# SW Satin ProClassic is dusty and flat



## Droosky (Aug 20, 2009)

I lightly washed the cabinet doors with TSP, rinsed well and lightly sanded with a 320 grit palm. Followed this with full priming and 2 coats of the SW Proclassic latex satin. The finish is completely flat, not a spec of sheen and when I smoothed my hand over one of the doors, it came away dusty. I am baffled about the lack of shine and the dust. i suppose the dust could be from the small amount of overspray in my workshop. I feel like I need to put a 3rd coat of finish and hope for the best, but I am losing the woodgrain texture with each coat.


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## Metro M & L (Jun 3, 2009)

Pro classic is a different critter. I think each gloss level feels a step down from what you would expect. The semigloss is more like a satin, satin more like a flat. I'm sure the sheen measurements are dead on but the finish looks and feels different than most latex paints. Most people love it, some customers get po'd and think you cheaped out on the paint. 

If you want more sheen I would shoot it with the semi/ the satin isn't going to get you there. I haven't tried the full gloss; that might have the look you're ultimately after. Get sw to crack a can and let you compare some swatches.


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## Kuba (May 3, 2009)

I use Pro Classic a lot... First of alll... are you sanding after each prime? Are you using a tac cloth to pull out the dust from the pores before paint? If you handle Pclassic the right way the sheen is just fine.. One thing people do wrong with this paint is drag it. You need to know how to lay down the mils with a brush properly and do not pull or drag the paint at all. Light sand before your finish coat and it should be fine. Thinning helps if you havent used it before, gives you more time to lay it on, just dont sag it =)


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## Metro M & L (Jun 3, 2009)

Pro classic always catches me with a sag. I have to remember. apply, brush, brush bruuuuuuuuush ( a long one to pull it all together). It's a fine line, without extender it will get ropy; with an extender it will get saggy without a lot of brushing. I opt for the latter.


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## Kuba (May 3, 2009)

Im personally getting tired of Pro classic... Looks nice, but a time eater. It drags so bad and doesnt have a wet edge at all.. I know theres a thinning trick out there for this **** that makes it nice and user friendly (faster), but Ive yet to discover it.. Maybe smaller portions of extender? Just enough to get it to flow without sagging.. hmm, duno.. Im starting to think I can use a lesser grade and just 3 coat faster than i can single this crap...

Think im moving to BM for my trim paints, they flow better and dont drag as much and you can single coat with no problems if you brush well enough. I wish i had the picks of the trim i did with BM the last time, they looked hot - :thumbsup:


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## Kuba (May 3, 2009)

forgot to mention...

IF you have to cover some new windows on a hot humid day.. best find something else to do..

Pro Classic will make your day a fkn nightmare :laughing: by your second stroke you will burnish and scream bloody murder :w00t:


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## Wolfgang (Nov 16, 2008)

Try IncrediCoat by SW. Also, to get the satin sheen you will need to go with a semi-gloss.


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## Mantis (Jul 30, 2008)

Pro Classic semi is the trim finish we use most often when spraying. It sprays beautifully. Though, I try not to brush Pro Classic much as it does get rather ropey as others have stated. We shot some satin by mistake a couple years ago (sherwin delivered satin instead of semi and we didnt look before loading it in... oops) and it was definitely "duller" than other satins ive used. Pro-Class Semi-Gloss is equivalent to a high satin. If I hazarded a guess, I would put it somewhere around a 25-30 sheen gloss level.

However, if you're running your hand over a freshly painted surface and it's coming back dusty there may be other factors like the dust you mentioned. What size tip are you using? What pressure? Any additives? I reccomend scuffing up your doors with some 220, tack cloth them, and try shooting them with some pro-classic semigloss. Try a 310FF tip and turn your pressure up only high enough so the paint atomizes correctly.

Good luck! :thumbsup:


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## Droosky (Aug 20, 2009)

thanks to everyone, so what is the best product and approach for spraying cabinet doors??


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## Dorman Painting (May 2, 2006)

As most people here have already stated, Pro Classic is a tough paint to use. I've never been totally satisfied with the end results, if you don't put floetrol in it, you're screwed. On top of that, you need to get the right mixture, to much floetrol and it sags, to little and it ropes up. 

We recently painted a garage man door and now I have to strip the door due to sagging and roping. For the money spent, it's not that good of a product. The dull sheen levels you typically get don't justify the money, SW needs to reformulate and produce a better product.


