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Can vinyl be clearcoated?

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I had that question posed to me recently. Apparently he thought the clearcoating would offer some degree of scuff protection. My response was Uhhhh.....I don't know. What's the correct answer?

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I think someone asked this once before a few months back,and I think someone said no. But, a scrap bit of vinyl and a test should tell the tale.

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I was told by signwarehouse that you can in fact clearcoat over vinyl. I have never done it but they said you can. If its going on a substrate you can use frogjuice.

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I've had a customer apply decals t his motorcycle tank and clear coat it. I usually clear coat my signs and banners with frog juice.

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Guest fivestar

I do my barn stars with decals and clear coat them with just rattle can cleancoat but I have never had anyone say anything about having any problems.

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Guest sciondrgn

My old car had two large dragons going down the side. we painted the car then laid the vinyl and cleared the whole thing.. there still on there to this day with the new owner of the car over 5+ years..

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With Clear coating vinyl has anyone found that it would yellow after a while?

I ask because I do large containers that I would like to clear coat, they are out at construction sites and I think it would help them last longer.

Does anyone have any comments on if I should or should not do this.

Any help would be welcomed.

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yes vinyl can be clearcoated, and as for turning yellow, I dont think that it will have any effect on that.  The clear coat will act as a sort of laminate and actually help the vinyl from fading as fast!  just my $0.02

Ryne Cooper

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actually most clear coats have UV inhibators that keep the base coat colors from fading in the sun. i did spray over a silk screen decal once for a friend who wuldnt take no for an answer, and it worked fine lasted years as a matter of fact. i was worries about 1 the paint solvents lifting the sticker and 2 adhesion issues because i couldnt sand to put a etch on the sticker without ruining it. I ended up using lite coats for two coats. did a lite wet sand and finished with regular coats. I cant see that job being any diffrent than what you are asking about.

I havnt tried frog juice or the one shot brands but as far as yellowing check to see if they have a UV inhibator.

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Yes, Vinyl can be Clear Coated.

Use the automotive stuff.

Other coatings such as Frog juice tend to be super expensive when compared to automotive stuff.

My friends who do helmets, bikes, bicycles, etc clear coat everything.

Especially if any airbrushing has been added to the vinyl.

I saw someone here wanted to put decals on mugs etc.

I would recommend using clear coat over the vinyl.

Experiment first as this is a solvent and may affect some plastics.

I have even seen vinyl graphics added to cars when being repainted and then the clear coat is put over the top.

It is often done so well that it it is impossible to see how the graphics have been added.

One of the tricks of car graphic detailers.

Jerry from SignBlazer.

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i used the .99 stuff from Wally World on my dumptrucks about 6 months ago , everything is just like when applied . On my pick-up , i didnt clearcoat & the same metal viynl is faded BAD . i have been told that you can clear coat the vinyl after cutting & before transfer tape if you let the clear dry COMPLETELY .  :snow:

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Hello,

Yes i have seen this done.

It is usually sprayed on before weeding.

Then it is let dry.

I am also told that you need to have infrared heat to dry it throughly on vinyl before weeding.

In other words if you don't own an infrared oven put it in the sun!!!

Behind a window not outside where dirt and dust can get on it.

Experiment first always to get the technique right for your materials.

Jerry from SignBlazer.

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Guest Terry

Yes, Vinyl can be Clear Coated.

Use the automotive stuff.

Other coatings such as Frog juice tend to be super expensive when compared to automotive stuff.

My friends who do helmets, bikes, bicycles, etc clear coat everything.

Especially if any airbrushing has been added to the vinyl.

I saw someone here wanted to put decals on mugs etc.

I would recommend using clear coat over the vinyl.

Experiment first as this is a solvent and may affect some plastics.

I have even seen vinyl graphics added to cars when being repainted and then the clear coat is put over the top.

It is often done so well that it it is impossible to see how the graphics have been added.

One of the tricks of car graphic detailers.

Jerry from SignBlazer.

[glow=red,2,300] I do it all the time. What Jerry said - AUTOMOTIVE CLEAR COAT[/glow]

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We've had customers ask about removing the old and putting on new....when the old decals have been clear coated...how do you go about removing those??

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Guest Terry

You don't without a great deal of work and problems. Stay away from that work - they could sue you for damage to car paint. But you cut around the edge with straight edge razor - Heat & peel graphic off - wet sand and feather edges - replace graphic - clear again. DO NOT CUT DEEP WITH RAZOR - you are ONLY trying to score the clear not the paint, if you cut to deep the paint may lift up stuck to the vinyl.

REMEMBER: Two ways to clear vinyl - Before it's placed on vehicle, or after. If its after, thats tough to repair if you don't know what your doing.

You just need to test a spot to see if it was cleared once it was on the object.

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Excellent advice from Terry.

This sort of automotive work is not for beginners.

If you can professionally CUSTOM spray paint a vehicle then i don't think you would have a problem.

However there are so many tricks in doing this that you really need to be taught by an expert professional.

Have a look at race cars close up.

Especially dragsters.

I reckon that they spend as much on the paint and graphics as the motor on some of these vehicles.

I love motor racing and especially admire the paint and graphics done on many.

You can earn huge money if you are good at this however you need about $50K plus of paint gear to compete.

A vinyl cutter is the least of the expense.

Most goes into the infared drying ovens and extractors etc.

Some even use UV curable stuff now for vehicles.

Just hope that some of my friends will not be angry at me for revealing that bit of info as it is regarded as secret.

You have to be not good to do this type of work you have to be great.

By all means experiment however on your own vehicles not clients.

Jerry from SignBlazer

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Hello,

I would not recommend to anyone to try and remove vinyl which has been clearcoated on the vehicle unless the person has spray painted at least dozerns of cars.

This is a job for an expert spray painter.

My friend who does miles of this work (custom cars and bikes etc) uses a vinyl zapper after he has cut around the edge of the letters. 

I have more than 21 years experience of applying vinyl and there is NO WAY that i would even consider doing this work.

It is for car paint AND graphic professionals.

You need some one to train you.

If you really want to learn this (and you have no one to teach you) then i suggest you experiment on your own vehicles until you have it down perfect.

This will take some time. A lot of time! A lot of materials! A lot of Primer! A lot of Paint! But not much Clear Coat!

One last thing my friend who does this has an infrared oven that cost him over $100,000.00 to dry the paint on vehicles.

Why so much?  It has to meet all the new environmental standards. It even has controls that look as if they are from Star Trek.

Jerry from SignBlazer.

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