clearcoat ??

[Robert J Hampton Sr.]

what is a good brand of clearcoat? I have painted my red parts red on my massey and am satisfied with the results. How long should I wait before aplying clear to fresh paint. any tips on clearcoat welcome.

 

[glennster]

first question, what type of paint did you apply? not all paints are compatible with all clear coats.

 

[Robert J Hampton Sr.]

alkyd enamel with hardener.

 

[Stephen Newell]

With a alkyd enamel you don't want to use any lacquer products. It will lift the finish like paint and varnish remover. If you want to put a clear coat over your paint I would use a urethane or polyurethane clear coat. PPG (Pittsburg Paint) makes a good urethane clear. It's Vibrance VC5200. They also have a better line which is Concept but is a overkill for an alkyd. I would wait a month for the alkyd to cure before you put the clear coat over it. Your biggest problem will be the red paint fading especially if you used Valspar Tractor Paint. Even with the clear coat you should try to keep the tractor out of the sun as much as possible.

 

[Robert J Hampton Sr.]

I used agco machinery enamel. It is what the MF dealer in my area sells.

 

[Stephen Newell]

I'm not familiar with that brand so I hope it works good for you. I painted a Kubota tractor one time with the Valspar paint from Tractor Supply and it was a big mistake. The color started fading almost immediately. In two years it was more white than orange. I knew when I was doing it an alkyd wasn't as good but I didn't want the expense of using an automotive finish. In hind site if I had used a major brand like Sherwin Williams All Surface Enamel it would have held up better. I just didn't have the color code and the Valspar was already formulated for color.

As far as your clear coat, it will add some UV protection so I do think it's a good idea. It will help you retain the color.

 

[Red Ford]

Clear alkyd is available. I have no experience with it so can offer no suggestions about using it.

 

[dr sportster]

Matrix- very nice product.