Matte Red Spray Paint...Does it exist?!

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momoss

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OK I'm about at that step to paint my spartan red/white but I have a little problem. I've looked everywhere and checked my local Walmart and Home Depot and I just cant find the red I want in a matte finish. Of course everyone has it in gloss though but I dont think spartans are supposed to be shiny Lol Would the gloss red paint look matte if I coat it over with a matte clear coat finish or would it still be glossy? And is there any place I could get matte red paint?
 
There is and automotive flat red primer. Check your local auto supply store they might have some thing different.
 
Spray paint has a somewhat limited color palette. I was just looking at spray paints today, and glossy does seem to be the most common finish. As I understand it, you can turn a matte finish glossy, but I don't know about the other way around. The theory you propose does seem sound, though, and Rustoleum has a matte clear coat spray... their website says it "Dulls fluorescent and metallic paints." Might not be quite what you're going for, but it might be worth a shot. I also saw some matte red primers, but probably not in the red you're after. Good luck!!
 
How using a satin clear coat over the red paint?

I'm thinking about doing that but I'm not sure if it will work or not. As for the flat red paint, I did some digging on google and found it but its so expensive, like almost 10 dollars a bottle vs the 3 dollar glossy red. If I cant find it cheap I'll have no choice but to use the glossy red, cause I cant afford to spend that much money on paint and Dragoncon is around the corner so I cant wait too long.
 
spray it with krylon FLAT clear coat, youll have no shine

This man has the right idea. You want to do a sealing coat on your work anyway to preserve the weathering and detailing.


Rustoleum also makes a Red auto primer for about $5 a can if you want to go that route.
 
Oh so I can just get the glossy red paint and coat it with flat clear coat and it wont be shiny? Thats great news. Hmm I went and bought Satin clear coat though...is that okay or do I have to go take those back for flat ones?
 
or, this is a little trick i learned from my dad that works with some gloss paints and not others.... Stand back more than you usually would, and spray down on it so that i kinda floats down onto the object.... this has worked for me in the past greatly! it will use more paint, but if nothing else works, then go ahead and try this:)
 
I use satin on mine and it is basically between glossy and flat. Still has a bit of a shine, but not as obnoxious as straight glossy would be. If you want the least amount of shine possible, go with the flat.
 
I have the same problem. I want a completely red Recon helmet, and there is only one solution that means you don't have to spend a fortune on 16 different spray cans. Here it is: Don't use spray paint. Get automotive paint. It is quite a bit more expensive but if you are painting the whole armour suit then it is worth it. Find someone who has a sprayer, even an ordinary house painter will work, and just spray it down, with the tape so you can add the secondary colour. It's not that hard, just takes a bit more motivation.
 
Alright thanks guys. I'm going to go to the store today and return my satin clear coats for flat clear coats and get those gloss reds.
 
Don't use spray paint. Get automotive paint. It is quite a bit more expensive but if you are painting the whole armour suit then it is worth it. Find someone who has a sprayer, even an ordinary house painter will work, and just spray it down, with the tape so you can add the secondary colour. It's not that hard, just takes a bit more motivation.

It's a really good idea, especially if you can't find the color you're looking for in spray. What about ordinary non-spray paints though? I would think either type would work, especially in small (sub-gallon) quantities. With either you can get the pearlized paint with the metal flake in it to really give it a nice shine. Especially if you're clear-coating afterward, isn't the only advantage to automotive paint that it's more durable and UV resistant? Is auto paint thinner or somehow better suited to spraying? Also, what kind of features do you recommend in a sprayer? (I'll have to rent or buy one, the only people I might know with a sprayer are on the internet LOL!) If I do end up getting one, I'd prefer it be small, and I've seen some electric hand-held models for less than $100.00. What about an airbrush? Or does an airbrush require different types of paint entirely?
 
Harbor Freight has some pretty cheap spray guns and you can rent a compressor from home depot or ask your local school's auto shop if you can borrow one to paint it up.

Alsa Corp paints can get fairly pricey but they are very helpful with color matching and walking you through the paint process...
 
best of luck finding your desired spray paint, honestly if you plan to do a lot of custom colours or a lot of suits - you might invest in a Air Brush system, some fairly cheap ones there, and you just mix and thin paints (liquid kinds) to use as air brush paint, and this gives you the option for some much better detail, and custom colours of any spectrum, you can even (bare with me here) you can even buy the special UV liquid sealer that has no colour to it, except when hit by Ultra Violet rays (like direct sunlight, or a blacklight, and black light LEDs) and make it glow.

This actually is what intrigued me most for looking into air brush systems. It would be a simple way, on the inside of parts, to stencil-paint a Logo that no one could see that would ID it as "yours" (I had theft issues in the past, so I am totally going all out on anti-theft and proving parts are mine) although basic and easily overcome (another paint job, etc) it was one of my basic ideas for anti-theft. Simple to do, and hardly detectable unless you "knew what you were looking for" I have since scrapped this idea (too easily foiled) and gone with something more... intense... Mildly-Radioactive "Finger prints" - no just kidding! although that would work.... it would be expensive to detect in detail - my real idea is to implant my logo (or name) made of thin tin into the gear, so it can be easily seen with a X Ray. Although some consider this "extreme measures" - I look at it as the ultimate insurance, why spend thousands of dollars making the coolest suit, then have it stolen and feel hopeless? Another -easier- idea is to buy a simple GPS unit found on ebay, and rig it into the wiring for the lights/etc. The power draw would be minimal and they have button-cell battery thin GPS units. (then all you need is the detector to find where YOUR piece is.)

Anyway back to paints - your best bet for Sprays is online. Walmart and craft stores have a lot to choose from, but hardly keep stock of everything. As stated if your going to do this a lot or want crazy patterns/detail - a airbrush would be more cost effective (and time effective) in the long run.
Craft stores:
Wal-Mart (also check Auto places, autozone, o'reilly's, jiffy lube, etc, if they don't "have it" ask them if they know where)
K-mart (if they are still around in your area)
Joannes (fabric shop- but you'd be surprised how much extra they have, including paints)
Hancock fabrics (ditto with Joannes)
Hobby Lobby (be prepared for some serious $$ inflation)
Model Shops - people who paint miniatures/figurines (Dungeons and Dragons, Warhammer, etc) usually know of good paint sources.

If all these (and names of stores I didn't mention but you found driving around looking) fail you - then Online may be your best bet.
Ebay "may" have some as well - check reputation before buying and be weary of "damaged" or "used" cans. They may not be usable at all to you - or simply too little inside to suit your needs.
 
When I went over my suit in red all I could find was gloss, so I went over it with flat clear coat like previously mentioned. It turned out good and flat. Now on my daughters pink suit I ran out of my old flat and went with the same exact brand I had been using and its drying shiny on me for some reason. Its that Krylon flat clearcoat stuff. I'm thinking you'll need to sand it with 1k grit between the finish of red, and the clearcoat. I'm thinking I even sanded it after I did the flat clear as well. If you do the battle damage metallic silver paint and want it to stay shiny make sure to do it AFTER you put on the clearcoat or it dulls it out and makes it gray.

Glad to see another red spartan join the ranks :D
 
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