linkage?

 

I painted my wheel covers yesterday. They don't look anything like I wanted them to. I bought the black Fusion spray paint and I followed all of the prep steps detailed in this thread. I wanted a nice, glossy black, but I got a dusty sort of matte black.

What am I doing wrong? Why can't I use spray paint like regular people?

 

make sure you use gloss black.. a dusty look is probably cause you used matte black

sometimes there are idiots that swap caps and make life difficult for everyone.

 

I used the paint with the shiniest black cap I could find. There was one that looked glossy, another that had "SATIN" written on it and looked less glossy. I picked the glossy one.

I think I'm doing something wrong.

 

well it might be because you didn't put enough coats. I ended up using 2 cans to do all four of my wheel covers. And i think a 3d might even make it more shiny. It takes a while to get enough light coats on there before it becomes shiny.

 

I used 2 cans. It never got shiny. Each coat made it look dustier and dustier. I let them dry for 10 minutes between each coat. Then I let them dry for 24 hours after the last coat. After 24 hours if you touched them you got black dust all over your finger.

 

Dust after they are dry? That is wierd.
First you need to paint on a dry day. Humidity in the air will screw up any DYI paint job. Wear a simple respirator... from hardware store. You only get 2 lungs in life.
I generally clean an object I'm painting with rubbing alcohol, then dull the finish with fine steel wool. That gives the finish "tooth" for the paint to grip to.
Rinse again w/ alcohol.
Spray 1st coat VERY light... it will not cover all the underneath finish.
Let that 'tack' for a few minutes.
Spray the 2nd coat same as first, covering all the original finish.
Let that 'tack' for a few minutes.
These coats will not look shiney but dull & rough.
Spray the final 3rd coat "wet", almost to the point where it runs.
The paint will set up fast so cover the whole area quickly.
This coat will be very shiney & smooth... and will dry that way.
Let everything dry for at least 3 to 4 drys.
The paint will "out gas" during this time so find a dry space not in a living area.

Best tip I can give is PRACTICE this on sraps of similar material until you get the results you want. I've messed up lots of projects but it's all part of learning.
Good Luck