Customer Reviews for Rust-Oleum Specialty 30 oz. Dark Gray Magnetic Primer

My kid wanted a MAGNETIC CHALKBOARD WALL (137inx89in) so I bought this product as well as the recomended foam roller and a quart of Beautitone Chalkboard paint in black. First of all, the "light grey" primer is more like thick black sludge that you have to constantly mix by hand. (Getting the store to mix it in the shaker didn't do anything) Use in little batches because it dries fast and causes clumps as it dries. I thought one can would be enough for 2 coats but I was sadly mistaken and had to hunt down another can. 2 cans resulted in 2 full coats and enough leftover for spot touch ups for where I thought my kid would use magnets the most (concentrating on the middle strip of the wall) The end texture was like sand paper and roller marks were visible. I hoped the paint would cover that... I was wrong. Because the primer was pretty much black, I thought this would help with extending the black chalkboard paint I was going to put on top. Again, I was wrong. I put on a first coat of chalkboard paint with a regular pile roller but when it dried I didn't like how rough the wall was, it wouldn't be good for chalk... So for the 2nd coat I hand-painted it to get in the grooves and used a squeegee to try and make it smooth. After drying, even if the texture was less gritty, you could still see all of the roller marks from the primer through the paint! So back to the store I went for more chalkboard paint! The 3rd coat I just hand-painted on as well to make sure I had a good even coverage. I will edit my review once dried for 7 days and chalkboard conditioned.

This is a great product but you need to follow the directions and not take shortcuts. Mix it well. It says covers 20 sq feet, don't count coats, calculate coverage. Earth magnets are a must not just a suggestion. They are not expensive and well worth it.

Mixing was tough. Once on the wall, I had to sand to make smooth

Should have taken it as a sign not to purchase when the product was missing its UPC on the can. When I purchased it, all the cans on the shelf did not come in boxes as pictured on line, product outdated? I proceeded to purchase 3 cans of the magnetic paint, had the product mixed at the store, went home directly after, opened the cans and the product was still in big clumps, and was adhered to the sides of the can. Spent half an hour mixing it myself. Proceeded to follow the steps on the can, had a new foam roller as directed. Applied 4 thin coats, waited until each coat dried 4 hours before applying the next. Continued to apply each coat hoping that it would get better but it got worse and worse. The foam roller absorbed more of the product than what was placed on the wall. After each thin coat was applied the wall appeared to be gaining a grainy texture. The product rolled off the brush when trying to paint the edging and splattered everywhere. Again, praying it would get better I applied the 2 thin coats of chalkboard paint, this time with a nap roller, but it was too late to save the wall, the texture of the magnetic paint has made it look like an eyesore. I consulted a professional painting company and was advised that the magnetic primer would have to sanded down, or plastered over. Was told that a foam roller should not have been used to apply the magnetic paint, as it does not spread the product properly, contradictory to what the can states. This product is not worth the aggravation, time, and money.

We bought this because my wife wanted to create a magnetic chalkboard to use while teaching remotely from home. The one can was enough for three coats for the size she wanted and it works like a charm for magnets. She then painted over it with chalkboard paint, and it looks and works great.

Get it shaken at the store! [But youll still need a couple stir sticks] The paint is metal flakes suspended in liquid, it will settle. It also carries a very strong scent. Cleared out quickly but you'll need ventilation during the job. As a gearhead I loved the smell: picture a million mile oil pan with the purest sludge you've ever seen, mmm. Best to start with super smooth skim coat[level 5] Now, 7 coats. If you're doing this after 2017 and are still complaining about magnets not sticking youre not thinking outside the box. I read a few reviews with 3 coats this and that and immediately said, ok 6 coats. Yes my wife balked at 3 cans but I guaranteed results. Get your cans opened, stir stick in hand and spoon all the paint into a bucket, 2 gal is sufficient. Grab that handheld mixer attachment that's been sitting in the kitchen for 30 years and get it on your drill. Now mix the paints going from a low to high setting while continually getting the coat off the bottom of the bucket. Mix well between pour and keep covered with plastic, it sets quickly. When the last magnetic coat is ready to pour add your top coat at 1/3 to 1/2 volume and blend in bucket. Should only have to top coat once for full coverage.

As advertised and as you can see, when applied this paint produces a magnetic surface. It's as easy as paint to apply but 1. Make sure to have it shaken at the place of purchase just before you start your project, if you let it settle you are unlikely to get good results and you absolutely cannot shake it adequately by hand. 2. Apply 3-4 coats, maybe 5 if you're painting a textured wall. 3. For best results skim coat the surface you're painting. Regular fridge magnets work on this surface. If done correctly this product is great and is as easy to apply as regular interior paint.

Very expensive, purchased two cans and still it would not work as mentioned. On the plus side the black looks good but now will be covered up. Now resorting to either metal or cork board.

This is a decent magnetic surface, and more coats does improve the hold. It will not hold something super heavy. I purchased 30 mil magnetic sheets and even one coat will hold small magnets on. I do recommend 2 - 3 coats if you would like a stronger hold.

