I've been custom painting since the early seventies, and every 10-15 years I have had to find a new clear.

I do graphics on 90% of the jobs, so I need a product that, if necessary, can handle 6-8 coats or more, without solvent popping... and is stable enough to be sanded and buffed a few days later, WITHOUT FUTURE SHRINKAGE! Of course gloss holdout is expected, since I am in the land of ultraviolet... Arizona!

Here is my experience with the last one I used. (a PPG product) It was perfectly satisfactory... until they reformulated it and it would fail a few weeks later. PPG denied that accusation... but it simply was not the same reliability, and was later confirmed by a highly respected source.

Now I am in the same situation. A product that I have used under all shop conditions for well over 10 years, and have sometimes stacked 10 to 12 coats deep with no problem at all, is now solvent popping after three coats! It's happened on the last two jobs!

What are you custom guys using with minimal problems??? I heard good reviews for SPI, but I don't remember which of there clears it was. But I would like to hear a number of opinions on "any and all brands".



I need a catalyzed acrylic urethane clear...

Capable of six or more coats with no solvent pop...

Stable enough to sand out runs and orange peel within a few days, followed by buff and polish... with no shrinkage problems later...

And long life with no cracking, loss of gloss, etc.

I don't mind paying for a reliable product!!!

HELP! {:-(