Getting that glossy finish from rattle can clear coat?

[GGBB]

My pedal is powder coated black and the decal was going to go on top of the black box. Also since most of my decal is printed (there are no parts that are not coloured) it really should not make a difference if the paper is transparent or white should it?

It makes a huge difference. The problem is with image 'highlights' and white/light text in particular but also with colour shading. Printers don't have white ink, so those light areas of the image are left transparent which in your case means they'll be black, not white. Suppose for example you wanted to print a large section of plain grey. The printer won't lay down a completely opaque coat of grey, it lays down a semi-transparent coat of black and relies on white background to make it look grey. This is true for any shade variation of any colour. One way you can solve this problem is to paint the enclosure white where the decal is going.

[navin]

It makes a huge difference. The problem is with image 'highlights' and white/light text in particular but also with colour shading. Printers don't have white ink, so those light areas of the image are left transparent which in your case means they'll be black, not white. Suppose for example you wanted to print a large section of plain grey. The printer won't lay down a completely opaque coat of grey, it lays down a semi-transparent coat of black and relies on white background to make it look grey. This is true for any shade variation of any colour. One way you can solve this problem is to paint the enclosure white where the decal is going.

Brilliant catch. Thanks. Yeah I should paint the enclosure white where the decal is going. I will ask the painter to mask the top area and only paint the sides black. Thanks again.

[125Signal]

Well, I gave a try at adding glitter paint then clear coating on top of that. I still have more to get right in the techniques posted here. Comments here have been a big help.

[pinkjimiphoton]

no time to read thru the whole thread, but basically working with rustoleum, quadruple the drying time they say on the cans... they say 48 hours? figure more like 96 hours. seriously.

a couple pieces of advice... first, always start with primer. do two coats of primer, let dry for a day or more, then wet sand to get smooth.

to wet sand, use 400-600 grit wet dry paper. use WARM water with a drop or two of dish soap in it... this acts as a lubricant for the sanding, and also helps dry up any oils or crud that could f up your finish.

after wet sanding <use a block for this> wash the enclosure with more dish soap and water. let dry THOROUGHLY, at least over nite.

lightly scuff the primer with dry 400 grit. if you don't, the color coats won't adhere well. once its scuffed, it will look kinda dingy. wipe it down with a microfiber cloth or tack cloth, to get any residue off it.

now do your color coats. i tend to do several passes per coat, with about a half hour between coats. go horizontal on some passes, vertical on others.

once i get the second coat of color on, i tend to "dust" coat the whole thing... spraying in circular motions  over and around the piece being painted.

let it dry for 48 hours or so. if its at ALL tacky, let it dry a whole nother day.

once its no longer tacky, scuff it again with 400. then clear coat is. i tend to prefer at least two coats of clear before any decals, and let it dry thoroughly before adding decals. scuff it lightly before the decal, the decal will adhere better, and so will the clear. don't worry, the scuff marks will dissappear into the clear.

once the decal is on, two more coats of clear. let it dry for 48 hours again.

buff the living shit out of it. should shine like the sun.

most of this i learned doing guitar finishes with my late brother eddie starzz, he learned as an auto body repair guy. you can get some crazy good finishes this way.

personally tho, i think laquers work better for finishes. they dry faster and harder than enamels! i've had enamel finishes take literally months to dry to the point you can't squeeze a fingerprint into them inadvertantly. hope this helps a little.

[amptramp]

The last item I used a rattle can on was using a Rustoleum acrylic spray.  Acrylic is known for its short drying time - dry to the touch in 20 minutes, can be handled in one hour, fully hard in 24 hours and can be coated with something else in 48 hours.  Do your painting in an open space or with a breathing filter or you will have a sore throat for a month.  My most recent job was matte finish but I used two rattle cans of acrylic on the cabinet of drawers behind me and it is still a gloss green that looks great.