Alternatives to flat black spray for Duratex primer?

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9830Lark
Posts: 106
Joined: Wed Apr 20, 2022 9:36 am
Location: Georgetown, TX

Alternatives to flat black spray for Duratex primer?

#1 Post by 9830Lark »

Seeing tips to hit the cabs with flat black spray first to seal and hide the grain prior to Duratex.

Yeah - it's not like a can of flat black will set me back that much, but I'd really like to use some of the old maid cans in the shop. Wow - I have three cans of frosted clear. This goes on rough to change a pane of glass from clear to opaque. Nothing flat in the stockpile. What if I hit the cab with the gray or brown gloss, then after drying, hit it with a coat of the frosted to add 'tooth' for the Duratex? My thinking is that the first color coat does the grain hiding.

Bruce Weldy
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Location: New Braunfels, TX

Re: Alternatives to flat black spray for Duratex primer?

#2 Post by Bruce Weldy »

I don't do it for grain hiding - duratex does that by itself. Do it to keep from soaking up so much Duratex into the wood. I'd stick with flat black. It's cheapest to go to a big box store and ask for a gallon of their cheapest flat black paint and use a small roller to put it on. The reason I'd use black and not other colors underneath is that when the duratex gets a ding - it's still black underneath.

The paint is way cheaper than Duratex, so let that soak into the wood. I have two cabs that were sprayed with Duratex over bare wood - every ding shows up as bare wood and the duratex just doesn't look nearly as good as my much older cabs that have been through more wars.

6 - T39 3012LF
4 - OT12 2512
1 - T24
1 - SLA Pro
2 - XF210


"A system with a few knobs set up by someone who knows what they are doing is always better than one with a lot of knobs set up by someone who doesn't."

jimbo7
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Joined: Fri Dec 28, 2012 10:45 am
Location: St. Louis

Re: Alternatives to flat black spray for Duratex primer?

#3 Post by jimbo7 »

You can paint it any color you want (or not at all). Try it and see what happens. Be our guinea pig and post your results.
BFM builds:
XF212
T24 BP102 24"
2x SLA's 6-5" mids, 9- gt-302's
2x AT 14" MCM 55-2421
TrT 5" MCM 55-2421
AT 18" JBL GTO804
2x OT12 flat array
2x SLA Pro 2-Alpha 6's 2-Goldwoods
2x T39 24" 3012lf
Simplex 10 BP102

9830Lark
Posts: 106
Joined: Wed Apr 20, 2022 9:36 am
Location: Georgetown, TX

Re: Alternatives to flat black spray for Duratex primer?

#4 Post by 9830Lark »

Well, I found some chalkboard spray paint, which is about as flat as you can get. So, I'm set. Suggestion to roll something on is intriguing. No over spray to deal with.

Bruce Weldy
Posts: 8301
Joined: Fri Nov 27, 2009 11:37 am
Location: New Braunfels, TX

Re: Alternatives to flat black spray for Duratex primer?

#5 Post by Bruce Weldy »

9830Lark wrote: Fri May 13, 2022 6:48 am Well, I found some chalkboard spray paint, which is about as flat as you can get. So, I'm set. Suggestion to roll something on is intriguing. No over spray to deal with.
I've rolled Duratex on everything I've got. Hell, I've put the flat black on with the cheap foam brushes....don't even have to clean 'em. The flat black dries so fast, you can start the second coat as soon as you're done with the first. With the Duratex, just wrap the roller (it's worth getting the correct roller from Leland) in plastic wrap between coats- it'll stay good for hours.

6 - T39 3012LF
4 - OT12 2512
1 - T24
1 - SLA Pro
2 - XF210


"A system with a few knobs set up by someone who knows what they are doing is always better than one with a lot of knobs set up by someone who doesn't."

himhimself
Posts: 599
Joined: Fri Nov 13, 2015 9:34 pm
Location: Vancouver BC & Bloomington IN

Re: Alternatives to flat black spray for Duratex primer?

#6 Post by himhimself »

Bruce Weldy wrote: Thu May 12, 2022 6:05 pm go to a big box store and ask for a gallon of their cheapest flat black paint and use a small roller to put it on.
Yup, that's the way to go. As Bruce said, it dries super fast, especially if you slop it on outside in the sunshine. Greatly decreases the amount of Duratex it will take to cover your cabs. With a gallon of Duratex, I've done all 4 of my tubas a couple times, 4 otops, brackets, a rack, v-plate, a bunch of big picture frames and other odds and ends around the house - and I still have probably a pint or two left.
2xT30 (20", 3012LF)
2xT30 (21", 3012LF)
4xOtop J-array (Beta12, melded/straight piezos)
Truck Tuba (MCM)
Next up: 2xJack12 or family of table tubas

Bruce Weldy
Posts: 8301
Joined: Fri Nov 27, 2009 11:37 am
Location: New Braunfels, TX

Re: Alternatives to flat black spray for Duratex primer?

#7 Post by Bruce Weldy »

himhimself wrote: Fri May 13, 2022 2:02 pm
Bruce Weldy wrote: Thu May 12, 2022 6:05 pm go to a big box store and ask for a gallon of their cheapest flat black paint and use a small roller to put it on.
Yup, that's the way to go. As Bruce said, it dries super fast, especially if you slop it on outside in the sunshine. Greatly decreases the amount of Duratex it will take to cover your cabs. With a gallon of Duratex, I've done all 4 of my tubas a couple times, 4 otops, brackets, a rack, v-plate, a bunch of big picture frames and other odds and ends around the house - and I still have probably a pint or two left.
yep, that's my experience too. I'm on my second gallon.....but I've done more cabs, cases, racks, amps than I can count.

6 - T39 3012LF
4 - OT12 2512
1 - T24
1 - SLA Pro
2 - XF210


"A system with a few knobs set up by someone who knows what they are doing is always better than one with a lot of knobs set up by someone who doesn't."

9830Lark
Posts: 106
Joined: Wed Apr 20, 2022 9:36 am
Location: Georgetown, TX

Re: Alternatives to flat black spray for Duratex primer?

#8 Post by 9830Lark »

Thanks for the advice. As much as I hate spraying paint, I hate spending money more than that. Especially with something that I don't have room to store. I'll make do with the blackboard paint. Seems that it's said to dry faster and leave a rougher finish, which sounds ideal for the application.

jimbo7
Posts: 849
Joined: Fri Dec 28, 2012 10:45 am
Location: St. Louis

Re: Alternatives to flat black spray for Duratex primer?

#9 Post by jimbo7 »

9830Lark wrote: Fri May 13, 2022 4:11 pm ....dry faster and leave a rougher finish, which sounds ideal for the application.
Another reason most of us put a flat black coat on first is it that on some wood the duratex seems to smear on instead of roll. I've had the sanded side of auraco plywood prevent the paint roller from rolling and just slide across. The "base coat" is like an etching primer and helps it bite onto the surface.
BFM builds:
XF212
T24 BP102 24"
2x SLA's 6-5" mids, 9- gt-302's
2x AT 14" MCM 55-2421
TrT 5" MCM 55-2421
AT 18" JBL GTO804
2x OT12 flat array
2x SLA Pro 2-Alpha 6's 2-Goldwoods
2x T39 24" 3012lf
Simplex 10 BP102

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