Even more expensive but fantastic is Polane, a catalyzed epoxy paint by Sherwin Williams that needs no baking. $150 a gallon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Rustoleum Hammered Finish is about $6 a can, looks good, and is incredibly tough considering it's an air dry enamel. I think the metal powder in it strengthens it a lot, the way the metal powder in J-B Weld epoxy does.

Here's the method I use: If using Hammond metalwork, get it in the industrial gray color, and coarse sand it with a palm sander after punching/drilling. Wipe it down well and spray it with a single coat of high quality primer, and let it dry a couple of days. My favorite is SEM Self-Etching primer (#39673 Black), available at auto paint stores in aerosol cans.

Spray a medium cover coat of the Rustoleum and let it flash off about 5 minutes. Place it in a preheated 225 degree oven (electric ovens only!) for an hour or so, and then turn it off and let it cool fully with the oven. Spray another wet, heavy coat for the final finish and repeat the oven treatment. It not only hastens the drying, but also increases the gloss. Let the finish fully cure (a few days) before using. You may then also further increase the hardness of the shine a great deal by polishing with Meguiar's car polish and a flannel cloth.

It's an attractive, durable finish that doesn't scratch very easily. After being polished, it has a glossy, extremely slick surface that makes it easy to dust and clean. Any small scratches that occur can be easily polished out with Meguiar's final polish or a good wax like Meguiar's Gold Class. As a side benefit, the hammered finish also hides any surface imperfections in the base material.

My 2 cents worth. Keep the change!

Thermionic