This is an excellent product when used as directed and with the proper magnets. The issue with the low ratings is that either 1) the magnets used against the painted surface are too weak, or 2) there were not enough metal particles on the wall (paint not mixed well enough or not enough coats). Have it mixed at the store, use it soon after you get home, and MIX, MIX, MIX (before and while using it. Apply 3-4 coats and you've got a great surface. You'll know you're done coating/applying the wall when magnets stick well to it (TEST before applying the top coat of latex paint). For magnets, you REALLY need Neodymium magnets at a minimum. Ferrite ("ceramic" and flexible refridgerator type magnets) will generally not stick well when there is paper or anything else between them. For Neodymium, N40 to N52 will work best (higher grade is stronger). Multi-pole / Polymagnets are available off-the-shelf and hold extremely well, the picture shows 2.5lbs being suspended from one of these. This is a very rewarding paint when you know how to use it, highly recommended. The odor during application is very strong, but once dry there is no odor and it's worth the temporary smell.

1st time using Magnetic Paint. We put on 4 coats of Rust-oleum Magnetic paint, then 2 coats of Rust-oleum chalk board paint over that. Magnets work fine! Very interesting & cool project. Highly recommend!

Terrible! I followed the directions precisely, & After curing 24 hours, magnet fell right off !! Epic fail ! So instead of magnetic board I had to regroup & add the chicken wire & clothes pins. Project turned out fabulous despite paint fiasco!

Notes/lessons learned when you purchase this product: 1) Use a roller, pan and paint brush that you are going to throw away later. No amount of remover will get those products back to use for other paint jobs. You will have to toss all those products in a bag and throw them away. 2) Ask the paint desk to spin/stir the can(s) to get it all mixed up. I then used them the same day they got mixed. Thus, I am not sure how quickly the magnetic pieces in the paint would settle if not used right away. 3) Cover the painted area thoroughly as this paint tends to splatter and if it gets on carpet or your outlet covers, it does not come off easily (or not) at all. It will smear. 4) the paint smells. Open windows if you can. It kept the smell for several days and is now just an odd, maybe magnetic? smell (but nothing I cannot live with). That being said on lessons learned, this was a fun project. I did a small triangle wall in my basement (the wall that has the stairs that go upstairs). The paint is black, which was great. I hear you can paint over it but I liked leaving it black as that was my plan. I have a ton of magnets I have collected throughout the years from various places, etc. and was excited to see if I could put them on this wall. Majority of them did stay (the heavier ones simply slide down the wall. no big deal though). The ones that do fall or slide off wall do leave a bit of a skid mark to be careful when placing them. I have had the magnets on the wall now for over 2 weeks and none have lost the magnetism. I saw other reviews that said this didn't work. I was hoping to put some picture frame magnets on that wall but they are too heavy. For the area of wall I painted (see pictures), I bought 2 cans and they were perfect for this size wall (cans are smaller than a normal sized can of paint - pint sized). See pictures to see the odd sized magnets, etc. I do plan to add more magnets to the wall and a friend suggested getting some "word" magnets to make sentences to place on the wall. :) It's a great, fun addition to what I am slowly creating as a Game room in the basement. Hope your fun project turns out great like mine!

We wanted to make a cover for our gas fireplace to keep our ever curious little ones out of it. We found an idea on Pinterest to have a magnetic chalkboard to act as a cover. I had to build a small frame for the back so it would allow enough clearance for some small area of the fireplace that jetted out about 1.25". I applied 9 coats of the Magnetic Primer to try and ensure that there would be enough on there to work well enough for the play magnets. Then I put 3 coats of the chalkboard paint and it works well enough for our needs. If your expecting magnetic Paint to hold up heavy things then it's not for you and my suggestion would be to try and retrofit something with a true metal backing. But if you're looking for something in the aspect that we were it should work fine.

Hesitated because of all the bad review, but pushed on anyway. Applied 3 coats to 18 sqft, and tried it. Used a normal magnet to hold 3 sheets of paper, and it worked. Granted, it's not going to hold tight like a magnet on a piece of metal, but it is functional. Its not like i need to hold a a novel with a single magnet. Next step is to add the chalkboard paint as a top coat.

The magnetic primer was easy to apply, even after the first coat it was able to hold magnets with my bobby pins. I put it on the wall where I get ready. It definitely saves me from all the lost bobby pins I usually had to replace and the clutter. It is a great project to consider for organisation.

We used this to paint a wall in the conference room of our office, which is over 20' long, with 9' ceilings. The primer works great, and we use it to hold up large drawings during meetings. That said, the magnetic bond is not strong. We use rare earth magnets, and even then, it can take several of them. (They are about 3/8" diameter, so we will experiment with larger ones.) If you aren't trying to hold anything up, even a decorative refrigerator magnet will hold itself, if it isn't too front-heavy. We have also used office magnet-board magnets, but they seem to have a limit of about 8.5x11" sheets, and it can still take two magnets per sheet. We had this professionally applied. I'm sure we could have just done it ourselves, but our painter knew how to handle it and saved us some hassle.

