The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Catalyst or non-catalyst clearcoat?

I use both and a lot of the painting I do is on fiberglass and aluminum. What is your opinion on the clearcoat? Other than the time restrictions with catalyzed clearcoat, I don't see much difference?

I will add that the painting i do is in and gone so I don't get to see it months or years later to see how it is holding up. I did a fender repair on a Sterling Acterra truck 2 weeks ago and had my paint distributor come out and prophet II the truck to get the right paint match and used non-catalyst clear and I am not one to brag but it looked flawless.

Got a brand or pn that you use? The only non-catalyzed clear I can think of (leaving out the rattle can stuff) is an intercoat clear that is minimal build and designed as a protective layer for artwork/airbrushing so you can safely do tapeouts for the next layer of graphics. It offers no real protection to the elements to speak of, ie: no UV resistance. If this is what you are spraying, using this stuff as a topcoat with no UV protection, I would be concerned about how long it would last and having to do rework.

I'll have to look tomorrow at the can for a part number. The basecoat is PPG. I too, wonder about how long it lasts. I only use catalyzed on my stuff. The first time I used non catalyzed was on a couple old vending machines I restored for a guy in Colorado. I didn't know they did clear in a spray bomb? Can't imagine that stuff would do much?

Long term durability is where a 2K clear wins. I've had fantastic results with this activate in the can 2K aerosol:

http://www.spraymax.de/index.php?id=361&L=1