automotive clear coat

[jl1958]

I would like to know of any one has used automotive clear on there wood? And if so has it held up? I have a body shop and use clear with flex-add in it. I know it will flex on parts and not crack. And it was uv protectant.

[J. William Tarbrake]

It works great! Ive used it for several years and it holds up much better than varnish. The key is to apply multiple coats for a high build surface. You will need to apply 3 times as much clear as you would for an automotive application. Also,you need to seal the wood with a penetrating epoxy before applying the clear. I generally use 2 wet coats of smiths penetrating epoxy and let the stuff cure for a couple of days before applying the clear.Scuff the epoxy with a scotch brite pad before applying the clear.
You can wet sand and buff this surface the same way we do on automotive applications to achieve a flawless, flat, perfect high gloss finish.
The downsides of this system are: 1 You need to be a skilled professional to apply these materials. 2 This is a very expensive way to finish tour boat. 3 Its a lot more work than varnish.

By the way you don't need the flex additive as only stays active for a few days after application. All of the flex properties leave the clear after a few days of curing.

[Al Benton]

I was searching for the thread that included your posts about using this method about a year ago but couldn't come up with it. I'm still amazed that it doesn't crack, being such a hard surface.

Al

[mcisaac inc]

what brand of clear coat do you shoot. i use dupont 7900 on steering wheels when restoring them , but never thought of trying it on wood. does it fill the grain up?...........mark

[J. William Tarbrake]

I prefer PPG 2021 however, since it is so expensive, on large areas I use Transtar 6841
Bill

[chriscraft55]

Has anyone ever tried to apply automotive clear coat over varnish? I like the idea of the clear coat but it will not give that golden color like varnish does.

[Thommyboy]

It comes off the boat in big sheets. Dings and scratches are next to impossible to repair.

Stick with marine spar varnish. Leave the auto finish on the car.

Andreas

[Commodore_Don]

There is a shop on Manchester Rd. South of Akron, OH by the name of BoatCraft which is doing some absolutely gorgeous, show-winning restoration work on classic wooden boats. Joe Hodges uses PPG over varnish almost exclusively. Our own 1951 Chris-Craft 17ft. Special Runabout is just one of many boats which Joe has refinished. John Vorhies's "Sashay", a 1939 23 ft. Triple Cockpit Custom Runabout is another. Plus there are numberous others.

We scuffed a long scratch on the starboard stern quarter while launching at the Chautauqua Show this past summer. Had the clear coat not been over the varnish it would have been a horrible-looking disaster, but I was able to hand buff out the long scratch so that it was not even visible. The gorgeous finish on our boat has gotten three more jobs for BoatCraft.

Since I am not an expert on this and Joe Hodges is, I'd suggest that anyone wanting more info should give him a call at 330-882-9755.

[steve bunda]

The wood boats with spar varnishes seem to age nicely and are easy to spruce up and refresh the finish with very little effort. The automotive finishes may give a deeper finish faster,but donot have the same durability,repairability,amber,flex,and general staying power of the spar varnishes.guess I am old fashion, I even like the old smelly flathead engines, steve