Framebuilders - Looking for a bombproof clear-coat.

I just painted my frame. And I'm looking for suggestions for a durable clear-coat. Something on par with a good auto body clear coat. Something I can spray on myself in my garage. I just finished a kick-ass camo pattern and I want the final coat to look bad ass.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4021/4667002495_9eb36b9451.jpg

something like this
http://www.autobodytoolmart.com/spray-max-2k-rapid-cut-in-spot-clearcoat-3680062-p-14525.aspx

is probably you best bet, short of a real clear since it is still a 2 part system of sorts.

something like this
http://www.autobodytoolmart.com/spray-max-2k-rapid-cut-in-spot-clearcoat-3680062-p-14525.aspx

is probably you best bet, short of a real clear since it is still a 2 part system of sorts.

That looks great, I used the SEM Promax clear enamel for around $7.
00 and it work good IMO.

Nothing you can do at home is going to be as durable as a good, baked-on clear coat. A body shop probably wouldn't charge you too much for clear coating a frame, particularly if they're doing other pieces at the same time.

Nothing you can do at home is going to be as durable as a good, baked-on clear coat. A body shop probably wouldn't charge you too much for clear coating a frame, particularly if they're doing other pieces at the same time.

No disrespect intended but this is not true. You can purchase the exact same paint that auto body shops use by going to a place like TPC Global. http://www.tcpglobal.com/hokpaint/hokucureth.aspx#uc35 I've been using this House of Kolor UC35 clear and love it. Baking speeds up the chemical reaction process but doesn't make the paint harder in the end. All that said, I agree with John in his suggestion to find an auto body shop to shoot some clear for you. You are going to be in about $100 for materials before you start shooting and I suspect you can find a body shop to shoot some clear on the frame for that much or maybe even less.

Nesssm: UC35 is a heck of a lot better clear than most autobody shops are using. And good on you for debunking the myth of baked on paint being stronger, it simply cant be chemically speaking. I find now a days with powder coating gaining popularity that a lot of shops have started tooting they bake there paint.

I agree with most everyone else, find an autobody shop and just tell them you want a couple coats of clear thrown on. For the nastiness of dealing with iso's and not having a sar, and the need to buy a quart its a no brainer. shouldnt be more than 50 bucks, as the amount of product they will use (whilst doing another job at the same time) would most likely get thrown out anyways.

nice paint job btw!

At the boat end of things ISO is easily handled by not spraying it, brush application, and some medium safety precautions. I'm talking about doing several hundred square feet in a sub 1000 square feet shop. If spayed, not without getting your will ready! Have not tried this on bikes though. You have to get into the brush end very carefully, what works and what doesn't. In the weird world we live in, I have actually moved for non-commercial boats to latex house paint, more sun durable than ISO, and much easier to maintain. Now they are adding nano additives to the paints, may be very interesting what can be picked up in the aisles of Home Depot in the future. As i say, just comparing notes, not for commercial work at this point. Hand applied iso can be though. There were boat shops back when safety was less well provided for (remember what your Dentist's hands tasted like?), that did commercial iso application by hand because they couldn't get past OSHA with the existing gear.

Nesssm: UC35 is a heck of a lot better clear than most autobody shops are using. And good on you for debunking the myth of baked on paint being stronger, it simply cant be chemically speaking.


No disrespect intended but this is not true. You can purchase the exact same paint that auto body shops use by going to a place like TPC Global.

Actually, it's worse than that - just like artificially aging aluminium alloys doesn't give you optimum mechanical properties, and the lowest transformation temperature practicable for timely manufacture gives you the very best in steels, accelerating the rate of cure thermally doesn't give you the very best of any paint system.

The addition of heat increases the reaction kinetics of all the reactions the paint system will see, not just curing - but thermal and environmental degredation, too, as well as the risk of cross-linking that wouldn't be energetically favourable at room temperature and therefore isn't desirable for room-temperature or service. The toughest paint coatings go on at room temperature and are cured in a perfect environment for their chemistry - polyurethanes? The remaining atmospheric moisture on the substrate; everything else? As dry as you can make it and out of the sun.

And, +3 on the paint job :-D

falanx-
I work a lot with concrete, and you dont see folks with tiger torches trying to dry the concrete quicker! solvents have a leeching property which carry the paint into the pre-existing layer, you burn those off too quick, and you arent getting any cross linking/adhesion.

Make sure the clear coat is compatible with the paint you used, otherwise it may ruin your paint work.