I have a can of aluminum paint. I have it because it was left by the
previous owner of my house. I've never used it and I'm wondering if
there is something that it is good for. It must be good for something
or they wouldn't make it. What is that?

I did Google it and got inconclusive answers. E.g., it's durable, but a
lot of paints are durable.

Thanks,
Bob

Bob Engelhardt fired this volley in
:

I did Google it and got inconclusive answers. E.g., it's durable, but
a
lot of paints are durable.


The primary reason it was first made (besides the 'fake metal' look) was
because originally, paints were made with natural drying oil vehicles
(varnishes-- tung, linseed) which were VERY suseptible to UV damage by
sunlight. Aluminum, better than any other pigment available, positively
blocked the UV.

It also looks nice, to paint a piece of metal that _should_be_ silvery,
but's all corroded, and get it back to looking like clean(ish) metal
again.

LLoyd

On 2013-12-13, Lloyd E. Sponenburgh lloydspinsidemindspring.com wrote:
Bob Engelhardt fired this volley in
:

I did Google it and got inconclusive answers. E.g., it's durable, but
a
lot of paints are durable.


The primary reason it was first made (besides the 'fake metal' look) was
because originally, paints were made with natural drying oil vehicles
(varnishes-- tung, linseed) which were VERY suseptible to UV damage by
sunlight. Aluminum, better than any other pigment available, positively
blocked the UV.

It also looks nice, to paint a piece of metal that _should_be_ silvery,
but's all corroded, and get it back to looking like clean(ish) metal
again.

But there is also something to beware of with that -- and
something which is likely to happen given how long it has been sitting
in your house.

*Don't* put it in one of those paint shakers to get it stirred
up and properly mixed. A friend worked for a while in a hardware store,
and someone else put a can in the paint shaker (ignoring the warning
labels to not do that on the shaker) and after a few minutes the can
blew up, spraying the hot aluminum paint all over the store. :-)

Apparently, the friction of the flakes of aluminum developed
a lot of heat compared to other pigments. And maybe, once it got hot
enough, the pigment and the vehicle may have reacted together.

Stirring an open can with a bent shaft in an electric drill
apparently does not generate anything like this amount of heat, so you
can do that.

Enjoy,
DoN.

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"DoN. Nichols" fired this volley in
:

Apparently, the friction of the flakes of aluminum developed
a lot of heat compared to other pigments. And maybe, once it got hot
enough, the pigment and the vehicle may have reacted together.

Actually, that's not a problem with a full can, nor particularly with
modern synthetic vehicles.

Boiled linseed oil and boiled tung oil are "drying oils". That's a
misnomer, because what they actually do is not 'dry', but 'cure' with the
oxygen in the air, once exposed. The only thing that dries in that sort
of paint is the extra solvent added to get it to proper consistency for
brushing or spraying.

To that end, as the oils oxidize they do *(like any other material that's
oxidizing)* liberate heat.

In a full can of paint, there's not enough free oxygen to particularly
warm up a can, and most of it has already been consumed just sitting on
the shelf, anyway. The same is true of a partial can that has been
sitting for a long while.

However, I don't know anyone who wouldn't first (almost compulsively)
open a can before using it -- even before shaking it. You just HAVE to
look! (sure... to check it's not skinned over, still good, how much...
natch). And when you do that, you refresh the oxygen load in the can.

NOW when you shake it, you may have a small amount of the drying oil and
a large amount of air. Shake it, and you literally aerate the oil,
encouraging a rapid, heat-generating reaction.

If you get that mass hot enough, you volatilize the solvents, raising the
pressure in the can significantly. Worse, because the solvents are
dissolved in the oils, when you remove the lid, they may boil off (flash
off) from solution, causing the whole contents to erupt from the can.

It's not the aluminum. In fact, if anything, the aluminum would be
competing with the oil for the oxygen... but generally doesn't oxidize
much, because it's slower to react, and because as soon as it develops an
oxide skin, it inerts itself. That said, add water to the mix, and all
bets are off. Water, aluminum, and a higher-than-neutral pH can cause
some vigorous reactions.

