Have some metal to glow in the dark? Then all you need is a glow in the dark paint. These paints are made using glow pigments that absorb the light and emit it slowly, thus giving a glow effect.
How brighter and longer the glow depends on the paint, thickness, and charge. Most glow paints are thin and water-based, so they have difficulty adhering to the metal.
Choosing the right paint is crucial; it can make or break your craft. Then comes the obvious part, i.e., thickness and charge, which suggests applying the paint thickly(4-5 coats) and charging it well.
Now, glow paint uses light as its food and emits them. So, if you feed them using an intense light, they will glow brighter for a long and vice-versa. While there are a lot of sources, Blacklight, by far, is the best option.
It charges pretty quickly and ensures a bright glow. If you don’t have a blacklight, an LED, lamplight, or sunlight works fine. Just for your knowledge, here is the blacklight I use; you can give it a try. Believe me, it’s worth the price.
Now, the main question arises- Which glow in the dark paint works best on metal?
And that indeed is a tricky question. Most of the glow paints I have tested don’t even adhere to metal; forget about the glow. But after testing tens of these glow in the dark paints, I have finally listed the top three of them.
So, without further ado, let’s have a quick look at them, following with the review.
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Table of Contents
3. Ultra Green V10 Glow in the Dark Paint For Metal –
There isn’t a doubt that Ultra Green V10 deserves the third position. If you have ever searched for a glow in the dark paint, then, sure enough, you have stumbled upon this one. Its made from the highest grade strontium aluminate pigments that help it fluoresces for a long. These pigments charge themselves quickly and then emit them slowly.
There is an overload of these pigments in the bottle that you can feel them. These pigments, sure enough, give a better glow but also make it gritty. Due to the high concentration of glowing pigments, this paint feels like sand. And rubbing your hand on the paint feels like rubbing it on sandpaper.
But that’s not a big problem as you can use an acrylic spray or clear nail polish and have a coat over it to make it smooth. So, the problem was solved. Now, this is a very thick paint, much like a toothpaste, that helps it adhere well to metal. Still, you have to apply it thickly to see the best effect.
It’s recommended to have 1/16” or 4 oz per square foot. In simple words, it means you must apply around 4-5 coats for the best glow. Make sure to stir the paint well before use. Then apply it thickly and wait for it to dry. It dries semi-translucent white, which isn’t really visible in the light, especially on a lighter surface.
Oh, I forgot to tell you that this paint glows even better on a lighter surface, so having a base primer of white paint can give you a much better result. Applying it properly on a lighter surface and charging it well can glow up to 12 hours straight. The first two things are done; only the charge is left.
To get a glow for that long, you need to feed it with the best light. Sunlight, lamplight, and LED lights are good but not the best. For 12 hours, you need a Blacklight. A Blacklight is like your mobile’s fast charger that charges it quickly to get the best performance.
If you don’t have Blacklight, you can use other sources, but they aren’t that effective. Here is the blacklight I use; you can give it a try. Believe me; you will love the final result.
Pros
- Glows up to 12 hours
- A high concentration of glow pigments
- A lot of size options
- Glow brightly and adhere well
Cons
- Very Gritty feels like sand
- Highest Grade Strontium Aluminate Pigments (grade 0, Brightness Rating 33000 mcd/m2) Glow in the Dark Pigment for Paints
- Apply very thick, 1/16" or 4 oz per square foot. This container covers 18 square inches or 0.125 square feet.
- Ideal to paint abusive environments like glow in the dark fishing lures, metal surfaces or signs
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2. AstroGlow Glow in the dark paint for Metal –
AstroGlow is the best glow in the dark paint for those wanting to paint a couple of metallic things. Being a tiny bottle with 0.54 fl oz(16 ml) paint, it’s sufficient for a couple of small things, but it might be a little less if you have a lot to paint.
This bottle is similar to a nail polish bottle, with less paint, but the paint inside is amazing. The most impressive thing about this paint is its glow, which is exceptionally bright, but the sad part is that the glow doesn’t last long.
It’s the brightest for around 5-15 minutes and then a good/dim one for another 45 minutes, depending on the charge and thickness. Unlike other paints, you have to apply it thickly to see the best effect. The rule of thumb is that the thicker you apply, the more the glow.
But that doesn’t mean pouring the whole bottle on one thing. Personally, I would recommend having around 4-5 coats. When applied, it dries clear and isn’t really visible in the daylight, at least for the first few coats. You will notice a greenish hue once you have 4-5 coats, especially on a white surface.
This paint glows extremely well on a lighter surface, primarily white, so having a white primer on the metal gives a much better glow. Give it a try. Now, the consistency of this paint is better than other paints, neither thick nor runny, but that’s a bad point. Since it’s a little thin, it takes effort and patience to adhere to metal.
It’s water-based paint, so if spilled, you can wash it using water, but only when wet; once dry, it’s hard to remove it. Directly applying it to metal is a bit hard; you have to wait for every layer to dry before applying the new one, which is a bit time-consuming.
But as I said earlier, you can have a base coat of white paint that will make it easy to apply. Apart from metal, you can use this paint on plastic, wood, metal, and fabric. And for various crafts like starscapes on ceilings, signs, and fishing lures. And don’t worry, it’s non-toxic and completely safe to use.
