A reflective spray paint

[Odd Man Out]

Hi all;

I have been on a quest to make my DW's as safe as possible at night. I have thought about sticking on adhesive reflectors on the frame and rims but the "aesthetics" really turned me off. I have been experimenting with reflective paints and think I have found a winner:

Krylon Industrial "Reflect-A-Lite"

It is a totally clear spray paint that you can find on the web. My favorite site is MSCDirect.com. They have everything.
The URL for the paint:
http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/NNSRIT?PMPXNO=8063580&PMT4NO=39038910

So here is why I am so excited...
The following shot was taken in a hallway without a flash:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3296/2312793267_572d668f2b_o.jpg

Now here is the same shot with a flash, or if hit by a car's headlight:


http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2194/2312793281_a096357bd8_o.jpg

Since it is clear you can see I did not do a good job on coverage but it does reflect really well.

I am stoked -- I plan to coat pretty much everything I can with this stuff. Hope this helps.

Odd Man Out

P.S. I do not work for em

[SirJoey]

Good one, OM! I like it!

How's the finish? As good as regular clear coat?

[Pagan Wizard]

This looks great, I can't wait for your full review. What I like about this stuff is that it looks like you can paint your ride any color you choose, and then apply this reflective coat. I will echo Joey's question of; Is this as good as regular clear coat? Also....does this have a glossy, semi gloss or matt finish?

[Odd Man Out]

I can't really tell what finish it is. It sprays on "invisible", you can't tell where you sprayed and and far as I can tell it does not effect the color it is sprayed over. Another great thing -- it dries superquick. I sprayed a rim and touched it less than a minute later (smart, I know...). The rim wasn't even tacky. It was totally dry. I am sold on this stuff. Once I get another DW finished I will post night time on the road pix with my wife shining headlights on me from various distances and angles.

[TheKid]

I was looking for this stuff a couple of years ago. It was on the krylon web site, but I couldn't find a retail outlet, either locally or on the net. I found out that Dupli-color also makes this paint, and I bought it from a local auto supply. It goes on clear, but it doesnt have the shine of a regular clear coat. The good news is, you can clearcoat over it, and still retain the reflective quality. What makes it reflective are minute glass beads in the paint. I was also looking for a brush on version, and lo and behold, I found an art supply store that sells the glass beads and clear lacquer. You just mix the beads with the lacquer and some thinner. The beads are suspended in a white paste. They're so small, you can't feel them in the paste. The paste turns clear when the lacquer dries.

[SirJoey]

Glad you posted that, Kid, cuz that's exactly what I was wondering, if one could clear coat over it without losing the reflective properties. I figured it would work. Best of both worlds, high gloss & night reflectivity! BONUS!

[n9viw]

I hate my filter at work! That stuff sounds so interesting, and OM's pics seem to have turned out well, but the work filter blocks the entire Flickr site! :mad: Grr!

[Pagan Wizard]

Is this as good as regular clear coat? Also....does this have a glossy, semi gloss or matt finish?


The good news is, you can clearcoat over it, and still retain the reflective quality. What makes it reflective are minute glass beads in the paint.


This answers all of my questions about this paint. Thanx Kid!!:cool: