What's your "go to" semi-gloss black rattle can paint?

[Goodwrench3]

Yes, yes -- I know.  Ditch the rattle cans !   LOL.   I'll get there this summer.  ?

[Dave G.]

1 hour ago, Goodwrench3 said:

Yes, yes -- I know.  Ditch the rattle cans !   LOL.   I'll get there this summer.  ?

I've been airbrushing since the mid 1970's but some of my nicest build in my mind were from rattle cans I used all through the 1960's. It's all in how you handle things lol !! You can probably expect an initial setback switching to airbrush but you will learn quick. A good place to start will be with your flats and semigloss paints, maybe some small parts as well. so interiors, floorpans, chassis, engines, good practice.

[Goodwrench3]

Thanks.  Good advice.   Yeah - I'm sure I don't want to try to rush right to a mirror-smooth, deep, wet-look, high-gloss finish on my first body using an airbrush !  ?

So as not to "hijack" this thread, if it's ok -- I'd like to message you about getting that first airbrush.

Thanks again

[Pete J.]

Ok, this is going to sound a little weird but I use Tamiya flat black in the rattle can for a semi gloss black on car parts.  I think it looks closer to the things we do in engines and other parts.  For a flat black, I like Testors clear flat over any black that is a lacquer.  

[ScottH454]

This has been what I've been using. Keep trying to go with a cheaper paint but most are now designed to be heavier extra coverages. You'll be paying for it but has always looked and worked the best.https://www.semproducts.com/product/color-coattm-aerosols/15013

[Dave Van]

2 hours ago, Goodwrench3 said:

Yes, yes -- I know.  Ditch the rattle cans !   LOL.   I'll get there this summer.  ?

I am 99.99% spray cans now. Have been 20 years now.  I have 3 air brushes, 2 good compressors and nice booth. I use the booth but spray cans over air.  The time to mix, set up, use and then clean can be 30-40 minutes over the 3 minutes I use a can. I get the results I want.....90% Tamiya cans. 

[Slimguy]

I have never had an issue with Tamiya...all their rattle cans are great.

[Dave G.]

1 hour ago, Goodwrench3 said:

Thanks.  Good advice.   Yeah - I'm sure I don't want to try to rush right to a mirror-smooth, deep, wet-look, high-gloss finish on my first body using an airbrush !  ?

So as not to "hijack" this thread, if it's ok -- I'd like to message you about getting that first airbrush.

Thanks again

Sure, no problem.

[Tom Geiger]

1 hour ago, Dave Van said:

I am 99.99% spray cans now. Have been 20 years now.  I have 3 air brushes, 2 good compressors and nice booth. I use the booth but spray cans over air.  The time to mix, set up, use and then clean can be 30-40 minutes over the 3 minutes I use a can. I get the results I want.....90% Tamiya cans. 

Agreed.  I do a lot of quick one part spraying with spray can.  And it works just as well.

[Goodwrench3]

19 hours ago, cobraman said:

You might like the Krylon Short Cuts flat black. It is really not a flat at all . More of a satin or semi gloss I think. I buy it at Hobby Lobby for about 3.50/4.00 a can.

I've seen those small cans at my local Ace Hardware store.

It reminds me of this stuff -- I used this back in the early 1990's.  I got it at an Ace Hardware store.   This stuff was my all-time favorite paint.  All I would do is prep the body by going over it with #0000 steel wool (no primer) and then spray a mist coat, wait 5 or 10 min, then one more coat and it was perfect (well, perfect enough for me!).  Done.  No polishing or anything.

 

[peteski]

6 hours ago, Goodwrench3 said:

Thanks for the explanation.  I've been making the mistake assuming that "Acrylic" means water-based.   Clearly not the case.

 

Yes, modelers using "acrylic" to mean "water-based" paint is a huge pet-peeve of mine.  There are many acrylic-resin-based paints which use organic-solvents.

[High octane]

Tamiya rattle can Semi Gloss Black TS-29 works great for me.

