Picture this: you’re halfway through an elaborate DIY project when you realize that you haven’t bought any paint. You search online to try and find some oil-based paint that works for your project, but the internet offers you too many types of paint, and you don’t know where to begin! Thankfully, this is where we come in.
In this guide to oil-based spray paint, we will explain what oil-based paints are, when, and how you use them, followed by a list of the top ten best oil-based paints currently available in the market.
Also Read: Ultimate Guide To Homemade Paint Remover
Let’s go!
What are oil-based spray paints?
Oil-based spray paints are, quickly simply, paints that have either a natural or synthetic oil as their base instead of water. When it comes to natural oil-based spray paints, it is worth noting that the paint has linseed oil as its base. On the other hand, less natural and chemical-based paint will have synthetic alkyd as its base.
Oil-based spray paints are much more durable than synthetic spray paints and dry very quickly. After the paint dries, it leaves behind a shiny or glossy finish that eventually begins to fade over time.
When to use oil-based spray paints?
You can use oil-based spray paints at any time. However, it would be best to use oil-based spray paints when you want the paint to cover a surface and last for a long time. This means that you would usually use oil-based spray paint on furniture, cabinets, and molding. Additionally, you can use these paints on a wide range of surfaces, including glass, wood, and concrete.
You can use oil-based spray paints on outdoor furniture, mainly if you live in a place that is prone to constantly changing weather. Oil-based spray paints are specially designed to withstand different weather conditions, which means that they won’t run, bleed, or stain your furniture. You can also use these paints when you aren’t planning on changing the color of the surface or furniture very often.
How to use oil-based spray paint?
Using oil-based spray paint is much simpler than you might think. However, even though the process is relatively simple, here are some tips to remember before you get started.
- Oil-based spray paints have strong fumes, so you must use them in a well-ventilated room. If you have a wide porch or garden, we’d highly recommend using the spray paint outdoors.
- Wear a spray paint mask, don’t breathe any toxic fumes, dust, or paint particles.
- Depending on what you’re painting, it would help you if you dismantled the furniture and sprayed the individual pieces separately.
- Before you use a can of spray paint, ensure that you shake it several times.
- Hold the can at least five feet away from the surface you’re about to paint when you’re ready to start painting. Doing this ensures that you will cover the surface evenly with the oil-based spray paint. It also helps make sure that the surface will dry evenly.
- Once you start to paint, try and paint in several different directions. Doing this will help you cover the entire surface of the area you want to cover while also preventing noticeable stripes from forming after the paint dries.
10 Best Oil-based Spray Paints
Now, let’s take a closer look at the ten best oil-based spray paints currently available for you to buy. It is worth noting that most spray paints are oil-based, which means that in terms of choice, you aren’t limited to only one or two brands! However, if you have a wide range of color requirements, you might not be as lucky because oil-based spray paints are generally sold in only a few shades. Still, the market has multiple products to choose from, so let’s take a closer look!
Rust-Oleum Painters Touch 2X Ultra Cover Primer, Flat Black
If you’ve typed the words ‘oil-based spray paint’ in your primary search engine, there’s a good chance that the Rust-Oleum Painters Touch Ultra Cover Primer was one of the first results that popped up, and for a good reason too. Rust-Oleum is one of the best paint brands globally, with branches in the Middle East, India, and Africa! They offer users a wide range of paint and paint-related products, one of which is this Painters Touch Ultra Cover Primer.
This oil-based spray paint is an enamel paint of the highest quality.
Here’s a list of some positives, negatives, and benefits of our top pick.
Pros:
- This spray paint dries very quickly.
- You buy this oil-based spray paint in various finishes and colors.
- Unlike other types of spray paint, this one doesn’t have a very strong odor.
Cons:
- We’re off to a good start because, thankfully, we couldn’t find any negatives.
Benefits:
- If you’re someone who struggles with using a spray paint can, then this product is the perfect choice for you because it is easy to use.
- It is durable and long-lasting.
- This paint is resistant to chipping, indicating that you can use it on various surfaces.
Price:
A single can costs $4.98.
