My Rattlecan Paint Experience

[ChristopherLutz]

Over the last 6 months, I've painted a number of items. Each time, I tried a different brand of paint...I thought I'd pass along what I think is the BEST paint and easiest to use.

Krylon.

I use the "dries in 10 minutes" variety from Walmart - about $2.50 per can. This stuff has been (BY FAR) the easiest to work with - smoothest coating paint.

Other brands I've tried and strongly disliked:

Valspar - from Lowes - definitely the worst
Rustoleum - not great...but the only choice for some applications

Anyway - if you guys are looking to save a little money and have something to paint - I strongly recommend you try Krylon and Walmart.

And no....I have no affiliation with Krylon.

 

[54FordPanel]

Does Krylon have the "good" nozzles, the ones that shot it out in a fan pattern like a gun?

 

[nate379]

Valspar from Lowe's is the best I have used. Sprays well, coats very good (really only need 1 coat) and tough paint. It is mainly all I buy.

I hate the fan nozzles. If I am painting something I need lots of coverage I put it in my gun. Normally I rattle can small parts and the circle nozzle works much better.

 

[back2class]

That's funny. Krylon is my least favorite and rustileum is my fav rattle can. I can get factory glass like finish on smaller items (under 2sf.)

 

[ChristopherLutz]

Yes, Krylon has the "fan" nozzle than can be turned as needed.

Interesting how different the experiences are.

 

[logical]

I like red

 

[Dale B]

No , no !! Blue is much better !!

 

[Fast Orange]

It all depends on how tough the finish has to be.
For outside use-Rustoleum all the way-careful prep,priming with proper primer,then several coats .Rustoleum seems to be more UV resistant-fades less and doesn't flake off like some of the economy brands.When you do get a scratch or nick,rust seems to be confined to damaged area-doesn't spread under paint.
For automotive use-Whatever engine paint I can get-whether I'm painting engine parts or not.With proper cleaning and prep,stands up to automotive environment-including pressure washing and steam cleaning.No discoloration from oil,grease and fuels.Keep in mind-no paint can stand up to brake fluid-think powder coating where brake fluid is present.
Krylon is OK for light duty,indoor stuff.Reds and dark blues fade in direct sunlight-poor adhesion in damp environments-but for a couple of bucks a can,it works good for quicky stuff that doesn't have to last forever.

 

[6th Gear]

I have had great success with the Dupli-Color spray paints. They are more aimed toward automotive, I see them more at parts stores than HD & Lowes.
Some of them had the special nozzles you described.

 

[dlc]

I painted some wheels this week with the $2.50 Krylon from Walmart and it is great. Very smooth finish, dried in no time flat. Probably the best rattlecan paint I've used.

 

[tjackson]

I like Krylon..I have used Rustoleum on some of my pinstriping panels and I had problems with it drying...seemed to stay tacky FOREVER.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I'd agree Rustoleum does seem to take forever to dry.

 

[nonhog]

FWIW .........
Just painted 2 wheels (2 to go) with Rustoleum Hammertone.
So far not real happy. Very inconsitent.
Hammerite is better.

Not too upset did not have high hopes going in. Temp set up anyway.

 

[oltruckag]

I've used the rustoleum hammered finish a few times - using a sprayer and rattle can. Getting the desired finish with a spray gun is much easier than the can. The trick with the rattle can is multiple coats about 20 minutes apart. I did the front winch bumper on my cherokee with rattle can hammered black and after about 6 coats I got a pretty consistent hammered finish. No where as nice as spraying it from a gun, but perfect for a jeep bumper that is going to require touch up every time I wheel it.

To get the hammered finish to really "pull up" away from the metal it needs to be heavy to the point of almost running.

 

[sberry]

Some of the Rusto professional has a lot of pigment, very hi hiding. For good rattle can finish the appliance paints work pretty well.

 

[bchee]

I recently had a good experience with a new brand of Rustoleum paint.

Rustoleum Painter's Touch Ultra Cover
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002BWOSA8/?tag=atomicindus08-20

About $3 per can at Home Depot and a large variety of different colors.

I really did feel like there was more "color" or pigment in the can. It covered a lot more than I expected.

I also recently used the Krylon at Walmart. The button is very easy to press, and it does dry fast. It felt like there wasn't much pigment in the can though.

 

[Jay H 237]

I've been happy with Dupli-color, Plasticoat, Krylon and Rustoleum. And yes, I have used the high temp engine paints for brackets and such on my 68 Mustang and it has held up better than standard spray paints as Fast Orange mentioned.

Prep has alot to do with it. The only thing to keep in mind is Rustoleum is oil based and highly reactive to the laquer based paints like Duplicolor. So if you're doing something with multiple colors and have to use Rustoleum with another paint use Rustoleum LAST. The oil will go over laquer but the laquer won't go over oil. I learned this while detailing the driveshaft and having to put the factory looking paint stripes back on it.

 

[Jay H 237]

I recently had a good experience with a new brand of Rustoleum paint.

Rustoleum Painter's Touch Ultra Cover
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002BWOSA8/?tag=atomicindus08-20

About $3 per can at Home Depot and a large variety of different colors.

I really did feel like there was more "color" or pigment in the can. It covered a lot more than I expected.

I also recently used the Krylon at Walmart. The button is very easy to press, and it does dry fast. It felt like there wasn't much pigment in the can though.

This is a great paint from what I just discovered too. I painted a forklift attachment yellow, which is a very difficult color to cover with anyhow, and it did very well. I did little prep since the attachment would see a rough life and need touch up but I was surprised how quickly the yellow covered the bare steel.

 

[OccupantRJ]

You're right about that. Yellow is the hardest color to get depth with, that I have encountered. Even brush painting takes several coats to look uniform.

