the long story: I painted a desk/hutch awhile ago using Aura Black eggshell and it came out nice. But I recently realized that the chair I used with that desk ought to be black too. It had a lot of rungs on the back so I figured spray painting was the way to go. So I spray painted it with Rustoleum Satin Black. The cap color matched my desk great. It came out wonderful, but much blacker and shinier than the desk (and the cap!). I sanded it down lightly to take the sheen down and antique the edges. But still the two blacks were worlds apart. I wasn't sure if it was a sheen difference (eggshell/satin) or a color difference, but I suspected a bit of both. So I bought the same Rustoleum Black Satin that I used in a spray paint in a quart to re-do the desk. Definitely, not my best work. Okay from a distance, but up close, lots of areas not nearly as smooth and sleek as I would like.

I'm tempted to go back and do it all over again in Aura satin but I might not match the black chair right. I suppose I could do that over too even with the rungs. Now that the chair was spray painted once, additional coats could be done by hand I guess.

Or do I need to focus on more sanding to even things out? with what exactly?

We go thru bunches of it!

What exact R-O spray &/or brush-on series were ya using?

Faron

I think it has too much gloss for Satin, but that's another story.

I used a foam roller and I can see some edges. Would I be better off going over it with a brush? Is it self-levelling? I was fearful of brush marks.

Others:
Universal (top of the line here!), Professional (also top-notch), 2X, Stops-Rust series, American-Accents, or Painter's-Touch?

Faron

The blacks will be different because the TINTED Aura won't be as black as a factory-tinted black (spray or liquid).

Was the Aura factory-tinted or STORE tinted?

Bottom-line...they'll never match exactly (sheen or color) unless both are done with the same paint.

Faron

Right now, I just want to get the R-O nice looking. Can I?

The R-O chair is great (spray). THe R-O desk is streaky (paint)

Yes, every paint "handles" different obviously.
Wait a day or so, and scuff-sand the desk.
* Remove all dust.
* Using long, full strokes (with a good brush!), lay on the paint and get out of it.
* After literally 60 seconds, don't brush any more.
* How wide a brush are ya using?
* Streaking is normally caused by brushing too much...and/or lower quality brushes. Also, use the coolest room that's practical!

Faron

what do you mean precisely. grit? medium?

* How wide a brush are ya using?

I was using a 6" foam roller. The door with the largest surface that gets all the reflected light, is about 18" wide. What size brush would you recommend?

For wide areas: Use the foam roller.
* Make sure roller gets saturated. Give paint a min. or so to soak in, then apply evenly.
* Always "lay off" with a long/light finishing roll in the same direction.
* Same instructions for brushing...loooonnngggg fluid, even strokes where possible, always finishing with long/light strokes in the same direction.
* If you feel it's drying too fast to work with, use some XIM X-tender for OIL paints. This stuff gives more working time to the paint, and helps it level. It's NOT a thinner.
* Since it's an OIL paint, use a Natural-bristle brush. Examples would be...White or Black China-bristle, Purdy's Syntox series brushes, or a good Chinex.

Faron

I got it a little better, but it was still streaky. I used the foam roller again. And of course, I couldn't cut in around the stiles with the roller so that edge was not clean either. Today I gave in and just removed the cabinet doors and drawers and took them outside and spray painted them. Success! The frame is fine as-is, its too thin to be a problem and the side panels don't get the good light that the front gets.

I will never use Rustoleum liquid again. (but the spray can't be beat!) Plus I don't like that I can't easily cleanup and re-use materials. I disposed of everything even a (older) good brush and hated that. I usually wash and re-use even disposable things.

Aura for me forever...