Lloyd

On Sun, 15 Dec 2013 07:38:45 -0600, "Lloyd E. Sponenburgh"
lloydspinsidemindspring.com wrote:

"DoN. Nichols" fired this volley in
:

Apparently, the friction of the flakes of aluminum developed
a lot of heat compared to other pigments. And maybe, once it got hot
enough, the pigment and the vehicle may have reacted together.

Actually, that's not a problem with a full can, nor particularly with
modern synthetic vehicles.

Boiled linseed oil and boiled tung oil are "drying oils". That's a
misnomer, because what they actually do is not 'dry', but 'cure' with the
oxygen in the air, once exposed. The only thing that dries in that sort
of paint is the extra solvent added to get it to proper consistency for
brushing or spraying.

Right, they polymerize.


To that end, as the oils oxidize they do *(like any other material that's
oxidizing)* liberate heat.

That they can and do. Watch your rags, they can burst into flame from
this process. I dry mine out flat on the sidewalk for a week, then
dispose of 'em, usually in the burn pile.


In a full can of paint, there's not enough free oxygen to particularly
warm up a can, and most of it has already been consumed just sitting on
the shelf, anyway. The same is true of a partial can that has been
sitting for a long while.

Since the propellant of choice seems to be propane nowadays, I
wouldn't be too sure of the safety, Lloyd.


However, I don't know anyone who wouldn't first (almost compulsively)
open a can before using it -- even before shaking it. You just HAVE to
look! (sure... to check it's not skinned over, still good, how much...
natch). And when you do that, you refresh the oxygen load in the can.

I roll my (unopened) cans to see if they still liquid. Then I shake,
and only then do I lift the lid.

NOW when you shake it, you may have a small amount of the drying oil and
a large amount of air. Shake it, and you literally aerate the oil,
encouraging a rapid, heat-generating reaction.

If you get that mass hot enough, you volatilize the solvents, raising the
pressure in the can significantly. Worse, because the solvents are
dissolved in the oils, when you remove the lid, they may boil off (flash
off) from solution, causing the whole contents to erupt from the can.

Paints and oils shouldn't be shaken just prior to application, but
I've never felt any temperature rise from shaking a can of anything. I
suppose it's possible, but you couldn't prove it by me. For the
catalyzing finishes, I always float argon on the top to eliminate the
problem of skinning. Yet another reason to have a little TIG around
the shop, wot?


It's not the aluminum. In fact, if anything, the aluminum would be
competing with the oil for the oxygen... but generally doesn't oxidize
much, because it's slower to react, and because as soon as it develops an
oxide skin, it inerts itself. That said, add water to the mix, and all
bets are off. Water, aluminum, and a higher-than-neutral pH can cause
some vigorous reactions.

Interestinger and interestinger.

--
I merely took the energy it takes to pout and wrote some blues.
--Duke Ellington

Larry Jaques fired this volley in
:

Since the propellant of choice seems to be propane nowadays, I
wouldn't be too sure of the safety, Lloyd.


non-sequitor, Larry... we're talking about open bulk cans of paint, not
spray cans, which NEVER get any free oxygen in them, til you puncture
them for disposal.

Yes, oil paints should not be shaken JUST prior to application, but
shaking is just fine, so long as you let them de-gas before use, AND you
verify there was no 'skin' in the can before you shake (lest little
crumbs of that get dispersed into the finish). Flooding a partial can
with inert gas before hammering on the lid is a good way to help prevent
that.

Neither have I had any paints heat from shaking, but it is possible with
a natural vehicle paint, it's just not the aluminum causing the problem;
it could happen with any linseed or tung oil paints. As you mentioned,
your rags are evidence of that.

Lloyd

"Bob Engelhardt" wrote in message
...

I have a can of aluminum paint. I have it because it was left by
the previous owner of my house. I've never used it and I'm
wondering if there is something that it is good for. It must be
good for something or they wouldn't make it. What is that?

