Ignorant paint question

[3yearplan]

I don't want to do bright and shiny. I like the satin look. Is the finish still smooth, like a clear coat is applied? If so how does in not make the paint shiny? Sorry for a dumb question that will probably only appeal to 1% of us.

Thanks in advance, Mike.

[Presto51]

Mike,

Not a dumb question. The finish should still be smooth, the clear coat usually has a flattening agent added to it, to kill the gloss. How much is added will depend on how much gloss is lost.

Ron

[David_Ingermann]

+1 on what Ron said. It should still be smooth, you just use a different clear coat to achieve a matte appearance.

[3yearplan]

Thanks guys, that is just the bit of information I was looking for.

[wallace18]

On my 33 my painter used satin clear coat. Still looked great but I could wax the car. Not the case if you go with flat paint.

[CraigS]

As an experiment get a can of can of this;
http://www.minwax.com/wood-products/clear-protective-finishes/interior-exterior/minwax-helmsman-spar-urethane
and one of this
http://www.minwax.com/wood-products/clear-protective-finishes/interior-exterior/minwax-water-based-helmsman-spar-urethane/
Spray 3 coats of each on something smooth. Of course you don't get to choose the exact level of satin but you will get the idea.

[3yearplan]

wallace18 that's the direction I'm hoping to go. Do you have a picture ? CraigS, thanks for that tip, definitely worth trying.