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## Droosky (Aug 20, 2009)

I have now used the ProClassic SG and it looks dull too. Maybe I am thinning too much. I use a FUJI 4-stage turbine HVLP and it comes with a little cup for getting the viscosity to a specified range suitable for spraying. I find that I am having to thin by as much as 30% to hit the target range. Maybe that is too much?? I started spraying only recently and have done 3 kitchens in the last few months. I want to get this thing right as there is no other painters in my area who are doing this and advertising it.


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## plazaman (Apr 17, 2005)

tried proclassic for the first time on this job, some guys hate it, some think its ok. I persoanlly like the finish of the proclassic. i havent found a SW product so far that has a finish like it. Ive been on the hunt lately for a good trim paint.


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## Metro M & L (Jun 3, 2009)

Adding solvent to a paint or finish will always reduce it's sheen. Proclassic is definitely a step down each gloss level. If you're cutting it 30% it's going to take you even further from where you want to be. If you're going to master the cabinet finishing end of things I would look to a different coating and perhaps switch to a latex undercoat and then some type of catalyzed clear coat.


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## 4thGeneration (Nov 23, 2006)

Murallo has been my trim finish of choice. It dries fast and dries hard with a good sheen. The first time I used it there were some sags, but I adjusted that same day and no problems. Its waterborne so it is not going to apply the same as straight latex as will ProClassic have a different feel until you get used to it.


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## NJPainter (Dec 6, 2006)

Finally splurged on the proclassic several months ago and have had the same issues as everyone else. Used differing levels of extender and couldn't get a perfect mix. It dries hard, but the application is mind-numbing. 
For all the revenue they generate, you'd figure S-W would have a stranglehold on quality and performance at varying price points.


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## THINKPAINTING (Feb 24, 2007)

All the new waterborne 's and proclassic etc crack me up...yes we have used them all pretty much and Muralo is probaly the best of them all.

But we have used Ben Moore Aqua Glo, Muralo superfinish, for years with great results. My own kitchen cabinets were painted with aqua glo for 9 freakin yrs with no problems. We add flo and water mix er up and presto
flows like glass......no dry flashing and flat spots like waterbornes...

Sometimes the new sh***t is bullsh***t and we are better off sticking with what works.

OK I feel better now.:thumbup:


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## bconley (Mar 8, 2009)

While I'm not a painter I know that conversion varnish is the best finish for cabinets.
I have seen Kitchens done with ProClassic fail in two years.
Try the Sher-wood kemvar-conversion varnish.


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## oquist (Dec 12, 2007)

*SW Pro Classic*

You guys that are bashing it need to learn how to paint. We have tried a bunch of paints since oil has been restricted here. This is the only trim paint that I use now, since oil base is not available. This stuff flows like oil, it is thick, but put in some flow control for brushing or water for spraying. It takes 3 coats just like a car for spraying. First the tack coat, just a mist like guide coat. Then a cover coat, don't see any of the old color, then is the flow coat, just enought paint where it will not sag. Wait 5 to 15 ninutes in between coats depending on the weather, if you touch it it has to still be sticky between coats or you waited too long and have to start over. 

Do a search on tip sizes.


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## Dorman Painting (May 2, 2006)

oquist said:


> You guys that are bashing it need to learn how to paint. We have tried a bunch of paints since oil has been restricted here. This is the only trim paint that I use now, since oil base is not available. This stuff flows like oil, it is thick, but put in some flow control for brushing or water for spraying. It takes 3 coats just like a car for spraying. First the tack coat, just a mist like guide coat. Then a cover coat, don't see any of the old color, then is the flow coat, just enought paint where it will not sag. Wait 5 to 15 ninutes in between coats depending on the weather, if you touch it it has to still be sticky between coats or you waited too long and have to start over.
> 
> Do a search on tip sizes.


No, for the money it costs, this product shouldn't be that difficult to use. It should be much more painter friendly, having to buy a gallon of floetrol and spend extra money is ridiculous. In short, it's a finicky paint but when properly adjusted with floetrol, it does a decent job. 

SW should be able to produce a trim product that number one, is actually consistent with the sheen it claims to be. Number two, you shouldn't have to buy floetrol to give their top trim paint leveling and consistency. Their wall paints are great, but their trim paints are average. I've went round and round with the SW people in my area over this too. The lack of sheen in their semigloss products is ridiculous and it's saving them money to go duller.


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## InThe352 (Jan 12, 2010)

To those of you who use the ProClassic brand regularly, look for an improved ProClassic line addressing the issues found in this thread. Most of the these issues have been known by the company, and Sherwin-Williams has already started shipping out the improved Semi-Gloss line.


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