Clear coats

[Soldner]

Well, i was talking with some gentlemen this weekend about the cub, and they said after i put the decals on, i should clear coat it.. What is everyone's thoughts about that, and what's a decent clearcoat? I used Case/IH paints. Thanks everybody!

[Davesaver]

I'm not familiar with what Case / IH offers for topcoats. If they offer a color coat / clear coat system then just follow the instructions. If they don't then you fall in the catagory of experimentation.

Most color coat / clear coat systems are very chemically dependent upon each other you must use a catalyst in both the color and the clear and the clear usually needs to be put on with in a certain time of the color in order for a chemical and physical bond to take place.

Which means if you put a decal between the two there will not be a bond between the color and the clear where the decal is. There is no telling what the clear will do to the decal. Testing would definetly be in order. It could melt them or eat the decal finish off the base or even discolor them over time.

It's my guess the Case / IH paint is some form of enamel and if from a spray can not catylized. You may be able to find a generic clear that may be applied over an uncatylized finish in the custom car finish arena. It has been a while since I have followed what is going on in that industry. Again experimentation. I think but again I'm not sure that the krylon and other spray brand clears are going to be lacquer but I would have to look to be sure.

Before catalysts and all the polymer crosslinking and such jibber jabber they had laquer and enamel clears you could apply over like finishes and enamel clear could be used over lacquer finishes. You cannot put laquer over an enamel finish excepting it has been cured for a year or two and even then it's not recommended.

Any more clears are designed to be a total coverage application. I would be very difficult if not impossible to clear coat just the decal or an area around the decal with out having a clear shiny spot where ever you sprayed the clear. Unless you have some natural edges or places to break the area being sprayed with clear there would be no way to feather it into the existing finish

A decal that has not had clear over can be removed and replaced. If you put clear over it and you want to replace the decal due to scratches or some other failure you will need to sand everything down around the surrounding area including the decal and repaint your base coat and feather that back into the existing color /clear coat and then spray clear over all that. From a spot repair point of view I'm not a big clear coat fan. On your car you can have a quarter sized ding and they will have to paint the entire fender to fix it.

Bottom line experiment on something else first. Layer it up just like you have painted your tractor and see what happens. The longer the topcoat has cured the greater your chances the clear will not lift it.

[Rudi]

Dave:

Everything I have been told about Iron Gard is that it is essentially similar to Duponts Centari line. In fact, the catalyst (hardner my auto paint supplier) recommends is Centauri.

If you get a chance, maybe you could double check this...

I am not too sure that I would be spraying anything over top of Decals of any sort. Catalysed finishes will eat that stuff. Especially mylar. I think it has something to do with the reaticve agents that are used to evaporate/dry the top coat.

I have only experimented once, and it was a dismal failure and that was with cellulose finishes. I really don't want to see what a catalized coat would do.

[Davesaver]

Dave:

Everything I have been told about Iron Gard is that it is essentially similar to Duponts Centari line. In fact, the catalyst (hardner my auto paint supplier) recommends is Centauri.

If you get a chance, maybe you could double check this...

I'll add it to my developing list. I have a Case/ IH dealer close by I can contact to see what they say.

[John(videodoc)]

i forget the author of the book, RESTORING your classic farmall tractor. but anyway in his book , he stated, DO NOT put clear coat or any other form of covering over the decals. as it will lead to a clouding of the decal, the bond between them will not take, thus opening it up to corrison, paint fade, chips, etc

he did say, go ahead and clear coat or what ever, and after well dried, go ahead and put em on.

[Soldner]

Well do you guys think a clear coat is a good idea anyways? Decals aren't on yet. So if clear is a good idea, maybe i'll do that first. Otherwise, i'm just going to go with my guns (not to sure about clears and all that) and will just put the decals over the paint and call it finished..

[Bigdog]

If you want that automotive finish look and some protection from sun fade then clear coat. The finish you have now will look great. Just keep it clean and wax it occasionally and keep it out of the sun if you can.

[Davesaver]

Clear coating will add a additional depth to your finish. It doesn't really add any additional gloss as it is made from the same material as the paint. It does ad UV protection but they can only add so much before it starts making it not so clear any more. Red and red based colors is probably the fastest fading pgiment there is. Avoiding the sun with or with out clear coat is a good Idea.

If you are going to clear coat I would highly recomend you use a designed for basecoat clearcoat system from the same manufacturer. using all their hardners and thinners. Painting today has changed from what is was. Mixing products may or may not work but why take the chance when you can use a recommended system. In many instances you need to appy the clear with in hours of the topcoat in order for it to bond. A way around that would be to sand your existing paint and recoat it with color so you can meet the criteria. If you clear coat existing paint with another brand of clear it may not bond at all. I have seen painters pull sheets of clear off of a finish that did not bond as well as seeing base coats being wrinkled bubbled and tortured by the solvents and hardner of a non compatible clearcoat.

As for the correct police up until the late sixties or early seventies I'm pretty sure these guys were painted with synthetic enamel which would be glossy but not have the plastic wet look that the acrylic and poly paints offer. They are shinier but not accurate. One way to come closer to the original finish would be to color sand a catylized acrylic finish and and buff it. It proivdes a very similar softer gloss that would be similar to a synthetic enamel finish. Poly paints do not take to color sanding and buffing, way to hard. With that said that it might be easy to do on the hood and fenders but I haven't figured out how to do it on things like engines, torgue tubes, PTO's and such. The catylized finishes are more chemical resistant You have more seconds to wipe fuel off your paint job than you would with non catylized finishes

Dave

[Soldner]

Alright, I've decided... NO clearcoat.. To much work, to much to loose.. Since the tractor will ALWAYS be inside (if not cutting hay, or plowing the pumpkin patch) It's just going to be finished as is...

[Todd]

Chances are the decal would have shrivled up anyway. Also the clear may not stick to the decal and peal off. The other problem is , there is a window between putting base coat and clear. If you wait to long the clear will peal off

[George Willer]

Soldner,

The gentleman may have been correct, but thinking about a different application. I've re-done a few pianos and other musical instruments (mostly Edisons) that do have the decals coated. In fact, the lacquer is built up in many layers right over the WATER TRANSFER DECALS just like the Cubs had originally and wet sanded down until there is no noticable edge to the decal. This was done with nitrocellulose lacquer and the decals were very different. Find an old piano with a nice fallboard decal and see if you can feel the decal with your eyes closed. Probably not!

I'll bet Rudi is familiar with the process.

Don't try that with the modern mylar decals.

[Phillip W. Lenke]

Soldner:

I considered this when I restored our 49 cub. talking to paint experts. they recommended not to clear over the decal, mainly as discussed paint chipping around decals. Much to my chagrin , I really thought it would be nice however.
I took the advise and did not , clear coated the red then applied, looks nice.
PWL