Type of clear coat for wood grained trim

[gwillford]

Just finishing up wood graining my interior trim. What is the correct type of clear? Gloss? Semi-gloss? Satin? Also, comments on what product is durable for sun, sweat, etc. Thanks!

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by gwillford

Just finishing up wood graining my interior trim. What is the correct type of clear? Gloss? Semi-gloss? Satin? Also, comments on what product is durable for sun, sweat, etc. Thanks!

Well, in a nutshell it needs to look like unbuffed Lacquer clear. So in reality, a semi-gloss finish looks more authentic.

[gwillford]

Understand and thanks. Any recommendations out there for durable paint?

[Ed in Maine]

You are asking a very important question which I did not research enough. I just took a spray can of clear coat off the shelf at Home Depot and made a terrible mistake. My wood graining looked great and it looked OK after the clear coat. Unfortunately it did not last through the cold winter and was lifting in some places and not others. To make matters worse the wood graining was very thin. After much work I was able to remove most of the clear with very fine fine sandpaper and my finger nail!

Here is your answer. Go to Eastwood's site and look up their epoxy, clear coat that is in a special spray can. The hardener is part of the spray can. You push down on the top of the spray can and this punctures the hardener container and then you shake the container to mix the clear coat with the hardener. This can is only good for the job at hand. After about 4 hours the whole thing is hard. It did a beautiful job for me and left a very hard surface. It isn't cheap but after all your work, it has to be done correctly. Good luck, Ed

[SAXBY2]

Excellent ?
Most rattle cans now use acetone as the drying agent because it's purported to not affect the ozone layer as much as prior propellants and dryers. The down side is that acetone can dissolve / bubble, etc. prior applied finishes. Ed mentioned an epoxy or some of the 2k products where the propellant is activated within the can. Another option is to purchase an air brush or separate propellant / bottle and mix up some clear polyurethane or other clear thinned with paint thinner. Some makes back in the day used a form of varnish over the graining.

[JayJay]

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I was planning to let my wood grained parts dry for several months (I don't need them immediately) and then clear coat with polyurethane clear. Most of the rattle-can clears are, I believe, solvent-based (dry by evaporation) rather than catalyzed. Is mine a viable path forward? Ed in Maine, what "clear coat" did you use that you had problems with?

JayJay

[Ernie Vitucci]

Good afternoon...I've done a few cars and I've used Minwax Tung Oil finish...seems to work pretty good. It's been on my 49 Packard for 10 years. The car lives inside except when I drive it, which is normally at least once a week. Ernie in Arizona

[duke36]

Call Grain it technologies: a lock down spray coat, a smear coat and the Spray Max clear 2k with catalyst.

[Oldbluoval]

Jay Jay
What are u using for the graining medium?
It’s been awhile since I’ve grained and the grading medium need to be covered fairly quickly. Won’t it pick up nibs or can it be wiped clean before clear?

[JayJay]

Originally Posted by Oldbluoval

Jay Jay
What are u using for the graining medium?
It’s been awhile since I’ve grained and the grading medium need to be covered fairly quickly. Won’t it pick up nibs or can it be wiped clean before clear?

I haven't done it yet, sorry if I left that impression. I was going to get the package from GrainIt Technologies and use whatever ink they supply. I suspect that after the ink has dried it can be wiped with a dry cloth before top-coating. I'll do what Duke suggests and consult with the experts!

JayJay