The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop How to get a dull primer appearance?

I plan to use white Centauri acrylic enamel with hardener to repaint my truck. I planned to add 40% flatner to get a primer look. My painter is concerned about the finished product, especially if at some time I would change my mind and want a shiney appearance. He is proposing painting regular ol' shiney and then using 1000 grit to give it a dull primer-like appearance.

Does this make sense?

By the way, the reason I'm going with a primer-look is that my wife's Bolero red '67 SS drive/show car and our two other vehicles take up too much detailing time as it is. I just want to enjoy my truck--a 261/3spd OD/posi driver.

It doesn't make sense to me , to sand down a glossy paint job , to make it look used .
Think of all the extra labour you will pay for
I have used flatting agent to create a satin finish , then just leave it , as is .
I thought it worked fine . .

I don't think that will work. Flattening effects are achieved by intrducing flattening agents into the paint. I don't beleive I've ever seen a flattening effect adquately acheived by using sandpaper.

What he is doing is trying to hedge his bets. He is almost sure that you will not like the outcome of the "flattened" paint job. He'll try to simulate the look by leaving the surface a little rough (although I'm not sure how, I'm pretty sure what he's attempting won't work). You see, since he's sure you won't like it - all he has to do to fix it is buff it out more. This way he's got a backup plan that won't cost him anything if you don't like it. If he does it the way YOU want him to do, he has to resand and reshoot. Money and time out of his pocket - get the point?
The only way you are likely to get him to do it is to guarantee that you'll pay him if he shoots it like you tell him.
At this point, my personal opinion is to get another painter - one that deals with more custom jobs. Regardless of what you try to do with your current painter, I sincerely doubt that you'll like the outcome. If you pay up front, they'll likely not be as careful with your vehicle, because they already have your money - simple fact of human nature. If you just insist that he do it your way, he'll slow roll your job until you get frustrated and take it somewhere else. Remember, production shops don't make much money by having to do a car twice. They'd rather not do it at all, than to take that chance.

How come you dont want your truck glossy ? I want to paint my own truck . I want it to be glossy .

He wants to enter the local "Show and Dull"
:p

I want to upkeep kept to a minimum. White is a great color--maybe not as good as light blue--doesn't seem to show dust, swirls, etc. Just trying to take it one step further.

Thanks for the responses. Will look for someone to shoot the paint with flatner.

How about someone to shoot the painter flat?

I finish painted my 51 truck with a cream color single stage urethane paint. When cured, urethanes will take fine sanding like lacquer.Then color sanded the whole truck with #1200 and used a buffer and fine compounds to remove the sanding marks.The paint has a polished gloss ,but not super shiney like a wet look.Looks like well kept old lacquer , but with the durability of a modern finish. Maybe spray the flattened paint on a test panel before spraying the whole vehicle, that way you can fine tune the desired look.

what about just not shooting the gloss coat? not thinning down the last few coats. the paint will gloss some, but not shine as well as if it were glossed.