Johnstone's 309268 Magnetic Blackboard Paint Black, 750 ml

Love this paint. We bought a rectangle of plywood to create a blackboard wall panel in the kitchen. It went on so easily with a thick coverage and dried very quickly with the current heatwave so I was able to record faster than the recommended 2 hours. I used a small roller which gave a nice even coverage. I tested the magnetic strength after 4 coats and it worked but I have a 5th coat just to make sure. It’s able to hold every magnet I’ve tried to far and holds a picture so that’s good enough for us. The only thing I’d say is the final finish (after 5 coats) is a little rough to touch so I imagine chalk will need wiping with a damp cloth to remove.

I was dubious about magnetic blackboard paint - I'd read lots of poor reviews, but my wife was determined to give it a go anyway. And despite the bad reviews, it does work and really well. I suspect that the problem most people have with it is that they're not applying sufficient coats to build up the layers of material for the magnet to do its thing! To achieve the blackboard wall in the pictures I used about half a 750ml can and applied 6 coats. The paint is thick and covers really well - completely black after the first coat, and I think this may be where people are having a problem. They see that it is completely black, suitable for using as a blackboard... that's it then... oh, magnets don't stick... poor review. So, build up the coats, nice and thick, and it really works a treat! 😀

The paint itself is good, but I had an idea to use it on a cabinet I wanted to repurpose. This was a mistake as the paint is very thick (given the magnetic particles) and it mednrbi could no longer close the cupboard or drawers. Paint also chips off furniture incredibly easily. So whereas I am sure this is great for blackboards, I wouldn't try using on anything other than that.

Worked well to make a magnetic cupboard door

Paint went on very easily, but even after 4 coats magnets of all types struggle to stay on. Another flaw is that writing on the board is so hard! Rough surface and doesn’t rub off easily, which leaves a stain and I’ll have to repaint with non magnetic stuff I’ve used before