RJ

 

[beelsr]

My wife decided a few months ago that she wanted some metal artsy-fartsy **** in the kitchen painted green. And the green she picked was the Valspar evergreen rattle can green that you get at Lowes.

As you can imagine, it looked so godd I had to do "one more thing". So, I've painted an umbrella stand, 2 wine racks, 2 coat hanger racks, a couple fruit/veggie holders, a basket for clothespins, a banana hanger thing. And in the bathroom: a towel racks, a shelf and a couple small tables. Oh, the frames on some pictures and a shelf for the wall, too.

At this point, I should have bought a gallon and sprayed it. I've gone through at least a dozen cans of this. Needless to say, I've gotten very good with this Valspar paint.

Anyway, she's wanted a couple other things painted as well and those were in white and black. I used Rustoleum for the white and Krylon for the black.

The verdict: Rustoleum 2x is the best, Valspar is a close second, krylon third and not that close - but still decent.

The one thing I've learned with the Valspar is when they say "re-coat within the hour or after 36 or paint may crinkle and craze", they mean it.

 

[Eldogg]

My favorite spray paint by far is Lawson Products "High Solids". It doesn't come in a ton of colors but it looks great.
I also have the local PPG retailer mix single stage paint and put it in an spray can. Any color you can dream of.

 

[sberry]

ACE hardware stores have a lot of colors too, a big store has a great selection in rattle cans.

 

[The Muffin Man]

I've had the best results with Duplicolor/Krylon.

 

[nate379]

Hmm, I have never had anything I have painted do that. Odd.

I buy Valspar primer and gloss black a dozen cans at a time... and seem to always been out still

The one thing I've learned with the Valspar is when they say "re-coat within the hour or after 36 or paint may crinkle and craze", they mean it.

 

[crewchief888]

krylon and dupli color

i dont paint much of anything,
and if i do it usually dont last very long

 

[e30bradley]

I used to do a ton of aerosol can painting, I have tried all brands available locally. I like Rustoleum the most. I have bought over $200 worth of duplicolor and though each product i tried from them was absolute garbage.

 

[aka Larry]

Dupli-Color is my favorite among rattle cans, and Rustoleum my least favorite because it takes forever to dry.

 

[Dancing Bear]

+1 for Krylon, I've used their Fusion line of paints for all kinds of different surfaces, and those nozzles really helped me get an even spray pattern. I've also had plenty of experience with rustoleum, it does take forever to dry!

I've never tried valspar but my neighbor loves it, painted a whole patio set with it.

If I had an air compressor that was big enough, I'd get an HVLP and kick the rattle cans.

 

[Colin Len]

I recently had a good experience with a new brand of Rustoleum paint.

Rustoleum Painter's Touch Ultra Cover
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002BWOSA8/?tag=atomicindus08-20

About $3 per can at Home Depot and a large variety of different colors.

I really did feel like there was more "color" or pigment in the can. It covered a lot more than I expected.

I also recently used the Krylon at Walmart. The button is very easy to press, and it does dry fast. It felt like there wasn't much pigment in the can though.

x2 I've been using the "Painters Touch" stuff for a few years now and really like it as a general use paint. They have a great variety of colors, adhesion and durability are good, and it's easy to use.

For automotive purposes I generally try to use the expensive stuff from Eastwood. I've used Underhood Black, Chassis Black and a couple others and think they're worth the $$ over home improvement store brands for automotive projects.

 

[Gerald O]

You're right about that. Yellow is the hardest color to get depth with, that I have encountered. Even brush painting takes several coats to look uniform.

RJ

Yellow covers best when sprayed over a white basecoat.

 

[Fyrme]

Ok, I'll throw my .02 in.

these are my pros/cons opinions based on my personal experiences

Rustoleum- PROS- good coverage, durable CONS- crappy nozzles, slow dry time in humid/cool weather

Rustoleum Industrial PROS- great coverage, very durable, better nozzle than regular rustoleum CONS- slow dry time in humid/cool weather

Seymour Industrial MRO PROS- excellent coverage, very durable CONS- limited color selection VERY slow cure time (I'm talking 7 days in warm weather)

Krylon PROS- Excellent nozzles, tons of colors, quick dry time CONS- mediocre coverage not very durable, not very UV stable

Valspar PROS- great obscure color selection, durable CONS- HORRIBLE spray pattern (think RAID fogger), hard to press nozzle.

Side Note: I'm not sure why, maybe user error, but I used Valspar on a project using a two stage color/clear. I would get a great finish with the color but as soon as I sprayed the clear on top of it, the color would wash out exposing the original color under the color I just laid down. (I've done this with other brands and didn't have this problem) So plan on waiting 48+hours before spraying your clear on.

Dupli-color PROS- good metallic color selection, great nozzles, good coverage, durable CONS- terrible smell (compared to the other brands)



I have used many other random brands, but don't have enough collective info to post here.

 

[Schurkey]

I also have the local PPG retailer mix single stage paint and put it in an spray can. Any color you can dream of.

There was a company around here that put *REAL* automotive paint into a rattle-can. They've been out-of-business for decades.

 

[pstnbly]

Rustolium is enamel, enamel is very slow drying and very durable. Krylon is lacquer, fast drying less durable.

 

[fwillison]

My wife swears by the Rustoleum Painters Touch 2x coverage rattle cans, and she uses a ton of spray paint for her craft projects and antique booth.
I would also point out that the Rustoleum "professional" spray cans are much faster to dry than standard Rustoleum.

 

[CJM8515]

The rustoleum pro drys pretty dang fast imho. I cleaned off a rear axle, sprayed and it seriously dried within the hour if not sooner.