What kind of clearcoat to use-- lacquer or enamel based?

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DaveInLA

New member
This is to go over some enamel-based candy apple red transparent paint (Testors 1605) that I'm using for my car's tail lights. A couple years ago, I used lacquer-based clearcoat for models (hobby store), and that didn't turn out so well after a year or so. This time, I went to the auto store, and they had lacquer-based clearcoat for cars, as well as enamel-based clearcoat for cars. Which one is more resistant to fading and hazing?
 
I would tend to agree that you'll probably have better luck with enamel.



Normally, when shooting a clearcoat, you'd use a paint system where the base and clear are formulated to work together or at least use a clear that's specified to work over the type of base you have.



In your case the base is an unusual paint so I'm not sure what would work best. It's probably a good idea to experiment, maybe shoot some pieces of junk plastic and see how it works before shooting your tail lights.





PC.
 
Ah Testors... you'll definitely want to use an enamel overcoat because lacquer will either eat away at the lower layer or cause it to craze. That said,if you are topping the transparent red with another brand of enamel, do it in multiple, thin coats so that you don't risk any damage by something like a heavy solvent content.
 
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