Rust-Oleum 327918 American Accents Spray Paint, Satin Blossom White
Since we’ve already recommended Rust-Oleum so highly, it shouldn’t surprise you that our second recommendation is another one of their products. The Rust-Oleum American Accents Spray Paint is another excellent oil-based spray paint that you can use on multiple types of surfaces. One of the best features of this particular spray paint is that you can use it as both paint and primer, making it ideal for people on a budget.
Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons.
Pros:
- This oil-based spray paint is perfect if you have a wide plastic surface to cover.
- It adheres extremely to wood and metal as well.
- It is ideal for indoor furniture.
Cons:
- Unlike a few other oil-based spray paints that thrive in different types of weather, this paint does thrive in cold temperatures. It tends to peel easily when the temperature drops below 60 degrees F.
- It has a very strong odor, so it would be best not to spray this paint indoors.
Benefits:
- This oil-based spray paint is often sold in six or 12 packs, which can help you save money and time.
- It is ideal for people on a budget who are searching for affordable and easily accessible oil-based spray paint!
Price:
A single can costs $4.98.
Krylon K03452007 ColorMaster Primer Bonus
Now that we’ve come to our third pick, we’re taking a break from Rust-Oleum products for a second to focus on another familiar paint brand, Krylon. Krylon products are high-quality and easy to find at a local hardware store or online. If you’ve been searching for spray paint with a metallic finish, then this ColorMaster Primer Bonus paint might be the answer to your problems. It comes in cans of three different sizes, and you can choose from over 30 colors.
Let’s look at some of the pros and cons.
Pros:
- This paint is easy to find in physical and online stores.
- It does not drip or run.
- It is very easy to apply.
Cons:
- While the packaging says that this paint will dry in 15 minutes, it takes several hours to dry.
- It tends to get scratched quite easily.
Benefits:
- Krylon offers you a wide selection of vivid and bright colors, which means that if you’re doing a DIY project, you won’t be bored!
- This paint is perfect for home projects.
Price:
A single can costs $4.96.
Rust-Oleum 338928-6Pk Stops Rust Advanced Spray Paint
In case you’re wondering, we’re not sorry about the number of Rust-Oleum products on this list! Once you buy a few cans of spray paint from them, you’ll understand why. Our fourth recommendation is the Rust-Oleum Stops Rust Advanced Spray Paint. This oil-based spray paint is made of enamel, which means that just like many other spray paints, you can use this one on different surfaces. These include concrete, metal, and wood. It leaves behind a satin finish, which means that the surface you spray won’t be very shiny!
Here’s a list of some of the pluses and minuses of this paint.
Pros:
- This oil-based spray paint adheres exceptionally well to multiple types of surfaces.
- It is perfect for outdoor use, such as wooden or metal furniture.
- A single can cover up to ten square feet.
- It dries in under five hours.
Cons:
- We couldn’t seem to find any!
Benefits:
- Just like the Krylon ColorMaster Primer Bonus, this paint can help improve a home project by brightening it up.
- It dries with a low shine. Therefore, this is a wonderful option if you want a can of spray paint with a finish that leans towards matte.
Price:
This oil-based spray paint costs $36.99.
Krylon K05588007 COLORmaxx Spray Paint and Primer for Indoor/Outdoor Use
Our second Krylon recommendation, and the oil-based spray paint that is rounding off our top five picks is the COLORmaxx Spray Paint and Primer! This product is perfect for both outdoor and indoor use. One of the best features of the ColorMaxx paint is that you can purchase it in various finishes, including matte, glossy, metallic, satin, and semi-gloss. You can buy a can in either an 11 or 12-ounce size.
Let’s look at the pros and cons.
Pros:
- You can use this oil-based spray paint on most plastics, wicker, wood, metal, ceramic, glass, plaster, fabric, and even paper!
- You can spray this paint can upside down.
Cons:
- Some users have reported that this paint leaves streaks after drying, but you should note that the way the paint dries depends on how you apply it.
Benefits:
- The Krylon COLORmaxx range has multiple bright colors to choose from.
- It is fade-resistant.
- This paint protects your projects from rust.
Price:
This oil-based spray paint costs $5.99.
