I just heard a tip from the History channel show American Restoration and Rick on the show said to use corn starch as a flattening agent in paint. I searched the forums for some ideas but didn't find any help. I have never heard of this. Has anybody tried it and what type of paint does it work best on? I would assume a single stage paint. How does it hold up over the years.
I have used corn starch mixed in with single stage black paint when shooting a set of 40' Ford wheels. I didn't want the high luster. It does work but you have to be careful that it is mixed extremely well or you'll find a super fine "texture" where the corn starch balled up in the paint. I have also used baby powder with good results also.
For doing show card lettering sign painters would add talcum or baby powder to their lettering enamel to knock down the gloss. It doesn't take too much in a small cup of paint to have an effect. I've brushed it before with good results but don't know what you might run into spraying it. Besides, I don't think you can buy powdered babies anymore. There's also a product called flattening paste that you might want to consider, especially for spraying. More info at the link below... http://www.zuula.com/#eng=google-we...k=&pglnk=&thmblnk=&thmwd=&thmht=&imgwd=&imght=
Flattener for automotive paint is ground particles(usually sand or glass), chemical(usually some sort of solvent), or a combination of those two. Flattener does reduce the durability of paint. I can't say about corn starch. The fact it can absorb water tells me it would not be a good choice for anything exposed to the elements. Flattening really high gloss paint(like polyurethane) is very touchy about mixing, and is the hardest to apply well. No matter what kind of paint, applying the paint with consistent thickness and uniform wetness is necessary to end up with a uniform finish free of blotchiness and varying gloss. Also, keep agitating the paint/flattener mix while you paint. A couple ball bearings or nuts in the paint cup helps with that.
Thanks everyone for the info. Next question is how much talc or cornstarch? I guess more equals more flat. I guess run a few tests and see what works out best. Would this also work out for the clear coat when using a 2 stage paint?
Use acrylic thinners instead of 2 pack thinners when you mix you're gloss black paint along with fast hardener. The acrylic thinners will "flash" off a lot faster and the finish will flatten off
I new there was a thinner related trick to flattening paints but I had forgotten the secret. Very useful when painting interior parts that you want about the same sheen as the vinyl. There's also a flattening agent that I got in ppg / omni - worked very well.
I recently considered this but just went with the flattener that goes with the paint and it came out great. Single stage Shopline (cheap PPG). The flattner is kinda pricy and you have to use a ton of it, so I just sprayed the first couple of coats glossy and the flatted paint for the last 2. Flattened out very well.
I understand about listening to the goofy tv characters but i had never heard of this before and wondered if there was any truth to it. Sounds like there is some truth to it but I don't think I would spray my car with it either.
Second using the Talc/baby powder on lettering enamel and pin striping paint to knock the shine down. Having worked in the industry with the fad of flat paints, almost all major companies make a flattening agent that can be added regardless of single stage or multi coat, go to whoever sold you the paint should have a compliant flattener for the paint you are using.
It's organic. It's going to decompose. Use a proper flattening compound, or at the least talc which is a mineral. Bob
......... Exactly, unless one is destitute it doesn't make sense to save a few dollars and risk a bad outcome on something that matters. The amount of flattener needed to achieve what you want will depend on the flattener, the paint, and how it's applied. Use the products directions as a starting point, then experiment. I make a series of test panels, each with more flattener added. Of course, make sure you know the exact flattener percentage used for each panel so you can mix it again. Paint stores have plastic mixing cups that are marked with sets of proportion scales. Whatever scale you use, just make sure to use the same scale for all mixing ratios. The paint will look glossy when applied and won't fully flatten until completely cured/dried. If using base clear, the flattener goes in the clear, not the base. You can buy high quality automotive paint flat clears. If one of those produces the desired flatness that is another option.
The paint store sells flattening agent.,,which I have used. I also used white gas(campstove gas) to flatten enamel. I have heard of using corn starch and talc but have never tried it,,,screw it up and you have just created more work and cost
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