I did Google it and got inconclusive answers. E.g., it's durable,
but a lot of paints are durable.

Thanks,
Bob

Steam radiators were painted with it.

On 12/13/2013 2:04 PM, Jim Wilkins wrote:
Steam radiators were painted with it.

Oh, yeah - I've had some of those.

The original thinking was, I think, that it would radiate heat better.
Then they found that what it actually did was reflect heat back into the
radiator, or something like that. Whatever the reason, they found that
aluminum was a very poor choice and "cream" colored (?) was best. And
that you had to remove the aluminum paint before repainting. I don't
imagine that many people did that.

All in all, I think that using the aluminum paint seemed like a good
idea, but nobody actually tested it. Happens a lot.

Bob

On Fri, 13 Dec 2013 14:16:03 -0500, Bob Engelhardt
wrote:

On 12/13/2013 2:04 PM, Jim Wilkins wrote:
Steam radiators were painted with it.

Oh, yeah - I've had some of those.

The original thinking was, I think, that it would radiate heat better.
Then they found that what it actually did was reflect heat back into the
radiator, or something like that. Whatever the reason, they found that
aluminum was a very poor choice and "cream" colored (?) was best. And
that you had to remove the aluminum paint before repainting. I don't
imagine that many people did that.

All in all, I think that using the aluminum paint seemed like a good
idea, but nobody actually tested it. Happens a lot.

Bob
Makes a good stain blocker on knots. A coat of aluminum paint, then
prime and paint as normal. No bleed-through.

On 12/13/2013 5:31 PM, wrote:

Makes a good stain blocker on knots. A coat of aluminum paint, then
prime and paint as normal. No bleed-through.

Well, that's a good enough reason to have a can around. Bleed through
drives me crazy. I usually treat the knots with 2 coats of shellac, a
coat of Kilz, then prime & top coat. And cross my fingers.

Thanks for the tip,
Bob

"Bob Engelhardt" wrote in message
...
On 12/13/2013 5:31 PM, wrote:

Makes a good stain blocker on knots. A coat of aluminum paint, then
prime and paint as normal. No bleed-through.

Well, that's a good enough reason to have a can around. Bleed through
drives me crazy. I usually treat the knots with 2 coats of shellac, a
coat of Kilz, then prime & top coat. And cross my fingers.

Thanks for the tip,
Bob

Old time house painters would use a coat of silver to cover very dark color
of paint when they wanted to paint over with a lighter color. The aluminum
has superior coverage and a neutral shade.

Paul K. Dickman

On 12/13/2013 4:31 PM, wrote:
On Fri, 13 Dec 2013 14:16:03 -0500, Bob Engelhardt
wrote:

On 12/13/2013 2:04 PM, Jim Wilkins wrote:
Steam radiators were painted with it.

Oh, yeah - I've had some of those.

The original thinking was, I think, that it would radiate heat better.
Then they found that what it actually did was reflect heat back into the
radiator, or something like that. Whatever the reason, they found that
aluminum was a very poor choice and "cream" colored (?) was best. And
that you had to remove the aluminum paint before repainting. I don't
imagine that many people did that.

All in all, I think that using the aluminum paint seemed like a good
idea, but nobody actually tested it. Happens a lot.

Bob
Makes a good stain blocker on knots. A coat of aluminum paint, then
prime and paint as normal. No bleed-through.



It makes a very good, light weight UV blocker.
As used on fabric covered wings.
Aluminum dust mixed in the clear dope.

On Fri, 13 Dec 2013 17:31:36 -0500, wrote:

On Fri, 13 Dec 2013 14:16:03 -0500, Bob Engelhardt
wrote:

On 12/13/2013 2:04 PM, Jim Wilkins wrote:
Steam radiators were painted with it.

Oh, yeah - I've had some of those.

The original thinking was, I think, that it would radiate heat better.
Then they found that what it actually did was reflect heat back into the
radiator, or something like that. Whatever the reason, they found that
aluminum was a very poor choice and "cream" colored (?) was best. And
that you had to remove the aluminum paint before repainting. I don't
imagine that many people did that.

