Clear Coat
 

As a rule of thumb, how many coats of clear is applied to a normal paint job? Is there any reason to apply more than one coat?

At work I do 2 coats on most jobs and 3 if I'm going to block it flat and rub it. On multiple colors I do 4 sometimes 5 so I can block the lines down flat and rub it. Why do you ask?

A friend is having the same boat built that I am and he is paying for an additional clear coating. He lives in Florida where the sun will be more critical than in Michigan. The builder does a fantastic OEM job and was just wondering the advantage of more Clear Coat.

I suspect that there is a base line amount of clear coat for any paint job. The person that does their painting is very well known and would assume not to cut any corners.

I honestly wouldn't worry about it. He will be fine.

There is a min amount of mil build for uv protection that is needed. As earlier stated if u are going to sand and buff alot you need to over apply the clear so you have enough material after buffing. But product can fail because of to much film build just like if not enough.

Right on the money my friend!!!

Correct. Some clears have more UV screeners than others. Your high end, High solids clears are obviously going to be better than the $100 a gallon cheap stuff. If Im going to apply more than 5 coats ill do 3 or 4 and let it cure for a day or two and wet sand with 1200 and apply the aditional coats. This minimised the rish of (solvent pop) common in hot humid weather. This also helps minimise any multi color tape lines or edges. From reading thies posts im happy to say that there are some very knowledgable and experencied painters on here. All the answers are perfect with only differences baised on personal preferance as you will have from one professional to another.:Score-101010:

On a job that i would spray two tone/flames on i would clear two coats , bake it and wet sand in 1000gr and let it sit sanded. Opening the film up lets the solvent out quicker. You can pile clear on wet on wet but i never liked doing it, clear these days is not meant to be used that way, its all designed around production body shops. Three coats is more than enough, i dont thing they will remove to much material wet sanding and buffing.

+1 i rarely go over three coats, if anything i will dump and extra spot coat or two over just the areas i need to bury like graphics and then finalize it with one complete coat to level it all out. Good quality clears these days are very user friendly and it does not pay to try and save a buck here. It will cost you one way or the other.

welcome aboard 88, what part of the biz are you in? I use to have an 84 24' Concord

What brand do you all use? I own a Production Collision Center and also do alot of Custom paint on bikes show cars and boats. I use Spies Hecker. I have sprayed everything from Sikkins, PPG, Glassert, and used Dupont for years and Spies works the best out of all of them for what i do. My Spies Rep "Scott Denny" of St Louis was telling me that all the MTI cats are sprayed with Spies Hecker by the Spies in house painter.