Another what clear coat thread, sorry about that

[Gyrofist]

I know that there are quite a few threads on painting and clearcoating enclosures, but I'm having trouble finding the answers to my dilemma. So, I got my enclosure a few days ago, and have since hand-painted it with some Testors enamel modelling paint. I was wondering what sort of spray on clear coat would work the best for protecting the paint, that won't make the paint run. I know that lacquer won't work, but I have some Varathane (water-based polyurethane) in a spray (for some reason I can't find it in a spray anywhere online, but it's the same as this):
http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/3/HouseHome/PaintStains/WoodStains/PRD~0489857P/Varathane%252BDiamond%252BExterior%252BFinish%25252C%252BWater-Based.jsp

and I was wondering whether that would work over the Testors? I'm testing it out on the inside of the bottom of the enclosure, but I've heard that sometimes problems, like the clearcoat bubbling and things of that nature, take a while to show up, so I was wondering whether anyone has any experience with clearcoating over Testors.

So would the Varathane work, or would something like this work?:
http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/3/HouseHome/PaintStains/SprayPaint/PRDOVR~0481500P/Krylon%2525AE%252BAcrylic%252BCrystal%252BClear.jsp?locale=en

I'm up for any suggestions. I don't have an oven or anything to bake the enclosure in, so any options requiring baking are out of the question.
Thanks,
Corey

[jefe]

Does Testors make a spray on clearcoat? For compatability, I'd start there. Try the paint and clear on a crap piece of metal to make sure.

[robmdall]

The 'Safest' answer is to at the least stick with the same chemistry.

But the DIY way is to do what jefe suggests - try it out on some scrap.

[Gyrofist]

Does Testors make a spray on clearcoat? For compatability, I'd start there. Try the paint and clear on a crap piece of metal to make sure.

I think they make an acrylic. I'm just curious, are acrylic and enamel the same thing? Or are they at least compatible, so I would be able to use acrylic clear coat over enamel paint? sorry, I'm a noob when it comes to paint.

[jefe]

No problem, I'm a complete noob too when it comes to paint and clearcoat.. I'm just passing along what I've read around here. Acrylic and enamel aren't the same thing, but that doesn't necessarily mean they aren't compatible. BTW, I meant to say "try it on a piece of scrap", not crap, lol..

[Gyrofist]

No problem, I'm a complete noob too when it comes to paint and clearcoat.. I'm just passing along what I've read around here. Acrylic and enamel aren't the same thing, but that doesn't necessarily mean they aren't compatible. BTW, I meant to say "try it on a piece of scrap", not crap, lol..

Haha, didn't even notice. I've tried out the Varathane and it seems to work pretty well. Seems pretty durable too. Weird that it's designed for wood...but if it works, I'm not complaining. I'll just let it sit for a few weeks before finishing off my enclosure just to make sure that it doesn't bubble or anything. I'm not going to have the time to solder together my PCB for a while anyways, so there's no rush.