DIY Hammered-finish paint

[lars]

I don't know if anybody else here has had the frustration of trying to find a good hammered-finish spray paint, to try to replicate some of the old finishes from 60's effects. It seems 90% of them are lousy. They suffer from an effect called "solvent popping". This is when the liquid solvents in the paint turn to gas and try to escape to the surface. It shows up as tons of pin-sized divots in the finish. In stores you can see on all the caps of these hammered-paint products that they all have those divots. I tried spraying in various temperatures/conditions and always got the divots. Spraying more than one coat makes it even worse. You loose the hammered effect, but the divots remain. (very poor products all around)
I read online that the old additive used for the hammered effect is silicone. So I tried spraying a regular spray paint, and then spraying a light coat of silicone lubricant over the top before it's dry...with very good results! The best part is that you can control the effect to a degree, depending on how much of the silicone you spray on. If it starts to get too extreme, you can just hit it with some more light layers of the paint, which actually looks even better. The paint has no problem drying even with the silicone spray mixed in. And the best part is:  no divots.

Here's an example of what I'm talking about:  the first picture I used Rust-Oleum Hammered brown spray paint. Notice all the divots in the surface and no value changes in the color? It looks like paint.
The second picture I used standard silver spray paint with silicone lubricant sprayed between the layers. Notice how it has an almost 3D effect with lots of value changes in the color, yet the surface is relatively smooth? It looks like metal. That's what we want.

[galaxiex]

Nice! 

What silicone spray did you use?

[alanp]

Wow. I always thought that hammertone paint was *supposed* to look even more cratered than the Lunar surface.

[lars]

What silicone spray did you use?

I used CRC Heavy Duty Silicone - the one in the red and black small can.

Wow. I always thought that hammertone paint was *supposed* to look even more cratered than the Lunar surface.

Yeah, me too. But this has more to do with us being stuck with poor products these days. True hammertone finish has a smooth surface, but lots of depth to the color, like this:

(unfortunately I don't think this type of paint exists on the planet anymore)

[cajone5]

I've found that less is more with these hammered spray paints.  I made the unfortunate mistake of applying 3-4 coats on a pedal and it looks like dump again.  The first one alone looked much better.  I may prime and paint again with a single layer, to see if I can get a better result.

[lars]

Yes, I have found that you cannot go beyond one coat with "hammered" spray paints. So you have get it exactly perfect in one try. Even just your overspray areas can cause the layer to get too thick too fast, and then you end up with really bad divots. I think the problem is that manufacturers are making paints that dry too fast, so the solvent doesn't have time to evaporate in normal manner; it has to break through the skin.
Another thing I've found that does help with the hammered paint brands is to spray in colder temperatures. I know the can says around 70 degrees, but the paint dries too fast in those conditions. The best hammered effect I've gotten out of the typical Rust-Oleum hammered paint is onto cardboard in a cold garage. I think the combo of the porous surface and cold temp helped to eliminate the divot problem. So maybe try a thick layer of a "soft" primer first.
The silicone method definitely works better though, and gives you the option of a ton of other colors that aren't available.

[Govmnt_Lacky]

Yes, I have found that you cannot go beyond one coat with "hammered" spray paints. So you have get it exactly perfect in one try. Even just your overspray areas can cause the layer to get too thick too fast, and then you end up with really bad divots.

I concur with this 100%

I have used the Rustoleum Hammer paints several times and I have found that anything more than a light first coat will cause either the divots mentioned above OR will come out looking like a flat paint.

Definitely need to use extreme caution when painting and watch for overspray.

[GermanCdn]

I've found Rustoleum hammered finish to be very tempermental, especially when it comes to base coats.  Funny thing is it depends on the colour of the finish as well.  I've had some colours turn out great in a coat or two, and other colours pool and pile to the point where they look like they should be on the pedalboard of a Walking Dead cover band (not an uncool effect, but not what I was going for to begin with).  Could be that it was a defective batch/can I guess.

[Govmnt_Lacky]

I've had some colours turn out great in a coat or two...

You have gotten success with more than 1 coat? 

Each and every time I have tried to apply multiple coats (more than 1) and no matter if it is a thick or thin coat, I ALWAYS lose the hammered effect of the paint.

Only if I apply a VERY careful, minimum overspray, medium thickness SINGLE coat... do I get a good hammered effect.

[komigenie]

U use Rustoleum Hammered Dark Bronze, and i am more then happy with results ...