what are u guys doing for deep looking clearcoat? I've tried....

[jimmybjj]

I've tried krylon clear (both satin and gloss), krylon glaze (I think that's what it is called) and the poly finish recommended on beavis audio. The krylon clear looks good but has no depth. I could never get the glaze to work (I think he high humidity in florida had alot to do with it) The poly yellows to much.

do you guys recommend a particular product or method? I'd lime to try automotive clear but that would get expensive. what are the mass producers using to clear

thanks for any help.

[Quackzed]

you could use some self leveling pourable epoxy, thick and clear and hard, never tried it but others here seem to like it.

http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=74114.0

here it is...
http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/p_10151_10104_1990000000268430P?vName=For%20the%20Home&cName=Crafts&sName=Kits&psid=FROOGLE&sid=KDx20070926x00003a

[TimWaldvogel]

i use rustoleum clear enamel paint and i put about 5 thin coats... dry to touch... then i bake it. i usually put about the oven on 300 til its up to temp and pop it in and immediately turn it down to 200 and let it kinda get the paint liquid like and come down in temp a little. and then i take it out after about 20 minutes and let it cool. works great. very deep and beautiful

[jimmybjj]

you could use some self leveling pourable epoxy, thick and clear and hard, never tried it but others here seem to like it.

http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=74114.0

here it is...
http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/p_10151_10104_1990000000268430P?vName=For%20the%20Home&cName=Crafts&sName=Kits&psid=FROOGLE&sid=KDx20070926x00003a

awesome gonna defiantly try this one, but gotta wait till payday 

i use rustoleum clear enamel paint and i put about 5 thin coats... dry to touch... then i bake it. i usually put about the oven on 300 til its up to temp and pop it in and immediately turn it down to 200 and let it kinda get the paint liquid like and come down in temp a little. and then i take it out after about 20 minutes and let it cool. works great. very deep and beautiful

I'd like to this as well because its cheap and fairly easy, i just worry about the depth. Do you have any pictures? Thanks

[davent]

I've done a few pedals with Stewart Macdonald waterbased sanding sealer and lacquer. Looks great and is easy to work with but you need spay equipment and loads of time and patience.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Finishing_supplies/Finishes_and_solvents/ColorTone_Waterbase_Guitar_Lacquers.html

dave

[head_spaz]

envirotex
http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=82192.0

[TimWaldvogel]

I have no pictures. But after I painted my pattern/stripes on it and cleared it, it looked very good. Much like a painted grahic on a car would. Very thick, shiny, and rounded around the corners and edges

[jimmybjj]

envirotex
http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=82192.0

I bought some of this to try, w/ a 50% off coupon from micheals. how much do you usually mix for a 1590b sized pedal?

[liquids]

you really don't need much in the end but a lot of it will run off.  Search m-theory's posts, he is very good with paint stuff. Or I could try and forward you some of his advise to me when I got started with the epoxy finishes, there's a learning curve but it's worth it.

It's been probably 8 month since I did an epoxy coat so it's not fresh in my mind (probably will be doing more soon) but I'd say 1oz is plenty for most boxes, probably not even that much.  Measure very exactly into an epoxy cup.  Though most epoxy cups don't leave much room to MIX 1oz if you measure a total of 1oz, which has always annoyed me...

[jimmybjj]

you really don't need much in the end but a lot of it will run off.  Search m-theory's posts, he is very good with paint stuff. Or I could try and forward you some of his advise to me when I got started with the epoxy finishes, there's a learning curve but it's worth it.

It's been probably 8 month since I did an epoxy coat so it's not fresh in my mind (probably will be doing more soon) but I'd say 1oz is plenty for most boxes, probably not even that much.  Measure very exactly into an epoxy cup.  Though most epoxy cups don't leave much room to MIX 1oz if you measure a total of 1oz, which has always annoyed me...

thanks for the reply. I didn't get to read it until after I had already mixed ALOT, now various random things have a thick glossy finish I didn't mix it good enough so it ended up pretty tacky so I'm gonna have to try it again. two more questions. frist, do you think I can just put another coat over the tacky coat or should I just strip it? second do you drill your holes before or after?

[liquids]

It's varying degrees of 'tacky' for two days.  don't touch it! Or touch it as little as possible.  Any epoxy drip boogers that flow past the corners etc, you can cut off with an exacto knife or something, otherwise leave it be...after two days, if it isn't pretty hard (it still dries more and gets very hard after a week or so) it wasn't mixed well.  Removing epoxy is pretty difficult in that state...I'd ditch the enclosure probably.

I drill, paint, then epoxy.  Drilling the epoxy coat seems like a difficult thing.  But hey, if you try it, let me know.   I'll send you some of the info I have via PM, it's fairly comprehensive info from m-theory.

[jimmybjj]

ok next question. I have a little experience, now i just need a lot of practice  The biggest problem right now is digging all of the crap out of the screw holes and the mating parts of the lid and enclosure. What do you guys think of lining the screw holes and mating parts with grease or vasoline.

[dudleydoright]

Or you could try retapping the holes> Probably take all of a minute to run the tap in and out to clear the threads of all 4 holes.

[jimmybjj]

just an update and a tip forthe guys trying the epoxy finishing. I'm still not 100% happy with my results but I'm getting there. I was getting aggravated at how much work the final cleanup was especially if you didn't get to it fast enough, the screw holes were a bear! I started trying different things to make cleanup easier and happen upon my hot glue gun. I just squirt some over the holes and when I get to cleanup everything over the holes just pinches off. I also line the lid of the box and it make cleanup easier but it's still a pain.