All in all, I think that using the aluminum paint seemed like a good
idea, but nobody actually tested it. Happens a lot.

Bob
Makes a good stain blocker on knots. A coat of aluminum paint, then
prime and paint as normal. No bleed-through.

Primer sticks to it?!?

--
And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud
was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.
-- Anaïs Nin

On Sat, 14 Dec 2013 10:27:22 -0800, Larry Jaques
wrote:

On Fri, 13 Dec 2013 17:31:36 -0500, wrote:

On Fri, 13 Dec 2013 14:16:03 -0500, Bob Engelhardt
wrote:

On 12/13/2013 2:04 PM, Jim Wilkins wrote:
Steam radiators were painted with it.

Oh, yeah - I've had some of those.

The original thinking was, I think, that it would radiate heat better.
Then they found that what it actually did was reflect heat back into the
radiator, or something like that. Whatever the reason, they found that
aluminum was a very poor choice and "cream" colored (?) was best. And
that you had to remove the aluminum paint before repainting. I don't
imagine that many people did that.

All in all, I think that using the aluminum paint seemed like a good
idea, but nobody actually tested it. Happens a lot.

Bob
Makes a good stain blocker on knots. A coat of aluminum paint, then
prime and paint as normal. No bleed-through.

Primer sticks to it?!?
always has for me - I guess it might depend on the primer - and the
"aluminum paint"

"Bob Engelhardt" wrote in message ...

I have a can of aluminum paint. I have it because it was left by the previous owner of my house.
I've never used it and I'm wondering if there is something that it is good for. It must be good
for something or they wouldn't make it. What is that?

I did Google it and got inconclusive answers. E.g., it's durable, but a lot of paints are
durable.

Thanks,
Bob

In the southwestern US flat roofs are often painted with it.
Art

In article ,
Bob Engelhardt wrote:

I have a can of aluminum paint. I have it because it was left by the
previous owner of my house. I've never used it and I'm wondering if
there is something that it is good for. It must be good for something
or they wouldn't make it. What is that?

I did Google it and got inconclusive answers. E.g., it's durable, but a
lot of paints are durable.

Look UP. Got any metal flashing that's been painted? That's essentially
the only place we used the stuff.

--
Cats, coffee, chocolate...vices to live by
Please don't feed the trolls. Killfile and ignore them so they will go away.

On Fri, 13 Dec 2013 13:23:54 -0500, Bob Engelhardt
wrote:


I have a can of aluminum paint. I have it because it was left by the
previous owner of my house. I've never used it and I'm wondering if
there is something that it is good for. It must be good for something
or they wouldn't make it. What is that?

I did Google it and got inconclusive answers. E.g., it's durable, but a
lot of paints are durable.

Thanks,
Bob
Aluminum paint is for playing the Tin Man in the school play. Sheesh!
I thought everybody knew this.
Eric

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http://www.avast.com

On Friday, December 13, 2013 12:23:54 PM UTC-6, Bob Engelhardt wrote:
I have a can of aluminum paint. I have it because it was left by the

previous owner of my house. I've never used it and I'm wondering if

there is something that it is good for. It must be good for something

or they wouldn't make it.


The color ?

Paint house metal flashing - fireplace ? Other outdoor metal
protection and looks. They have cold zinc also.

Martin

On 12/13/2013 12:23 PM, Bob Engelhardt wrote:

I have a can of aluminum paint. I have it because it was left by the
previous owner of my house. I've never used it and I'm wondering if
there is something that it is good for. It must be good for something
or they wouldn't make it. What is that?

I did Google it and got inconclusive answers. E.g., it's durable, but a
lot of paints are durable.

Thanks,
Bob

Thanks for all the replies. Especially the knot stain blocking one.

One reply was about painting flashing: when I paint flashing, I use the
ordinary latex paint that I use on trim. I want it to look like the
trim, not different.

Bob