Are there some flat black paints out there that offer just a bit of gloss to the look? What have you used to get a flat black look with a touch of gloss to it?
in the 90's ford aerostar vans used a semi gloss black below the belt line to match the plastic bumpers. i have used it in engine compartments for that oem look.
I used a flattening agent mixed into the paint,I used a 1/2 pint of flattener to a gallon of paint(I bought my paint at NAPA)
thats my main paint,i just used the flat/satin blue it turn out real nice better than i thought, but then again all i paint is motorcycles.
Really? is that a single stage? can you tell me more about it, how has it held up ect...oh and How much a gal/pint? Thanks MrC
http://www.repaintsupply.com/pd-sem-hr010-hot-rod-black-paint-kit.cfm i used sem hot rod black paint. sprays on real nice and very easy to use. urethene paint with a flatening agent, about 20% gloss. check out my truck build
OK, the "real" answer is YES. To make paint "flat" you can add flattening agent to it. The amount you add, dictates the amount of flatness, or shine. You can go from dead flat, to almost perfectly shiny. There used to be formulas to figure mix ratios, but I don't think they do that any more. Today's paints are so varied, and with different hardener systems, and all, there isn't a general rule to fit all types. You'll have to do some test panels. Oh, and I'm talking about real paint here. NOT spray bombs. Paint you buy in a can and mix yourself. You can buy this stuff at regular autobody supply houses. They may even premix the paint for you, if you have a good idea of the level of flatness you want.
You can buy flattening agent that works with automotive paint. Urethane can be flattened. Since urethane paint is so naturally glossy, getting the amount of flattener right is tricky, and so its application. For those reasons it's much easier to go with arcrylic enamel and flattener. If not applied evenly enough, or if applied too heavily, flattened paint can look blotchy. The flatter the paint, the more that is so. Flat clear can be applied over "regular" gloss paint. You can buy flat clear, or achieve exactly the flattness you want by mixing it yourself. The look of flattened clear over paint isn't exactly the same as flattening the paint itself. It depends on what you want. If you go the do it yourself route I suggest spraying a series of samples using different flattener ratios. That will guide you as to how much flattener you want for this project. And, if you keep the samples safe you will have them to guide you on future flattening projects. Flattening paint reduces its durability. A good automotive acrylic enamel is more durable than anything you are going to find in an off the shelf spray can. Even though a flattened automotive grade acrylic enamel isn't as durable as it would be unflattened, it's still better than Krylon, Rustoleum, Valspar, etc. Greater durability is the one reason for flattening urethane. But, for most situations that's more trouble than it's worth.
The John Deere tractor mentioned above - Is Blitz Black you are speaking of? That is not want i want.
And even regular primer gets pretty shiny when you wet-sand and buff, though the shine doesn't hold up long. If you did this with epoxy-primer, I'm sure it would last much longer.
I used John Deere semi gloss black (not the blitz black) with a ratio of 1 part flattener to 4 parts paint. This is a single stage paint and it held up really well on my truck. Over 4 years and counting. It is also inexpensive. It's on the truck in my avatar. Later, ****
Another vote for SEM Hot Rod Black. Sprays great, is holding up well, and is pretty inexpensive. Comes in a 3 part kit for about $ 70 and I sprayed the entire body of my 27 with one kit (quart and a half of sprayable product once mixed). I get more compliments on this shade than any shiny car I have owned. It also has some UV inhibitors so it won't turn chalky as fast as some others. Don
Hot rod black satin from kirker gets a thumbs up from me... Sprayed my frame with it.. And it's the paint on hotrodprimers 32 pickup on the cover of Cokers catalogue... It sprays out good, it's cheap.... I'll paint my fenders with it if/when I put them on.... Already got a few qts in my shop..
Sikkens Rally Black. My favorite. Already factory packaged/mixed with flattener. http://www.sikkens.net/sikkenscr/US/Products/Pages/sikkensrallyblack.aspx The sheet says low gloss/eggshell, but it is more satin. It is a very good single stage urethane with excellent durability and chemical resistance. It's easy to spray, and you can mix it with gloss black single stage urethane and get your own level of gloss. I like it as packaged and it is a very good tone for frames, interior parts, and body color. Cleans up nice, and if you want it gloss, just fine sand and clear it. overspray
I had my 32 five window painted with SEM hot rod black. Its a satin, is easy to clean with car duster and spray detailer then wipe with micro fiber cloths. Its about two years old and seems to be holding up very good.
Tractor Supply Valspar semi gloss black tractor enamel. Thin it abotu twice as much as the directions call for. has held up well, looks just as good as when it was painted 2 years ago.
I've just used Blitz black from John Deere...cost me about 24 bucks a gallon and you buy 2 quarts of thinner from John Deere too. Has always held up well in the sun.Has a low gloss.
Unlike "regular" primer, in the past, PPG epoxy primer would protect the underlying metal from moisture. When they switched to the present environmentally friendlier formula that was no longer the case.
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