Is it Black or Charcoal Grey

[Tom Wesenberg]

In 1970 I painted my Ducati motorcycle frame with Rustoleum black, and was very disappointed in how it looked charcoal grey more than black. I didn't use Rustoleum again until last year. The Rustoleum now dries faster and looks more black, but still isn't the black you get with DCC 9000. I really noticed this last night when I shined my LED flashlight on some parts I painted with Rustoleum 2X Gloss Black. The LED flashlight really brings out the grey look, so I tried looking at my DCC 9000 painted parts with the LED flashlight, and it's still a much nicer black.

I'll continue to use the spray can black for many of the small parts, but will use the expensive paint for the frame and body.

BTW, those free small LED flashlights from Harbor Freight are fine if you remove the batteries right away and grease all the contacts, 6 for the batteries, and 2 more for the battery pack carrier, then also grease the thread on the end cap. Then be sure to get rid of the batteries as soon as the flashlight starts getting dim, or they will leak acid.

[Mike V. Florida]

I have found the "black" from rustoleum to be different with each different product, Universal, 2X, Professional, industrial, can and spray. The can protective seemed the most black to me.

[Big hammer]

Tom if you use a dark primer(black,red oxide,dark grey)under black it will look more black
At work someone was painting E stop switches international orange over dark grey and
the orange wasn't very bright. I said to paint white first and then the orange the E stops
then popped! Just a thought, primers or base coats can make a difference !

[C26Pinelake]

Tom. I once did a touch up on a black car that did not match. My neighbor who happened to be a chemist informed me that there were in excess of 100 different colors of black. He told me that when he saw what I was doing he knew it would not match !
Go figure, eh !
Wayne

[KR500]

Hi Tom, I also owned a Ducati motorcycle in 1972. A 450 Desmo. Best bike I ever owned, but was not crazy about all the wiring being in the headlight bucket. Wish I could afford one of the newer bigger Ducatis.

[Keith True]

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I painted the inside floor of a 56 VW with black Rustoleum in 1973.I sold the car to a fellow who wanted to be a collector,he still has the car today.The black is now gray.It is still in the same spot he parked it in when he bought it from me.That car has not seen rain,snow,or sunlight in all that time.Back then I just used the rusty red primer and the black Rustoleum topcoat.It is as tight as the day I put it on,the color has just changed.I had a Ducati at that time also.Mine was a 250 Monza.The frame paint was tight on it so I just painted the tinwork.I used spray cans that the local hardware was trying out,it was called Utilac.Their International Orange color was a perfect match for the original color of the bike.That bike is still carrying that paintwork,but I haven't looked at it close up to see how it is holding up.

[Tom Wesenberg]

My Ducati is the 160 Monza, and I sure like that bike. In the 70's My friend wanted to drag his 250 Suzuki against my smaller 160 using a vacant field. I beat him every time, and on the last race I said this is the last time, but just as I left the starting line my valve seat fell out. Should have stopped one race sooner. BTW, the Ducati 350 or 450 Desmo was always my dream bike.

I used to buy TEMPO paint for car touch up and painting small parts. That was good paint, but I haven't seen TEMPO in many years. I should try some other can of car paint to see how the black looks. Actually the Rustoleum doesn't look bad on the generator and distributor, unless you hold another DCC 9000 black part next to it, then you see the grayish or brownish look of the Rustoleum.

In the 70's I sprayed my big old McCulloch chain saw with zinc chromate primer, then the yellow top coat. The zinc chromate primer stuck nice to the aluminum, but the yellow not so well to the primer. I didn't sand the primer and may have let it set too long before the top coat.

[mshmodela]

Great timing of this post, and the painting of my Stipe shock core...so a darker primer... I've got black rustoleum but like the many blacks out there and what's on my frame, I'll have to try and see... just have to be somewhat close for me....

[Cool Hand Lurker]

I raced a 65 Ducati Diana 250 on the dirt oval back then. It was all black. It went like a shot and handled like a dream and it had the desmo valve system too. Ah, if I were young again........

[ModelAMike1930]

I once ran into a batch of rustoleum paint that actually had a brownish cast to it.

[Slotblog]

A former college roommate who went to work for PPG as a paint chemist informed me that almost all black colors have an underlying tint, sometimes blue, brown, green, etc.

He indicated that there were very few true blacks that absorb all colors of ambient light.

[Patrick L.]

tried to delete

[SeaSlugs]

Ask any professional car painter - black and red are the 2 most difficult colors to match.

[Purdy Swoft]

I ,bought a new Cushman highlander in 61 the colors were red and charcoal grey . The charcoal grey part always looked black to me. I haven't heard charcoal grey mentioned in a long time. It reminds me of my Cushman scooter , I wish that I still had it .

[rocket1]

I was told black is not a color but a shade,more useless info.