[dreamon]

On an older cabinet/buffet, I repaired (wood filler) sanded, primed and painted with a high gloss latex paint - dark eggplant colour. Looks good, but I was aiming for a super glossy finish. Is there something I can now apply on top of the latex high gloss paint that would give it an even greater level of shine?

 

[user1007]

Have you let the finish cure for 30 days so you see for sure what gloss you have? It takes that long for acrylic latex paints. Was it high gloss or semi gloss? You did put on two coats? What was the acrylic content?

 

[dreamon]

No, I just finished painting it with three coats of 100% acrylic high gloss paint. You mention waiting 30 days. I will. Thanks very much for your response.

 

[user1007]

If it is 100% acrylic, and given you put on multiple coats, once it has cured you might be able to polish it out to higher gloss with very fine---300 to 400 grit paper or fine brass wool. And/or apply wax like you would on an auto finish and buff to high gloss. In the gallery world we use Renaissance Wax products on things.

Always test a small inconspicuous area first to make sure it will work and not tear off the finish.

 

[Expert Paint]

high gloss is achieved by having a super smooth surface. high gloss paint film under a microscope is perfectly smooth, whereas flat paint film has peaks and valleys under magnification. did you scuff in between coats and get all dust off? building 3 coats should get you to the true sheen of the product. double check the data page on the product you used for sheen unit rating. products with 60+ units are considered high gloss. another little known fact is that temperature during application/drying time can affect sheen. what conditions did you apply in? consult a paint store for a high gloss clear coat. i use sherwin-williams high gloss oil based polyurethane varnish for all of my furniture. Applying this type of product over paint isnt always "data page recommended" but it works and is time tested. adding a quality clear coat will also add durability/abrasion resistance. I use oil when needing a high gloss finish that wont be exposed to sunlight (oil chalks and fades quickly when exposed to UV) because the slow drying oil will self level VERY well for an ultra smooth finis especially on flat surfaces. Just be careful with slow dry oils to keep your area clean of dust/debris because it will find a way to settle into the wet clear coat.

 

[jsheridan]

If you're going to do this I wouldn't wait 30 days. After the current finish cures, you'll either have to scuff the surface or find a product with bonding qualities without a scuff. Once a latex product has reached its recoat time it can be coated with an oil topcoat, and I wouldn't want to scuff my painted surface to show under a clear.