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I am doing a KTM9 satin finish on a customers neck and though it is not as glossy as the gloss finish, It's not quit as satin as I thought it would be, Has anyone here sprayed any KTM9 satin? I have emailed Grafted and will post what they say when I hear from them. TIA, JohnJohn How38483.5591666667

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

I guess no one here has used the satin KTM9 but here is what they told me at Grafted coatings. It does seem to me now that I've heard the satin finish requires extra stirring to insure that the degloss additive is well distributed prior to spraying. Also it may be that my expectations were wrong, I haven't used much satin finish. They do say they will custom make any lesser degree of gloss should I desire. Not sure what they mean by degree exactly but it sort of sounds like percentage.

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John,

Happy the KTM-9 is working for you.

A satin finish on our meter is between a 30-40 degree. The KTM-9 Satin
Finish (quarts & gallons) that LMI has stocked is within range. The KTM-9
Gloss Finish is between a 60-70 degree.

There are no special considerations when working with a satin finish.
It is only a change in the physical gloss.

We always recommend stirring the contents of the can before each use.

If a lo-satin or matte finish is wanted, please let me know as we can
customize the gloss if needed.

Thanks,


Matt Lawrence
Grafted Coatings, Inc
www.graftedcoatings.com


-----Original Message-----

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

     John,
It should come with a sheet of 80 grit sandpaper...
Now you have satin finish.
Just a little humor!!!

John,

For a finish to be a satin finish out of the can the product has small bits of powdered minerals (flatting agents) that deflect the light. This gives the apperarence of satin to the eye. The product must be stirred throughly before and during use so as to mix these particles well. Most people get a different degree of satin when first using the can then when arriving at the bottom of the can.
Also, because of the flatting agents you get a softer finish. After several coats of satin your finish is considerably softer than several coats of gloss.
There are two things you can do to remedy this:
First: use the KTM9 (or any other product) in a high gloss. When the finish is cured you can use steel wool, sandpaper or buffing compounds (pumice etc.) to make it the degree of satin you want. This also levels the surface and gives it a nice feel rather than just relying on the satin from the can which can often have an orange peel texture from spraying.
Second: Use the KTM9 ( or other product) in a high gloss for all but your last coat or two. For the last coat spray the satin mixture. This will give you a harder finish because the flatting agents are only in the last coat. Your finish will also have a deeper appearence. The more coats of satin you put on the duller the appearence of your finish.
Since waterbourne products tend to be a skoshe "milky" anyway you can really dull a finish in a hurry using only satin.

Good luck1        

great post Robbie. I had noticed that the satin KTM9 was softer and I did not like it. To get a satin apearing finish I have been using KTM9 Gloss and final sanded with micro-mesh though 4000 and hand buffed as not to inpart added gloss

[QUOTE=MichaelP] great post Robbie. I had noticed that the satin KTM9 was softer and I did not like it. To get a satin apearing finish I have been using KTM9 Gloss and final sanded with micro-mesh though 4000 and hand buffed as not to inpart added gloss[/QUOTE]

Thanks Michael.
You don't need to even micromesh sand to get the satin finish. You can level the finish starting around 400 to 600 grit. Go through 1200 to 1500. I usually wet sand when using solvent based finishes but you can do this dry and don't forget to NOT use water as a lubricant on KTM9. Use sterated paper to sand and it will act as the lubricant.
Then use OOOO steel wool to rub to a satin going with the grain. On KTM9 use synthetic steel wool instead of the real deal. Some people use wax as a lubricant while rubbing to satin and it gives a great feeling to the finish.