Thread: Spatter Paint Finish - Any Clues?

I can’t make out the splatter pattern on the item so not sure of the finish you’re after but any industrial paint supplier should be able to point you in the right direction in regards to paint, I think most of this type equipment is powder based finishes these days.

There are a couple of other finishes that may be similar and were once used widely by spray painters on industrial type equipment: you can use a lacquer based paint sprayed over the top of the item rather than at the item as per usual. Paint is not normally thinned for this process, although varying textures can be obtained by adding a little thinner and varying the angle of the gun In this process the lacquer partially dries before adhering to the surface thus forming a dusty/lumpy/crinkly type surface, the more thinner you add the finer the texture - similar to cobwebbing The other is to just use wrinkle finish paint, you can obtain different textures/finishes via thickness of coat, angles of attack and spray pattern. Wrinkle finishes were also once used widely, but not so often now; again, mostly powder based finishes these days.

Hi,
What about a hammer tone paint?
Regards

Thank you Sacc,

The attached photo of a Deckel S11 accessory shows a sort of orange peel effect quite similar to the paint on the scope arm. A finish quite commonly found on newer machines which makes me think searching for spatter or splatter finish isn't actually what it's called. There are plenty of examples of spatter textured paint for wall and ceiling applications on the net but on machines, they are few and far between.

And Hugh,

A rattle can of hammertone or wrinkle would be an easy option but I like the finish on the arm. It's the colour I have an issue with.

Bob.

There are automotive spatter paints available - often these are multi-colour, but I think it's possible to get them in one colour. If you are trying for a flicked-on-by-brush approach, make sure you use a quick dry acrylic to minimise the amount of time for paint to flow.

You may be able to get a decent spatter by underthinning acrylic in a spray gun, but this would be one of these 'try till you find the magic solution' approaches as it tends to go cobwebby instead. (I think you'd want to start with a much larger tip size in the spray gun). I'd try with a gravity fed gun, not a suction feed one, too.

Bob,

I would call that an 'orange peel' finish. A right PITA for car resprayers. Has the be wet sanded back. I think it is caused by too thick a paint.


Ken

Hi BT,
You can achieve that finish with a normal spray can, you just don't shake it as much as recommended and make sure the part you wish to spray is warm, leave it in the sun to take the chill out of it. The paint comes out of the can in slightly larger drops and hits the warm metal and sets quick enough to not run. You have to adjust the distance the can is from the job to achieve the desired effect.Have a play around on a separate piece of metal.
Bob

Yep, looking at the green paint finish it's definitely orange peel. As suggested it,s caused by the paint not being atomized to a sufficient state to render a smooth finish, and/or incorrectly thinned paint. Easy to replicate by using a vacuum cleaner type spray outfit, Bunnings sell them (I think they're made by Ozito), and not thinning the paint to the correct viscocity, a hot day also helps to dry the paint quickly so it won't flow _ works every time, you just have to experiment with thinner to get the right viscosity and orange peel effect. You can also get the same effect by using a fly spray pump _ if you can find one. Typically lacquer dries a little less shiny than enamel in this process but nothing a bit of elbow grease and polish won't fix.

Its not orange peel. I can do that with 2pack any time you like
An attempt to get some pictures of the effect.

Stuart

Bob.

I have a little bit of hands on experience with this. You'd remember those Laser machine's I used to play with. The German lasers we used to couple this with had that texture. I lead the call, some years ago, to paint the motion system the same, as the laser, so it said combined, rather than Aus motion system, German laser.

Cutting a long story short. That pattern, is peculiarly German. You see it on switchboards /cabinets. Rittal have that look. We rang Rittal, and hooked us up with the guy that re-finished after a re-work.

That splatter pattern, it's only body deadener, or stone guard, laid on over etch primer, then you over paint it.

Both those product are basically Hi-Fil. But you splurt them on with a high fill gun. http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/like/321482327282?
You just screw that onto a can, these things have a nozzle about 3/16", and you stand back about 18 -24" and just blurt it on. Snot- Snot- Snot.

You'd get the same thing out of a normal gun. Big needle like 2.4 or 2.0 mm, turn the pressure right down, fan pressure to nothing, and the pick up / venturi, so it goes glug, glug, glug, spit, spit, spit. Absolute opposite of good spraying.

You quite often see a splatter pattern on the inside of fibreglass boat hulls. (Not to disguise blemishes of course, but because it is an 'attractive' finish) The fibreglassers keep a spray gun on hand that is set up to spray the splatter pattern.

Originally Posted by Machtool

Bob.

I have a little bit of hands on experience with this. You'd remember those Laser machine's I used to play with. The German lasers we used to couple this with had that texture. I lead the call, some years ago, to paint the motion system the same, as the laser, so it said combined, rather than Aus motion system, German laser.

Cutting a long story short. That pattern, is peculiarly German. You see it on switchboards /cabinets. Rittal have that look. We rang Rittal, and hooked us up with the guy that re-finished after a re-work.

That splatter pattern, it's only body deadener, or stone guard, laid on over etch primer, then you over paint it.

Both those product are basically Hi-Fil. But you splurt them on with a high fill gun. http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/like/321482327282?
You just screw that onto a can, these things have a nozzle about 3/16", and you stand back about 18 -24" and just blurt it on. Snot- Snot- Snot.

You'd get the same thing out of a normal gun. Big needle like 2.4 or 2.0 mm, turn the pressure right down, fan pressure to nothing, and the pick up / venturi, so it goes glug, glug, glug, spit, spit, spit. Absolute opposite of good spraying.

Thank you Phil.

With your and all the other suggestions I reckon I'm ready to splurt!

You are right about the German-ness of the finish. In the Deckel corner at the Deutsches Museum there are two wonderful examples of spattered Reseda Green.

BT

Munich 23-10-11 Day 2 at Museum 196 (Large).jpgMunich 23-10-11 Day 2 at Museum 165 (Large).jpgMunich 23-10-11 Day 2 at Museum 167 (Large).jpgMunich 23-10-11 Day 2 at Museum 172 (Large).jpg

That finish is evident on a lot of electrical enclosures, including some meter boxes, older computer cases and many other products. Give it whatever name is popular, but the effect is the same, it resembles the peel of an orange. It is caused by poor atomisation, obviously in these cases, on purpose. Poor atomisation is caused by thick paint and course needles/fluid tips/air caps, low air pressure also plays a part. Vacuum cleaner type units have low air pressure and generally have very course needles/air caps/fluid tips, they are renowned for the orange peel effect..

I had exactly the same quest when I tried to find some paint to finish my wood bandsaw restoration a few years ago. I resorted to really bad spray technique* on a hot day to get the texture I was after...and in fact, a Rittal enclosure was my model.

*merely bad spray technique is second nature to me, so really bad was easy.

Originally Posted by Greg Q

I had exactly the same quest when I tried to find some paint to finish my wood bandsaw restoration a few years ago. I resorted to really bad spray technique* on a hot day to get the texture I was after...and in fact, a Rittal enclosure was my model.

*merely bad spray technique is second nature to me, so really bad was easy.

Ah Gregory, maybe I should have a couple of cans a Dupli-Color grey in store for a possible stopover in PER and a possible display of deftness?

BT