I applied a full (1) quart of this as a primer to a piece of 1/2" mdf ~40" x 60" to make the fabled "magnetic chalkboard" that is all the craze for youngsters these days, and I'm actually a bit surprised that it works given the number of negative reviews posted on this site. I actually tried to talk my wife out of using it, but she insisted that our chalkboard be magnetic so I gave it a whirl. It's not a super strong magnetic attraction but it definitely holds up any magnet that you'd find on the fridge. I followed the directions on the can and took extra time to thoroughly mix by hand with a paint mixing stick ensuring to scrape the bottom and sides to get the gritty magentic sludge stuff fully suspended into the paint. I ended up with 4 coats on the 40" x 60" board (30 mins between coats @ 70 F and 50% RH). I used a high density foam roller designed for smooth surfaces (per the instructions on the can). Do be aware that you are going to end up with a little bit of texture. After 4 hours (per the instructions on the can) I did 2 topcoats (one can per coat) of Rustoleum spray-on chalkboard paint, and voila!, magnetic chalkboard. If you're looking for a super smooth classroom chalkboard surface I'd skip the magnetic primer and go straight to spray on chalkboard paint.

First off, I am very surprised this product does not receive higher ratings. It works great! My wife and I purchased a stainless steel refrigerator, which will not attract magnets. She has a rather large magnet obsession and had no place to display them. So, I took the plunge and purchased a can of this and I have to say, I was a bit skeptical because of the reviews. I am very happy with the final product. I put four coats of the magnetic primer on, then four coats of Kilz2 primer (which is needed because the product is black), and finally two coats of paint. I was worried that the amount of primer and paint would hinder the functionality, but it had little effect. All of her refrigerator magnets stick well. I will warn that the odor is what you can expect from an oil based product and it will take a while to stir the primer. Make sure you stir very well and get all the sediment off the bottom of the can. If not, you will probably be writing a bad review.

I put three coats of this (2 cans), plus two coats of the Rust-Oleum chalkboard paint (1 can), onto a 4x8' sheet of 1/4" birch plywood. It is magnetic, but if you want to hold anything besides the magnet itself you will need some good quality rare earth magnets. Make sure you follow the directions about stirring with a paint stick; shaking the can is not sufficient to mix up the magnetic sludge at the bottom. In the picture you can see the final product. I framed with 1x2" radiata pine boards, and screwed through the back side of the plywood into the frame with 5/8" wood screws. Then I put 3" wood screws in from the front into the studs in my wall. If you don't have a strong helper, use boxes or a coffee table to elevate and support the chalkboard while you attach to the wall.

I don't get it. Bad reviews all over the place on this stuff. It's not just home depot, but random blogs, other online commerce sites, etc. My wife wanted a magnetic chalkboard wall and if it wasn't for her persistence (it sure wasn't because of my recommendations, actually quite the opposite) it would have never been used. But, she nagged, and I said alright... not before exploring many other alternatives. I was apprehensive, it didn't work, it was expensive, it smelled bad, it was oil based and messy... anyway, I decided to man up and get it done. First of all, it's oil based... that in itself means putting down a plastic drop cloth (I also used a cloth drop cloth on top of the plastic), using latex gloves and taping off trim that you don't want little spatters of primer on... painting 101. I was working on a 4 foot by 8 foot wall. I read reviews of people doing 6 or 8 passes of this stuff and not getting magnetics to stick... and know what? After a single pass (took the entire can on the 4 foot by 8 foot wall) my kids were sticking their melissa and doug kids toy magnetics just fine. I did two more coats just for the heck of it. Put a coat of their chalkboard paint on top and the magnetics still stuck. Why? I don't know... I sanding my wall to an almost completely smooth surface. I shook the cans vigorously upside down for two minutes each, I used a stir tool attached to my cordless drill (home depot sells them) for another two minutes to lift the magnetic particles off the bottom of the can. I used the entire can within 20 minutes of shaking and stirring and it worked like a champ. Yes, it smells. Yes, it's expensive for primer. Yes, it's messy... but contrary to what I read here.. it works just fine.

Applies easily and generally stays put. It dries quickly and does not chip

Cool product. Dark gray color and does hold magnets, although not heavy magnets. Very important to stir well and often as the heavy iron compound does settle quickly

It is not strong enough after 4 coats. It is very rough.

Not the easiest stuff to use, but once I realized that smoothness was key, and stopped using a bristle brush, it worked really well. It also required a lot of persistent stirring to as it wants to separate.

A paste-like consistency that is very difficult to smooth. Poor magnet adhesion after the specified 3 coats

We used this to paint a wall to stick small magnets to. Worked great! Probably would not support heavy items, however.

We had industrial strength magnets that wouldn't stick to it. We painted a wood puzzle with it. It went on smooth and dried quickly, otherwise this is a 1 star.

I did paint an area which has some slight texture to it. Two coats. I have many small flexible magnet designs which I wanted to stick on the wall. It works. A few edges curl on several pieces but still they do "stick". I think I should do a 3rd coat. Its very thick to apply and dries quickly. About 30 min. Actually does a good job considering the wall has slight "orange peel" texture.