# what texture does a flock foam roller leave?



## pman626 (Jun 28, 2016)

still trying to find perfect roller for smoothest finish.

What texture does a flock roller leave?
Would be nice if you can bounce light off a flock painted surface and take a picture.

I tried brushing, and then backrolling with dry velour and dry high density foam rollers.
As the velour roller gradually got loaded with paint, it left a finish no different than rolling alone without brushing.

My results....
Foam left smoother finish, but slightly less shine.
Velour left bigger bumps.


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## Toots (Feb 27, 2018)

What kind of paint are you using? Honestly either of those pictures are poor leveling performance from a high quality roller. Getting a paint that levels better may be the real answer.


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## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

I don't think a roller exists that will leave the glass-like finish you desire @pman626. I can't recall if you mentioned having access to a sprayer, but, that is the way to get glass-like results with a quality paint. I've seen fellow painters create "furniture" quality results on cabinets with the magic of their spray rigs. I don't quite have that experience with spraying, but, with some practice, it IS doable.


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## mathmonger (Dec 27, 2012)

I don't know if it's still true, but I've always heard the gold standard was to go over it lightly with a soft brush so there is no chance of having any stipple. I could never make it work perfectly, though. Maybe that only works with oil paints so you have enough time.


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## pman626 (Jun 28, 2016)

Toots said:


> What kind of paint are you using? Honestly either of those pictures are poor leveling performance from a high quality roller. Getting a paint that levels better may be the real answer.


I followed with dry rolling, so there wasn't enough paint to level out here.

On a previous test piece, I dunked the whole velour roller into the can, and it dried better, with a thicker coat and less orange peel.

I'm trying different techniques to get the smoothest shiniest finish without a sprayer.




Gymschu said:


> I don't think a roller exists that will leave the glass-like finish you desire @pman626. I can't recall if you mentioned having access to a sprayer, but, that is the way



Some rollers advertise a spray-like finish, so I'm trying to see what the best results look like.
Flock foam is one of these, but looking at the pictures, it looks like the roller has dense fuzzy foam fibers?
I imagine that would leave some tiny stipple?

Maybe the fastest and cheapest way now is to use a propylene glycol paint extender and live with light brush marks.

If I go to SW and buy some rollers, can't return them if I use them.


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## stick\shift (Mar 23, 2015)

> I followed with dry rolling, so there wasn't enough paint to level out here.


Maybe you're working the paint too much - apply and then leave it alone to give it time to level out before it dries.


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## Gettysburg (Mar 11, 2018)

I agree with Gymschu. I've used cheap dollar store rollers and the paints I use, BM and SW, self level very well. 
Also, my friend just had her kitchen cabinets brush painted and the guy used alkyd paint and it came out smooth-amazing! like pre-finished cabinets. I've never used alkyd.


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## cocomonkeynuts (Jan 12, 2018)

Roll with a good microfiber cover, thick enough so it has room to level out but not too thick that it wont cure properly. Check the manufacturer TDS for wet mil thickness specifications. Water borne paints can look **** *** if you play with the paint too much. Cabinet coat with a brush for example _can _lay down like it was sprayed just as long as you don't keep brushing it too much.

Good alkyd paints, like satin impervo, in the right hands can be made to look like glass with a bit of brushing reducer.


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