# gloss black finish help



## pjoseph (Jun 7, 2009)

I am experimenting with achieving a gloss black finish i am using a test pieces of wood for now.
i used usc proflex putty to fill in any pin holes and sanded with 400grit
I put a few coats of Gloss Black Topcoat CrystaLac sanding with 400 every two coats.
To me paint looks a little cloudy plus i can see lines/waves does not look like brush marks, hard to describe it 
finish is very smooth
I used a foam brush to apply

I may try using those preval cans to spray it on.

Will using compound followed by polish take out the cloudy look?
Should i add a cleAr coat?

I am looking to get a piano black like finish
Thanks


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## pjoseph (Jun 7, 2009)

You can see the lines in this pic better


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## Treeoflifestairs.com (Jan 9, 2012)

I'm not the most experienced finisher but the only way I know of to get the piano finish is to spray it on but there may be other ways I'm unaware of.


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## woodman73446 (Feb 25, 2012)

*Gatting a great hogh gloss finsih*

pjoseph,
You did not state the kind wood used in your project, or the kind of finish you are using, which would be helpful. But I do know why you are getting that cloudy look to your finish. 
When going for a high gloss finish you must lightly sand between each coat, just breaking the gloss so that the only high glass coat will be the final one. Just sanding every other coat will still leave your finish with that cloudy appearence.

Having run a piano refinishing business, I know that a high gloss finish is the hardest finish too get right. It requires a leveling compound to be added to the surface of the wood before you begin applying the finish. You can only attain that perfect look by using dense, tight grained wood, but even then an inert filler must be used to fill the voids in the grain of the wood. We used a commercial filler that we mixed, applied, and sanded perfectly flat. But bondo will do the job well when black is the color choice and is not expensive to use. Be sure to apply evenly in a very thin coat, let cure completely, then sand flat. I hope your project will be a success.
Woodman73446


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

With that high of a gloss you really need to spray the finish. As far as the brush lines, I have more trouble with these type of marks with a foam brush than with a soft bristle brush. Before you get to that point you need to build up primer and block sand the finish level before topcoating. At that point it should be like painting steel. I don't use Crystalac so I couldn't say about the cloudiness unless it wasn't stirred thoroughly before using it. I avoid all waterborne finishes just because of problems like that.


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## del schisler (Nov 5, 2009)

pjoseph said:


> I am experimenting with achieving a gloss black finish i am using a test pieces of wood for now.
> i used usc proflex putty to fill in any pin holes and sanded with 400grit
> I put a few coats of Gloss Black Topcoat CrystaLac sanding with 400 every two coats.
> To me paint looks a little cloudy plus i can see lines/waves does not look like brush marks, hard to describe it
> ...


here is what i do with my black jewelry box's is to use a black lacquer spray can. Than gloss spray with clear lacquer after it look's ok to me. I sand the wood down to 400 grit. you can use 400 grit sand paler between the first coat if need's any sanding. Than spray clear lacquer. I use only M.L.CAMPBELL cabnet grade. I don't use clear from the box store's. They may work but i don't use them. Now the paint need's to be lacquer for the black . good luck


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## Gene Howe (Feb 28, 2009)

Woodman's suggestions are right on. I might add that Bondo (and maybe others) sell a product in a tube that is much thinner than the two part product. I used it quite effectively to fill surface scratches and open grain on a couple piano refinish jobs. 
And, those that advocate spraying rather than brushing are also correct. Finally, water borne finishes will not produce the finish you desire. I used a lacquer formulated for auto finishes and no final clear coat was necessary. Several coats were required and light sanding between each coat almost guaranteed a beautiful job.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Gene Howe said:


> Woodman's suggestions are right on. I might add that Bondo (and maybe others) sell a product in a tube that is much thinner than the two part product. I used it quite effectively to fill surface scratches and open grain on a couple piano refinish jobs.
> And, those that advocate spraying rather than brushing are also correct. Finally, water borne finishes will not produce the finish you desire. I used a lacquer formulated for auto finishes and no final clear coat was necessary. Several coats were required and light sanding between each coat almost guaranteed a beautiful job.


+1. :yes: Sherwin-Williams sells an industrial NC black that needs to be sprayed. A fill and primer is necessary on wood because of the grain being able to read through. It takes a sufficient build to do any rubbing out. Each coat should be cured. The final coat can be wet sanded up to 1500x-1800x, and very little rubbing with a smooth compound and water (by hand) will produce a very bright glassy black.

You could eventually get a flat (smooth) base to the black using a brush, but it will never turn out to the degree of being sprayed. Modern base coat/clear coat finishes are done with the final coat being clear, which could be rubbed out. With sufficient clear, the black base coat would not have to be that perfect.

If you have the time, a gloss black oil base paint could be used (brushed). It too would need a primer/filler, and to be flat wet sanded between applications. When fully cured and dry, can be rubbed out and get a similar look








 







.


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## pjoseph (Jun 7, 2009)

Woof is mdf, but has a coat of fiberglass resin inside and out.
I am using usc proflex and put a thin coat on before i painted, its a light weight filler.

So should i sand the last coat and apply another?
Also if i put clear coat on do i sand the last color coat before putting clear on?

Thanks 

Pete


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

pjoseph said:


> Woof is mdf, but has a coat of fiberglass resin inside and out.
> I am using usc proflex and put a thin coat on before i painted, its a light weight filler.
> 
> So should i sand the last coat and apply another?
> ...


In your first post, you state that your sample was wood...not MDF.
*"i am using a test pieces of wood for now"* 

Your lines are likely from the brushing the finish (minor thickness variations).

If MDF, just sealing. If coated with fiberglass, it needs to be sanded flat and primed. Your last coat could be lightly sanded before adding the clear. Your clear coats would have to be sufficient to rub out not to perforate and expose the black. All applications should be cured hard.








 







.


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## pjoseph (Jun 7, 2009)

Yes the entire piece that is being painted has a skim coat of usc proflex putty over it, it sands very well, sanding bondo by hand is like sanding rocks compared with this stuff.
sanded front up to 400, ready to paint soon but still need to figure out how and with what.
Have a few test pieces im working on. 
I tried a brush, foam roller, foam brush, preval air can, after those failed picked up different roller from sherman williams first round a ton of small hairs in the paint had to sand that down. 
Next ran the roller on some tape to get rid of any loose hairs and tried another coat best results yet.
the paint self levels and it dries kind of smooth.

next i will lightly sand the paint followed by some compound and polish.
Not sure with what grits yet for the sanding 
Regarding clear coats i am guessing that using compound and polish on the color coat is not a good idea if you plan on using a clear? 

Thanks again


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## pjoseph (Jun 7, 2009)

The name of the paint is
Gloss Black Topcoat CrystaLac


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## pjoseph (Jun 7, 2009)

Only painting front side


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## pjoseph (Jun 7, 2009)

Woodman

I am going to start again with my test pieces.
I will sand between every coat like you said, 
Not sure how long to wait before i can sand directions say
Recoat in 30min 
Cured in 24hrs

Thanks again


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## slevapaul (Aug 25, 2012)

It gives the best finishing if you try with the lacquer finish. The oil based finishing and lacquer finishing are meant to give the best and smooth finishing to the furniture. Thanks for sharing the nice information.


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