Is there any way possible to clear coat over bare metal?

I'm planning on building a bed frame and I want the final finish to look like bare metal after taking a rust remover wheel over it (lightly scuffed and swirrled).

I thought about aluminum, but it will not quite give me the finish that I want, and to do it all in stainless would cost a fortune.

Thoughts??

good clear ppg urithane will work ... but if there is any rut in the metal before painting in may start to come through.

Paint has a limited lifespan on bare metal and it always looks like paint.

This stuff is absolutely amazing.

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalo...evershield.php

It's made to keep polished aluminum on aircraft from tarnishing. I've used it for years and the stuff is amazing. I originally tried it on the polished aluminum fuel tanks on the vintage motorcycles I collect and it not only coats them very well, it's exceptionally tough. I no longer get he fine scratches that you do in bare aluminum. It has a limited shelf life and I keep it refrigerated.

It goes on super thin and the finished product looks like it did before coating. As with any metal, the prep is key.

Isn't Bulldog a pre-paint surface prep that allows paint to stick to glass & plastic?