Gemini Industries has partnered with Benjamin Moore to distribute EVO Eclipse paint, which is designed for wood surfaces such as cabinets, furniture, doors, and other mill work.
The Gemini Evo Eclipse application process is as follows:
Dry to touch: 25-35 minutes
Recoat 60 minutes
stackable 24 hours
Sand wood surfaces with 150-180 grit sandpaper.
Water clean-up.
If an EVO Eclipse Hardener is added, the pot life of the paint is 1-2 hours.
Prime with EVO Eclipse Primer
Quick Review Of Gemini EVo Eclipse Primer
The Gemini Evo Primer has a stronger odor than the topcoat. The odor is strong enough that opening up the house and venting with fans was necessary. The coverage was not an issue but is not a sealant primer. It will not block any stains.
Evo Eclipse Primer helps level the surface, making the work of the topcoats easier. It also sands very easily. The Evo Eclipse primer cost about $100, and though I like the outcome of the primed surface, I wondered if a shellac primer would have produced similar results.
On the flip side, it felt very smooth after it was sanded with 320. My question now was, will the topcoat keep that smoothness?
Applying Two Top Coats
Sanding and removing dust is necessary before applying to coats.
Using a 311 Graco spray tip, two medium coats are applied. It is difficult to keep the amount even when spraying cubbyholes. I did notice that the paint does not run easily.
Gemini EVO does dry to the touch in about 25-35 minutes as advertised.
After the second and final application and the paint dried, I was very impressed by the smooth finish. I can’t think of a paint that has a smoother finish. The only sanding between coats was after the second coat of primer was applied.
Though the finish is great, there are still huge questions that need answering. First, how durable is the paint, and does the hardener make a difference?
I painted two sample boards, one with a hardener and one without. I will wipe a light coating of olive oil on each board to see if it affects adhesion. I’ve done this test for numerous kitchen cabinet paints.
So far, I like the look and feel. However, the durability still needs to be tested.
We will test the durability in two ways. First, does the oil cause the paint to lose adhesion? And secondly, do stains such as ketchup, mustard, and wine come off after cleaning?
The answer to these questions will give us a better idea of how to truly evaluate Gemini EVO Eclipse paint.