Dupli-Color Metal Specks Paint Review

Dupli-Color Metal Specks is an easy to use product that gives a subtle, attractive finish. This product deposits a semi-translucent coat of paint (similar to the Dupli-Color Copper Plate Coating), as well as very small flecks of metal. Per the Dupli-Color website, the end finish emulates the “metal flake paints of the past”, a classic finish that isn’t very common in the modern era.

For this review, I decided to test the product on two subjects: a standard corrugated steel can, and two plastic grates off a junked Xbox 360:

The product was very easy to apply, and dried in a matter of minutes. I skipped the recommended step of sanding the surface with 320 grit sandpaper, but still found that the paint adhered just fine to both plastic and metal. During application, the fumes were no more intense smelling than those created by a normal can of spray paint. The fumes did however sparkle intensely under my work lights, creating a somewhat surreal painting experience.  You can see the finished products below:

I found the cherry red finish especially striking- Iron Man’s red and gold suit immediately came to mind. As you can see, the effect of the metal specks is subtle at first glance. Here’s how it looks up close and personal:

Notice how the printed characters on the bottom of the can are still visible. It would be necessary to lay down extra coats of paint, or an initial primer coat, to obscure any original colors or designs on the item you are painting.

As I sat down to write this article, I noticed that something else received a coat of subtle metal flecks: me.

I discovered a similar layer of sparkles on many surfaces in my workspace. All aerosol paint products create overspray, but the reflective nature of this paint makes the overspray especially noticeable. Fortunately, some light scrubbing with soap and water removed the offending metal flecks.

Overall, Dupli-Color Metal Specks is easy to use and creates an eye-grabbing final finish. I’d strongly recommend it to my fellow modders, and plan to use it on my upcoming Gumball casemod.