# Clear Coat over Acrylic Paint



## OneLastDisguise (Feb 22, 2013)

Hi,

I've assembled a few drum sets now over the past 3-4 years, and I'm on a new one. This time, I'm doing a pretty detailed paint job over the shells and would like to put a protective clear coat over it. 

Most of the time, I have sprayed clear gloss lacquer over the shells when doing a stain or even an ink screen print design. After spraying the lacquer, I sanded through 2000 grit and buffed using 3M Finesse It II. All of the times I've done that, the finish has turned out beautifully, and I've gotten lots of great feedback on it.

With this new project, however, paint seems to be the best/easiest/most-foolproof way of getting the design onto the shells. The paint I'm using is Behr Premium Plus Ultra (Interior Flat Enamel) from Home Depot. The internet has not had a lot of kind words for this paint, but I've actually been really pleased with the way it's been looking on my project.

Anyway, I'm looking for some advise on what sort of clear coat to apply over the top of it to protect the drum shells. I would like the clear coat to be a gloss finish (or at least semi-gloss). I have enjoyed shooting lacquer in the past, and it seems relatively easy to use...though I hear it doesn't work well with paint. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

There is the posibility that lacquer will crack over time putting it over the softer latex paint. A lot depends on the elasticity of the brand of lacquer you are using. Also if it is a nitrocellulous lacquer in time it will yellow altering the color of your paint. If you are going to topcoat over latex I think a better product would be a latex clear coat or water based polyurethane. Personally I don't care for clear coating over paint with the exception of some automotive finishes intended for base coat/clear coat. If I finish a solid color to high closs I would use an oil based enamel or urethane. One medium range paint Sherwin Williams makes called Sher-Kem is a really good single stage paint. Another option since you like lacquer, it is available pigmented in many different colors enough you could intermix it to achieve most any color and sheens. It may have to be special ordered but in most states you could get it at Sherwin Williams.


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

There are two ways to dilute artists' acrylic paint
a) water
b) acrylic medium

The medium maintains the viscosity.
The medium can be used, alone, as an overcoat.

While I use the matte medium with the paints, 2 coats of gloss medium is transparent and very, very shiny. Looks almost wet.


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## Rick Mosher (Feb 26, 2009)

Lacquer should be fine over the latex. The way to be sure is to make a sample on scrap using the same procedure as you did for your project (maybe make 3 or 4 just so you have them in case one fails) and then spray lacquer over it. One thing to look out for is that lacquer can react with some of the coplors used to tint the latex and cause the color to change radically. You could also use a dewaxed shellac or vinyl sealer barrier coat as well.


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