Rust-Oleum 271481 Universal All Surface Spray Paint
Another fantastic Rust-Oleum product is the Universal All Surface spray paint, which is oil-based. This spray paint leaves behind a metallic finish that makes every surface it is sprayed on look brighter and better! Like many of the other spray paints mentioned on our list, you can use this oil-based paint on various surfaces, including wicker, vinyl, fiberglass, and concrete. The oil-based formula is resistant to fading and also prevents rust from developing.
Let’s examine the pros and cons.
Pros:
- This paint is highly durable and long-lasting.
- It has a hammered finish.
Cons:
- The spray can’s applicator is difficult to use.
Benefits:
- This oil-based spray paint dries in 30 minutes or less.
- A single can covers around 15 square feet of space.
- You can buy this paint as a single pack or six-pack.
Price:
This paint costs $62.04 for a pack of six cans.
Rust-Oleum Varathane 9181 Interior Polyurethane Oil-Based Spray, Satin Finish
Our next Rust-Oleum pick is the Varathane Interior Polyurethane Oil-Based Spray with a satin finish. This spray paint is ideal for those of you that need a product for the interior portions of your cabinets or doors. We would also recommend using this paint for the trim in your home, such as around a doorframe. Since this product is oil-based spray paint, its finish is even, smooth, and highly durable.
Here’s a list of some pros and cons.
Pros:
- This paint takes around two hours to dry.
- It is self-leveling.
- The oil-based formula ensures durability.
Cons:
- After trying to find some negatives about this product, we couldn’t!
Benefits:
- A single can of this paint can cover around 25 square feet of space.
- In addition to providing you with a smooth and even finish, this paint protects the surfaces that it covers.
Price:
A single can costs $9.48.
Rust-Oleum 7578838 Professional High-Performance Enamel Spray Paint
As we near the end of our list, you should note that our eighth pick is also our final Rust-Oleum recommendation, and we’re making sure to close out the list strongly. This enamel spray paint is sold in various colors and can withstand many different weather conditions. This spray paint’s oil-based formula is highly durable and easy to apply.
Let’s look at the pros and cons.
Pros:
- This oil-based spray paint is highly resistant to corrosion and rust.
- It dries in 15 minutes or less.
- You can buy this paint in a pack of one, two, three, or six cans.
Cons:
- There aren’t any.
Benefits:
- This oil-based spray paint has an excellent finish that leaves your furniture and cabinets looking brand new.
- It is incredibly durable, thanks to the fact that it was specially designed for indoor and outdoor use.
- You aren’t limited to the surfaces on which you can use this paint because you can use it on ferrous and non-ferrous metal, concrete, and wood.
Price:
A single can costs $23.84.
SEYMOUR 620-1413 Industrial MRO High Solids Spray Paint
We’re near the end of our list, and our second-last recommendation is a product by Seymour. This high solid spray paint does not run, drip, or sag after spraying it, and it is a fantastic alternative to Rust-Oleum. The can’s nozzle is designed to give users complete control over the amount of paint they spray! We can assure you that you will love this oil-based spray paint.
These are the pros and cons.
Pros:
- It offers users excellent coverage.
- It is heat-resistant.
Cons:
- You need to apply at least two coats of this paint to see results. One coat is not enough.
Benefits:
- This oil-based spray paint adheres very well to different kinds of surfaces, including wicker, metal, and concrete.
Price:
A single can costs $22.46.
Valspar 21944 Gloss Hunter Green Enamel
Our final recommendation is the Valspar Gloss Hunter Enamel spray paint. This paint has an oil-based formula that you can use indoors and outdoors on surfaces like metal and wood. It is easy to apply and find online and in physical stores.
These are the pros and cons.
Pros:
- You use this paint on indoor and outdoor furniture and material.
- It contains enamel, making it ideal for places with extreme weather conditions.
Cons:
- Once again, we couldn’t seem to find any.
Benefits:
- This paint is UV-resistant, which means that it won’t fade or yellow over time.
- It resists scratches.
- It dries very quickly.
Price:
- A single can costs $14.40.
FAQs
To thin oil-based paint for a spray gun, you need to combine one part thinner with three parts of paint. Stir the mixture in a bucket using a plastic ruler or a wooden stick.
Yes, you can.
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Final Note
While it might seem strange that we included multiple different products from the same brand, we wanted to show you that even though the base of those spray paints is oil-based, you will achieve various results with different types of spray paints!
