If I had a hammered ...

June 5, 2023 8:48 AM

Where in the US or online can I purchase red hammered-finish paint?

I would like to buy a quart or so of red hammered-finish paint, which I plan to use to paint (and cover up the rust on) a metal gate and railing. The product I'm looking for is sometimes called "direct-to-metal" hammered finish paint. It is damnably difficult to find.

I am in Northern California. I've been to all the local hardware stores (big-box and little-box), and have contacted local crafting and hobby stores, too. Nada.

It seems that it's the color I want that makes this paint tricky to locate. I can find neutral-tone hammered finish spray paint at my local stores, but 1) I would like RED paint, and 2) if I have my druthers, I'd like a brush-on paint rather than a spray paint. I'll take the spray version if that's all I can find in red.

I thought I could purchase Hammerite-brand paint, but apparently it's not sold in the US. Serves me right for watching European DIY YouTube channels.

Any secret online paint suppliers that you know about?

posted by Dr. Wu to Home & Garden (7 answers total)

It looks like eBay carries Hammerite red paint in both quart and spray applications.
posted by mezzanayne at 9:11 AM on June 5, 2023 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thanks, mezzanayne! I should've mentioned that I did look on eBay, but was put off by the seemingly too-high prices. But that'll be my last resort - thanks!
posted by Dr. Wu at 9:15 AM on June 5, 2023 [1 favorite]

If McMaster Carr doesn't have it I always question if it exists. The price is a little high and it's spray paint, but red is an option in the hammered paint here:
https://www.mcmaster.com/products/hammered-finish-paint/
posted by Narrow Harbor at 9:52 AM on June 5, 2023 [1 favorite]

Rustoleum has a line of hammer finish paints.
posted by bdc34 at 1:58 PM on June 5, 2023 [1 favorite]

Responding to bdc34

rust-oleum the website is really slow.

The brush on paint doesn't come in red but the spray paint does. CA may have banned it however, last time I was in CA. I couldn't buy naptha, or denatured alcohol.
posted by Max Power at 2:46 PM on June 5, 2023

Response by poster: bdc34 and Max Power: thank you! I've seen the Rustoleum hammered spray paint in my local stores, but never in red. So I think it's legal in this state, unless CA has specifically banned the red dyes or something.

Thanks to you, and to Narrow Harbor. I'll probably order from one of those sites. Still looking for the elusive brush-on paint, if anyone knows where to find it!
posted by Dr. Wu at 3:24 PM on June 5, 2023

Response by poster: In case anyone is still following this: The Rustoleum red hammered-finish spray paint was discontinued last month, and McMaster Carr does not have any red hammered-finish paint of any kind in stock. (They suggest using an alkyl-based paint instead.)

So the search continues!
posted by Dr. Wu at 10:10 AM on June 6, 2023