I get many questions about how to clear coat my swirled bodies. I hope to clear some things up (no pun intended) and give you the information to achieve a pro quality finish with or without a pro setup. A good clear job can run anywhere from $20 to $300 and anywhere inbetween depending on if you do the work yourself or if you send it to a professional.

Firstly, I get asked many times if it is OK to use one of my swirled bodies without a clearcoat. Of course you can use it without a clear coat but the paint is very thin and fragile. The paint will wear off/build up dirt if not cleared. Clearing the swirl will protect the paint, give you a mirror finish and also make the colors look more vibrant. You can get by with a few coats of rattle can clear just to protect the swirl, or you can go the whole 9 yards and get a mirror slick finish.

The paint on the bodies is enamel based. The paint goes on super thin but there might be some texture in a few places or it might be a little thicker in a few spots more than others. This is the nature of the swirl and many are tempted to correct it by just directly sanding the paint to level it off- some have had success with this but I highly recommend against it since it is very easy to burn through the finish.

The types of clear to use are pretty straight forward. Any high end 2 part automotive polyurethane will work great if properly applied, as well as nitrocellulose laquer and select brands of rattle can clear. I say select brands of rattle can clear because it is very hard to find a brand that works well. MY absolute favorite brand of rattle can clear to use is Deft Brand laquer. It is readily available at most hardware stores. If you can't find it locally, you can get it here: http://www.woodcraft.com/product.aspx?ProductID=143196&FamilyID=4174. It generally takes me anywhere from 2-4 cans depending on how level I want the finish. It can be recoated evey 15 minuites and usually fully cures in 2 weeks. I would avoid duplicolor brand and acrylic rattle can clears- I have not had success with either.

Whether you are using 2 part poly, nitro, or rattle can clear, the most important thing is to "dust" on the clear for the first few coats untill decent coverage is acheived, allowing plenty of flash time in between dustings. If you don't do this, there can be a reaction and all the paint will melt off. Once there is decent coverage, you can begin to level sand in between coats till you have a mirrior flat surface.

If you aren't up to the job, I can take care of the clear job for you. We are currently charging $175 for a mirror gloss, 2 part automotive clear job- fully sanded and buffed.

Overall the finishing process is not that hard. Please email me with any questions and I will try my best to answer them.