with the gained knowledge in tact. I also used their red primer and it was REALLY thin and semi-transparent, kinda like a good candy. I'm convinced that this was a shaking issue as well. I still have that can too and will use it again if called for, but I'll have it shaken for about a week before I spray it ;-) Vance
Many epoxy and urethane paints have minimum ambient temperatures that must be maintained for proper curing. If temps are below 60' farenheit they may not even harden. Check your msds and product data sheets for this information. Use a good quality paint for your top coat. The flattening agent can be added to achieve the desired gloss. Just remember to use the same paint company's products from start to finish and follow their usage reccomendations.Check with your local automotive paint store and tell them what your trying to do. Most have knowledgeable staff that can answer most of your questions. They also have fleet paints used in the truck refinishing business ,which are more cost effective than automotive but are better choices than equipment paints
I just found another option. Rustoleum makes a variety of colors in semi-gloss. If I go that route, I wouldn't need to worry about using a flattening agent. Has anyone tried Rustoleum before?
There were a few threads about rustoleum, back when the painting a car by roller/brush were mentioned. I think for the money Rustoleum semigloss would be hard to beat. I sprayed it but just on a firewall. Came out pretty nice.
Hey, For this application, your first shot at this type of work, etc. , the Rustolum semi should answer for it. Just remember, when it comes to automotive paint products, ya usually get what ya pay for, but far better to learn at the 12-15 dollar a qt. , than at 100 dollar a qt level. S****ey Devils C.C.
My first paint job, I spent the money on Martin Senour/Napa paint and supplies. I was VERY glad I did. It laid down nice, and was extremely easy to work with. The knowledge I gained from using a "quality" paint as opposed to an "economy" was priceless. Now I'll never be afraid to paint anything. To put it simply, I think it's worth the extra dough to do it right. You'll be happier in the end.
a buddy painted his 32 with satin black rustoleum and a 20 dollar harbour freight taiwan HVLP gun. looks good and seems to hold up pretty good as this car gets DRIVEN. he says he thinned it with laquer thinner. makes me wonder why I have decided to paint my car shiney buffed out black.
I've shot Rustoleum enamel before using mineralspirits to reduce it, it came out ok but takes a bit of time to dry. I've also used enamal reducer to thin it and that works ok. The can says you can also use acetone. An old trick is to use tal*** powder as a flattener! Mess around with it and see how it comes out.
you can get XO rust at ace i believe. that stuff works great. thin it 1:1 with acetone. you cna get the satin white and tint it with regular house tint. you can do any color you want. sprayed mine with a cheap gun, worked fine. do a couple coats. a gallon of paint lasted me 2 cars. one was a 62 olds and the other was a 79 malibu. check out this car, the roof i the satin white and the body is a satin black. think you will spend less than $50, and enough to do extra parts too. just a thought.
be sure the flattening agent is an enamel product - add hardner and use the fastest reducer they've got... Cheap paint will work fine... you can even do pearls in the stuff if ya want... We made our first mark in the Custom Paint biz doing $99 pearl jobs at Joe Andersens (Inglewood) in the early 60's - - even won a lota shows with them ... and ya know what - - cheap Enamel is still pretty cheap!!! Fred http://bikesters.com
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