Personally, if I have to get a glow paint in this range, I would prefer Aurora 0.68 oz over this one. But you can give it a try. If you don’t like it for any reason, you have a 100% money-back guarantee.
Pros
- Glows brightly
- It can be used on various surfaces
- Dries quickly and clear
- 100% money-back guarantee
Cons
- Less paint
- It takes a bit of effort to apply to metal
- Extremely Bright Long Lasting Glow! If charged with a bright light it will glow ALL NIGHT and will continue to recharge over and over again. No need for expensive black lights.
- Paint dries virtually clear and is nearly invisible on light colored surfaces. You won't even know it's there!
- Adheres well to plastic, wood, metal and fabric making it great for all projects including fishing lures, starscapes on ceilings, signs, & whatever else you want to make glow
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1. Aurora Bright Green Glow in The Dark Paint For Metal –
This paint is made from top-grade europium-doped aluminate oxide pigments that produce this mind-blowing glow. Since this paint has more glow pigments than others, it fluoresces for hours with seconds of charge.
What’s shocking is that this paint is very smooth, even with more pigments. No grittiness, no sand-like particles, nothing, just a smooth layer of paint. I used it on my metal key, and it glowed for around 10 hours with 20 seconds of charge from blacklight. The first 8 hours were very bright, with 2 hours of dim glow.
Since then, I have only used this paint. If you are thinking of getting Aurora, get this Blacklight for better charging. Believe me, it’s worth the price. This paint is available in two sizes 1.7 oz(50 ml), 0at a temperature of .68 oz(20 ml), and in two colors: Aqua Green and Aqua Blue. I recommend getting the 1.7 oz(50 ml) and Aqua green(most glowing).
Firstly, you get more paint at less price, and you can apply them to many things. Apart from metal, you can use it on wood, glass, fabric, plastic, etc. It will work just fine. Since it’s non-toxic and non-flammable, you can apply it indoors or outdoors without a second thought.
When applied, it dries clear for the first 2-3 coats, and you can’t notice it’s there, but it gets a slight yellow tinge with more coats. This paint works best on a white surface, so if possible, have a primer of white paint on the metal before using this paint. This will yield a brighter glow than usual.
And, finally, the best part. Drumrolls, please! With this bottle, you get lifetime access to the Exclusive VIP Stencils Membership that will help you make professional-looking art with ease.
Pros
- Smooth and adheres well to metal
- It glows brightly for hours
- Charge within seconds
- Multiple color and size options
- It can be used on multiple layers
- Access to Exclusive VIP Stencils Membership
Cons
- Little costly, but worth every penny
- Very Strong/Vivid Bright Green Fluorescence (off white/cream color in daylight)
- Glows ALL NIGHT after a 10 second light charge (UV flashlight is best!)
- Included: Lifetime Access To The Exclusive VIP Stencils Membership - Easily Create Professional Looking Wall Art!
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Tips for Glow in the dark paint for Metal –
1. Most paints don’t adhere well to metal, so don’t even think of diluting your paint.
2. These paints glow well on lighter surfaces, so if possible, have a white primer and then paint over it.
3. Thickness is just as crucial as charge, so have at least 4-5 coats before testing the glow.
4. Before making a new layer, let the old one wholly dry.
5. Use a powerful light source to charge them, giving a much better glow.
6. If using outdoors, varnish it over with clear paint or acrylic spray for waterproofing.
FAQ –
How do you make metal glow in the dark?
To make a metal glow, you need to apply a glow in the dark paint over it and let it dry. Apply it thickly and have around 4-5 layers for the best effect.
Once all the coats dry, charge them using a strong light source. I would recommend a Blacklight over any other source. After the charge, turn the lights off, and BOOM, you just made metal glow in the dark.
Do glow in the dark metal paints work?
Yes, they work fantabulously; that’s why they are named glow paints for metal. While most glow paints can be used on many surfaces, finding the one for metal is pretty hard.
So, if you got the wrong paint, it definitely won’t work. So the answer depends on the paint you got. I have listed the top three, get the top one, and it will work.
How long will glow in the dark paint last on metal?
Once dry, it will last for years without any problem. You can charge it millions of times and get that glow effect. But if you have applied it on a super-thin metal, don’t try to peel it off.
You get hours of glow with every charge, especially with Aurora, where you get like 8-10 hours of bright glow.
How do you use glow in the dark paint on metal?
You can apply it in two ways. Either apply the glow paint straightforwardly or do a base coat of white paint and apply the paint over it. The latter gives a much better effect, but it’s your personal choice to select anyone.
You have to apply it thickly(4-5 layers), and once everything dries, you need to give it a sweet recharge. For charging, you need a light source. Any light works like sunlight, lamplight, etc., but the best of all is a Blacklight.
Conclusion –
You are pretty excited to use glow paint on the metal. Now, let’s do a quick recap. In this article, I talked about the best glow in the dark paint for metals you can get right now.
I have handpicked these paints that adhere well to metal and make them glow in the dark. Choosing them was nowhere easy, so I would really appreciate it if you took a moment and shared it with your friends and family.
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