i have a gal of gloss black and was wondering if i could just put an additive into it to turn it satin black.

 

No- you dont add anything to the paint

you need to mix a flattening agent into your clear coat (PPG and a few other vendors make a generic agent). Not rocket science... you will figure it out.

OR
if you dont want to mix it yourself you could just pay the extra money and get gal of "satin clear coat".

 

There are flattening agents out there for single stage paints, depends on the manufacturer. I know PPG and Dupont have it and can be used in single stage.

 

Guys, What kind of paint. Lacquer, enamel, urethane, polyurethane, waterborne? What are we spraying here?

U-tech makes a flattening agent for urethane and poly paints. Its #890 Flattening agent. I have the paperwork right here. You can use it for color or clear it doesn't matter.

Eggshell 20%, semi 30%, matte 40%, flat 50%.

 

oh! wow, I didn't know that! single stage paint has been banned in here and cali... I never would have thought of that!

 

Really? That is interesting what makes single stage paint any different that other paint?

I thought it was just all paints with VOC levels above a certain range

 

that's what I thought too!!! went to hayward color, san leandro color and a few other places... they all where forced to stop sales of single stage paints... I also live in the Bay Area (home of the EPA) and this could be something they are only doing here.