Hammerite Rust Cap hammered finish

[Jake]

Deve, I have seen your post on restoring the heater. I have been trying to use the same Hammerite spray paint. Have not been able to get desirable results like you achieved on your heater. My results look like acne. As you may know, this product is not distributed in the US, so if you can find it, it is very expensive. Probably related, the cans available are all in the range of a decade old. In calling the # on the can, the rep said the shelf life is 2 yrs. Given all this, can you give me tips on how to use this product and get the results you have? Thanks, Jake

[Deve]

Hammerite quit making the Rustcap Bronze and now the only thing we can get is Rustcap Dark Bronze. The color is darker, but I'm afraid we are stuck with it. Always use a fresh can of that stuff because it doesnt have a long shelf life. A few years at the very most and shake it really well. Nothing really to the technique. It comes out really nice once you get fresh cans and shake them well. If you discover a better solution, let me know. The color was perfect until they stopped making it.

[Jake]

I would be interested in trying Hammerite Dark Bronze, but can't find it on line? Also, upon close inspection of the sample finish on the cap, I see the acne-like spots. They act as an agent to raise surrounding paint, forming the "hammer tracks". In my experiments, the surrounding paint remains smooth. I have 2 more idesa to try to make it work. With being beyond shelf life, maybe heat would activate the raising of the surrounding paint. Thinking heat gun on back of metal. Another idea is to spray it on the metal quite thick, then go over it with a small, low knap roller. Any thoughts?

[Deve]

I didn't have to do any of that. I just put primer on the bare metal, then the finish. https://www.amazon.com/Rust-Oleum-72...dp/B0002YVWLU/
I think that is what I have. You can also purchase it from Jim Carter.