PAINTERS...Need help on how to get the right mixture...

My buddy's painting his '63 Nova charcoal gray with a pearl white top. He wants the charcoal to be a semi-gloss but he's having 1 Day Paint do it and they don't know how. Does anyone know of a mixture he could tell them so that it would come out semi-gloss? He doesn't want it primer, just doesn't want it super shiny. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks guys & dolls....

 

sounds like the 'ol "tinted primer" trick to me. effectively, add paint to the primer until you get the desired shade. --then hope it dries uniform.the paint does a good job of making the primer less porous, but you will still get some rust spots as time goes by.

easiest way--paint it black and put a flattened clear over it. it is avalible at every paint store,and it protects the paint. not really semi gloss, more of a flat, but has a nice effect.

 

Thanks man, I think he was hoping it was something easy. I don't know if those guys'll go through all that trouble but we'll see.

 

Depends on what paint brand they use, but most all manufacturers have a flattener. They just need to add it to the clear. If they don't have it, go to your local paint supplier and get it for them. Be sure and ask what ratio you add it to the clear. Hope this helps ya.

 

Try it on some test pieces first to make sure you get the right look. It is too late once they do the whole car.

 

Thanks for the advice. I'll pass it on to him.

 

actually better to use tintable sealer.

 

roughly 25-30% flatner additive added to the raw clear (before mixing) then harden and reduce as per directions. try to use the same brand of additive as the paint brand.

 

I believe that PPG has a flattener for single stage paint. It's kind of pointless to spend the time and money for clear to have it be flat. PPG also has a flat clear (not the flex and flat stuff) but something off the industrial line that is supposed to be bulletproof but it is unrepairable.

 

Sheesh: why the hell anyone mixes flatner with clear I have no idea!!!
All you have to do is mix flatner with a single-stage charcoal in about a 50% mix, & you've got it. Mix it 50% before you reduce/catalyze it. Best to do a test panel to make sure you get the desired effect (just mix a little bit with the flatner in the gun; put the panel out in the sun to dry). Some products will be flatter or glossier than others with any given mix. Might only need 30% or so.
~ Paul
aka "Tha Driver"

Remember 1/2 of the population is below average.