Additive to Universal to attain a semi gloss finish?

A

a57oval

New Member
Hi guys,
Once again I need your help. I am using Universal clear on a project but some parts need to be semi gloss. I noticed SPI used to sell a matting clear but it is no longer available.
So the question is, what matting agent is safe for using with Universal clear?
I see that Automotive Art sells some but i have no idea if this is compatible with Universal.

Ancillaries + Additives

www.automotiveartpaints.com www.automotiveartpaints.com
Any help sure would be appreciated,
Peter
 
I use Lumabase 4100, but I know know if it's widely available. The criterion that has to be met is that it must specify in the TDS to add the flattener to RTS (ready to spray) clear. Many flatteners have urethane clear in them that is designed to work with a particular system's activators and clears, those can't be used. Sometimes it's hard to figure out what kind of flattener the product is, because for instance in the case of the one I use, the TDS just has gram recipes and doesn't say if it can be added to RTS clear, but research on the recipes indicated that the hardener to clear ratio did not change between the different gloss levels specified, so it's inferred that the flattener does not contain urethane clear. That might be clear as mud, but if you find one that you want to use, post it here and someone might be able to help.

The TDS for the Automotive Art product specifies adding activator to the blend of clear and matting agent, so the matte material contains urethane clear and is not a candidate for use with Universal.
 
I ran into this on my project. Same thing, just wanted some parts (dash, glove box door, etc.) to be semi-gloss, while the rest of the car I used Universal Clear.
I ended up using the full system (clear, activator, matting agent) from Lumabase so I could follow the recipe exactly for the sheen I wanted and not have to worry about compatibility.
Worked great and wasn't very expensive.
 
OK. Here I am sticking my foot in it. Back in the day (I'm only 75), I used to put corn starch in the clear to flatten it. I would experiment just like I do today for color match. It worked well, but I would like for someone to confirm or debunk how well this would work with modern paint systems. Possibly this would save some guys some fifty dollar bills!
 
Maybe corn starch works, i have no idea. But, most restoration projects have price tags with 5 zeros. Even DYI. I'll throw a few additional $50 bills at it for known results and peace of mind.
 
1A Rock said:
I'll bet you also thinned Dulux with gasoline!
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I do put out some pretty shabby work...

Both were best of show first time out.
 

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Dean Jenkins said:
Maybe corn starch works, i have no idea. But, most restoration projects have price tags with 5 zeros. Even DYI. I'll throw a few additional $50 bills at it for known results and peace of mind.
Click to expand...
I would be doing a lot more golfing if my restoration projects cost that much. I'm a hobbyist that's under 25K on my show winning truck build (the Prowler Orange one, above), and I kick the tails off of a lot of pro builds. (No offense AT ALL to the pros who have overhead costs waaaay over mine, and are trying to put food on the table.) I share my ideas to help others do quality work at lower cost, and am humble enough to realize my ideas might not be good ones. That's why I ask the pros to weigh in. In the day, corn starch was the primary ingredient in Ditzler DX685 Flattening Agent.
 
rdransman said:
I would be doing a lot more golfing if my restoration projects cost that much. I'm a hobbyist that's under 25K on my show winning truck build (the Prowler Orange one, above), and I kick the tails off of a lot of pro builds. (No offense AT ALL to the pros who have overhead costs waaaay over mine, and are trying to put food on the table.) I share my ideas to help others do quality work at lower cost, and am humble enough to realize my ideas might not be good ones. That's why I ask the pros to weigh in. In the day, corn starch was the primary ingredient in Ditzler DX685 Flattening Agent.
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Not throwing any shade on ya, your project pics look great. But 5 zeros is $10K and above. My point stands.
 
rdransman said:
I would be doing a lot more golfing if my restoration projects cost that much. I'm a hobbyist that's under 25K on my show winning truck build (the Prowler Orange one, above), and I kick the tails off of a lot of pro builds. (No offense AT ALL to the pros who have overhead costs waaaay over mine, and are trying to put food on the table.) I share my ideas to help others do quality work at lower cost, and am humble enough to realize my ideas might not be good ones. That's why I ask the pros to weigh in. In the day, corn starch was the primary ingredient in Ditzler DX685 Flattening Agent.
Click to expand...
I think the chemistry of urethanes versus lacquer and enamels of old changes things. I may be wrong though. Would surprise me if corn starch was one of the ingredients in a flattening agent now.
Personally if someone is a novice or relatively new to paint work, I would say use one of the already pre-flattened clears available. One reason SPI stopped selling the additive was that so many were having trouble using it.
 
most flattening agents will work in most clears. the one thing to watch is if its a flattener designed for clear or one designed for single stage. utech 890 for instance will go in anything, including clear and the clear will still be basically ...clear. the utech f100 flattener however is great for colored single stage but it isnt transparent enough for clearcoat. it makes clear look like milk. i have had great results using the 890 over the years. no expensive for a qt and can be added to any clear or ss.
 
Chris_Hamilton said:
I think the chemistry of urethanes versus lacquer and enamels of old changes things. I may be wrong though. Would surprise me if corn starch was one of the ingredients in a flattening agent now.
Personally if someone is a novice or relatively new to paint work, I would say use one of the already pre-flattened clears available. One reason SPI stopped selling the additive was that so many were having trouble using it.
Click to expand...
I agree.
 
I'm trying to find a flattener to work with the universal clear too. crashtech and Dean both mention the Lumabase for their clear and matte, and I went to their website, but I can't get it to show me where I can actually acquire this stuff. Any help with that, or is there something else I can use. I have both PPG and R-M dealers near me that sell flattener, but would need to experiment to get the interior 60% gloss, where the Lumabase seems to have some chart to help take some of the guesswork out of it. I will be applying over R-M Diamont base, if that matters.
PS, my skill level with this stuff might be at beginner level...
Thanks for any help
 
Do you have an akzo/sikkens jobber nearby? Utech 890 flattener works well and i have some formulas i can give you for different gloss levels
 
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