[DiscoRover007]

5 hours ago, ScottH454 said:

This has been what I've been using. Keep trying to go with a cheaper paint but most are now designed to be heavier extra coverages. You'll be paying for it but has always looked and worked the best.https://www.semproducts.com/product/color-coattm-aerosols/15013

Curious to see how that looks. Any photos you could post?

[ScottH454]

Founds some seats I painted with SEM Landau Black.

[bisc63]

Always liked Krylon 53565 Semi-flat Black. Nice sheen.

[slusher]

Gloss black Tamiya but Krylon flat black sprays to a nice semi gloss...

[Mike999]

Krylon Color Master Satin Black.  At least to my old eyes, it hits the perfect "semi-gloss" spot between Flat and Gloss. 

 

[Snake45]

6 minutes ago, Mike999 said:

Krylon Color Master Satin Black.  At least to my old eyes, it hits the perfect "semi-gloss" spot between Flat and Gloss. 

 

That's the stuff that doesn't cover well for me. I always shoot it over the Walmart or Touch N Tone flat black primer, and then it works well. 

[gtx6970]

Duplicolor 

[Goodwrench3]

9 hours ago, Snake45 said:

That's the stuff that doesn't cover well for me. I always shoot it over the Walmart or Touch N Tone flat black primer, and then it works well. 

Huh -- that's strange.  The Krylon can says it is paint + primer in one.  I would almost worry it would be too thick ?

But -- I do like the idea of spraying it over the cheap-O Wal-mart flat black.  Then I'd be spraying enamel over enamel and wouldn't have to worry about lacquer "bubbling" the paint.  I think I'll give that a whirl on the truck frame I'm working on now.

 

 

[Mike Williams]

On 4/24/2020 at 12:35 AM, Dave Van said:

Go to NAPA is you have one....get a can of Dupli-color LACQUER Semi Gloss Black. I've gone through more than I'd care to admit.  It's online too....but even I have a NAPA and I live way back in the woods!!! 

THIS!

Great and cheap spray paint from a huge can.  Dries quick, not super glossy, I use it for all things black on my models.  Flat black sucks, my opinion.  Man, nothing on a car is that color, a terrible choice, throw flat black away, period.  Satin black is the way to go.

Duplicolor has other satin colors too.  Look here, a satin red, actually a primer for metal.  Just polished up a bit. Originally though to be a base coat over white, just I like this color on an old race car...

Great paint and cheap as dirt....almost.

Mike..

[Goodwrench3]

22 minutes ago, Mike Williams said:

THIS!

Great and cheap spray paint from a huge can.  Dries quick, not super glossy, I use it for all things black on my models.  Flat black sucks, my opinion.  Man, nothing on a car is that color, a terrible choice, throw flat black away, period.  Satin black is the way to go.

Duplicolor has other satin colors too.  Look here, a satin red, actually a primer for metal.  Just polished up a bit. Originally though to be a base coat over white, just I like this color on an old race car...

Great paint and cheap as dirt....almost.

Mike..

Thanks --  

I may head over to my local NAPA and look around.  I've been trying to find a close match to the "burgandy" that IH put in the 4200 interiors in the early 1970's.  Haven't found anything yet -- maybe Dupli-color has something close.  It looks like this (the seats and door panels):

Edited April 26, 2020 by Goodwrench3
add picture

[Ctmodeler]

On 4/23/2020 at 7:19 PM, Tom Geiger said:

The cheap Walmart Color Place flat and gloss blacks work fairly well. I do like the sheen of the flat black.

Yeah me to. For a flat black spray it's all I'll use and it's cheap !! 

[Snake45]

3 hours ago, Goodwrench3 said:

Huh -- that's strange.  The Krylon can says it is paint + primer in one.  I would almost worry it would be too thick ?

Yah, you'd think, wouldn't ya? But no. The stuff seems to go on thin and runny and leaves the high points uncovered. I ALWAYS had to use a second coat with it anyway. It covers better over the cheap flat black. 

[Brutalform]

Flat black acrylic spray. Can’t beat the price of $3 a can at my LHS.