Clear flat finish?

[Sikk]

I have just learned casting habitat ( rocks, mushrooms etc), my question: does any one know of a truly flat clear coat finish? I have tried Krylon satin and matte finishes but they both have some sheen to them, thanks, Paul

[Studio106]

Can you give a little more information as to what you are trying to do and why? I guess more so the 'why' aspect of it. Are you just wanting to knock down the shine on something (rock, mushroom, etc.), or are you also wanting to seal whatever it is? If you just want to knock down the shine, maybe thinning down a flattening agent like lifetones laquer flattening agent with thinner 50/50 and dusting whatever your're working on will accomplish what you want to do. I know that too much flattening agent can leave a milky tint, but thinning it down may eleiminate that. You may have to adjust the ratio, but I would start at a 50/50 mix.If you need to seal your rock, maybe seal it with your matte clear and then dust it with the thinned out flattening agent. What type of casting material are you using when you cast rocks (latex or silicone molds,etc.) ?  Additional info would help.

[Sikk]

I am painting some rocks for a habitat, and I want the rocks to have a dry look, not wet, the sealers all add some sheen to the paint. I want to seal the rocks so the habitat can be cleaned, dusted without damaging the paint job. paul

[bill@hogheaven]

try sealer or matte finish with flattening agent added.

[Studio106]

It depends on what you are using for casting materials, but when I cast river rocks with latex molds and smooth on 320, I will coat my latex mold with a release agent and sprinkle some sandy dirt into it, work it around the mold with my finger, tap out the excess and cast with the smooth on as I normally would. You can also use dry tempera in place of dirt/sand. The sandy dirt give an excellent appearance and knocks the shine off completely. If you do this method correctly, I guarantee that you can set your cast rock next to the real rock and your buddy won't be able to pick the real rock from the cast rock (except purely by luck). That method creates an exact duplicate.