Thinking About Changing Clear Types

[Jbfive55]

Hey guys, I'm new to painting baits and have been Using dv2 for clear. I'm now interested in a thinner clear coat like what you seeing on custom baits. Is it auto clear? Don't know where to start? Help

Edited December 15, 2010 by Jbfive55

[Jbfive55]

Ttt help? Anybody?

[mark poulson]

Ttt help? Anybody?

Jb,

Top coat clears are a subject of a lot of discussion here.

I use a water borne urethane, Target Coatings' SC9000, and put up with it's quirks.

I've tried spray can acrylic, D2T, Etex, and Nu Lustre 55.

Each has it's pluses and minuses.

There is a site sponsor here, Dick Nite, who is in process of developing a new line of water borne urethanes. I'm waiting for it to give it a try.

If you do a search here for top coat, or clear coat, you'll be busy reading through Xmas.

Good luck.

[BobP]

Yep, there are options besides epoxies, which many still consider the 'gold standard' for durability, looks, and ease of use. Every choice has pros and cons. Auto clears are thin, durable, and attractive. The best ones are "high solids" two part auto clears in which you have to mix a toxic catalyst containing isocyanate with the clearcoat. Protection against exposure to organic solvents is needed when spraying them, and they tend to be fairly expensive. One part auto clears are available but have the reputation of being less durable than the two part products. Another option is moisture cured urethane (MCU) like the original Dick Nite Topcoat (not currently available). A few other MCU brands are sold as floor finishes. MCU gives thin, durable results like a factory finish. Finicky storage requirements and bad reactions (wrinkles, bubbles) when applied over other solvent based coatings are MCU's main problem areas. Mark refers to Target Coatings 9000, which is a water borne, oxygen cured topcoat (OCU). Dick Nite is testing a version as a candidate to replace his original topcoat. OCUs play well with most underlying coatings, are easy to apply, thin with water (if required), and yield an attractive hard finish. The downside is a long cure time and that they tend to be "water-resistant", not waterproof. Prolonged moisture exposure will cause them to soften and cloud up at least temporarily, and significant scratches in the topcoat may cause OCU to delaminate from the lure.

That's a quick tour of the waterfront. There are no bad choices and no perfect choices. You have to decide based on the performance you expect from a topcoat and the downsides you are willing to put up with.

Edited December 20, 2010 by BobP