How To Clear Coat Rustoleum Gloss Enamel Without Blistering

11 clear coat sprays tested to see which did and didn't cause Rustoleum gloss black enamel to blister. UPDATE: Douglas Grosch commented that using Rustoleum's flat black instead of their gloss black eliminates this problem. I tested it and he's right. After two light coats of Duplicator's Acrylic enamel clear followed by a third heavy coat I saw no blistering. On half of the test piece I coated it so heavily that it was dripping and it still didn't blister. Thanks, Douglas!

[christodevalle]

the information in this video is golden, please do not give up on youtube! this is a great channel.

[waynesanders]

Video deserves 82 million upvotes. I have never given it much thought until now, but I need to spray something now and don't want to gamble like I did in the past resulting in the bubbling.

[jhowgarcia]

I used Rustoleum acrylic enamel 2x automotive grade, gloss black which I picked up at Walmart in the automotive section. I used it to paint an interior dash piece which had both plastic and aluminum (metal) pieces. I applied 3 coats of this paint, let it dry for 4 days inside my garage. I then proceeded to buy the dupli color wheel clear coat and applied 2 light coats and a third heavy coat. Let it dry in the garage for 2 days. Came out perfect, no bubbling or pealing. Just follow the spray can directions and everything will come out perfect. Great video helped me a lot.

[krisscarborough]

17 year painter here. You are correct in the amount of paint causing the blistering. The thick paint is off gassing but will form a skin at the top coat causing the dry to happen slower. The slow thick paint starts to react with the original paint. So it is not the paint. When spraying with cans always apply a few mist coats this will lock down the old paint. Even then I use lighter coats I like my finish if I plan to clear to be a satin. Even out of a gun this will also help with striping. Those owns that caused the blistering are the better paints most likely as the others have more reducer. One of the more important features on the cans will be the caps. They make some very good ones now that not only atomize better but you can adjust the fan.

[thesetruths]

Thanks. 3 questions:

1. Of the 3 Clears you tested that didn't blister with Rustoleum Gloss Enamel, did you by chance test how much it took to make blistering happen? Like did you really heap it on the color to test if it ever did? How much did you use of the Krylon, that didnt blister?

2. On the prior blistering fails, how long had you allowed the Enamel to dry before a coat of your Clears? Their company specialists say to wait only 10 to 15 minutes between each coat of any product...but their canned sprays do NOT advise this. It's very annoying.

3. Have you tested or used Rustoleum's Universal Gloss Clear Hammered spray by chance?

I recently sprayed 3 car body panels with Rustoleum Navy Blue Gloss Enamel (2 coats over 1-coat Gloss Blue paint+primer) and let dry for 40 minutes from last coat. Then I applied the Clear Enamel. First coat was very light, No blistering. Waited 30 minutes, 2nd coat, a little wrinkle in 4 places. Waited 9 hours, 3rd coat...it got worse! 4th coat 30 minutes later...even worse. 😆 Ruined my perfect rattle can spray job...it had zero runs or drips. Now I will have to wet sand all 3 car panels and apply something else to cover up the fail. I'm curious if the Clear Hammered product would help cover this and some body defects by reflecting light differently, as it does. If so, I'd use it on the whole car, as it has little chips and gouges here and there...27 year old work car.

I called the company, they said ALL layers of paint must be applied within 1 hour from start time, or the user must wait 48+ hours to start the 1 hour application window again. Their cans don't describe the 1 hour criteria like their agents do though. Crap for written directions.

Thanks again. Feel free anybody to chime in.

[colt]

I have a Husqvarna lawn mower. And due to a thing, a section of the orange paint came off of an area of the frame and exposed metal. I cleaned it up and sanded and used a 1k primer, then used Rustoleum Husqvarna orange paint over it. Then four days later, I accidently scratched it with my finger nail as it scratched real easy, and decided to mist some more Husqvarna orange paint over the scratch and it ended up just blistering the paint.

So I used brake cleaner and scraped up all the paint and primer to essentially start over. I cleaned it up and used a 2k primer, then coated it with the Rustoleum Husqvarna orange. And it's been two weeks. I believe that is an enamel paint.

And I'd been wanting to clear it but was afraid of it just cracking causing me to have to redo the whole thing. I guess I'll try Duplicolor enamel clear. as I'd betting a laquer clear coat would cause it to peel up. I wish their Husqvarna Orange was a better quality paint.

[fm]

Your fogging technique is like a pre-coating where the solvents are allowed to partly dissipate rather quickly thus helping to eliminate runs & sags. While it's still soft you put on your heavy coat and those solvents soften the last 1 or 2 fog coats sort-of creates a lamination effect. All this is spreading out the solvent across more product which in turns slows the cure time a little. That's a good thing.
In my rattle-can sprays I've learned to keep the product well mixed during spray. One quick vertical shake of the can every 1 or 2 spray passes. I was then able to rattle-can spray vehicles in silver metal flake. We know how difficult it is to get a perfect finish from that color.
__ THANKS Wayne for your findings of blistering. __

[rdc]

I had a nightmare trying to clear over rustolium profesional gloss black enamel. When I sprayed rustolium 2x painters choice clear it worked fine on one door so I cleared the whole other side.Right away I saw some blistering/krazing so I stopped, let dry, sanded and tried again. This time it krazed bad all over (I was beyond pissed). I sanded everything and primered, then gloss black again. This time I used Duplicolor 1K clear and it worked excellent! It's worth the money, no krazing, no drips, sandable, no yellowing and it will hold up to UVs etc.

[colt]

I picked up the Duplicolor Wheel Gloss enamel. And I guess I got a bad can. Not sure. As I went to clearcoat something. And it was like squirting it with a water gun. As I sprayed it, and then you could see liquid running down the area I was painting. And if you barely pressed the cap, you can get a fine mist. But if you press it harder, it can spray very thick. And so there was no way you could spray a thin coat. Luckily what I painted wasn't mission critical and was out of site. So I left it as is. Otherwise, I would have had to strip the paint all off and start over.

Did you have that problem on your can? I threw the receipt away, so can't easily return it. I may buy another can and hope that can works as I need a fine mist so I don't put it on heavy.

Though I will say, that wheel gloss enamel, I sprayed it over fresh enamel paint. All coats within an hour. And no wrinkling or anything. I've got enamel top coat I need to clearcoat, and that project has been sitting a few weeks. Good thing I didn't start with that project as I need that to look good as it's visible.

[georgiosmarcou]

That's because rustoleum clear is an absolute joke, even when it's used over rustoleum paint 🎨 🙄 😒 I'll never use it again

[mattgeiger]

Thank you vary much. I like the fog method idea (havent tried) but makes some sense to me. My next question is about heat applications for example an automobile engine. 500degree.

[noradaly]

I’m in this hell right now as we speak 😩😩😩 soooo glad I’m not losing my mind 😣😣😣😣

[jamsu]

CONSIDERING, the countless man hours sanding, re-ssanding painting and re-painting...

YOUR video may be one of the most useful I've found. Blistering, Scaling and Fish Eyes.(I wonder as you have noted the drippy nature of these low-viscosity paints, can another brand's SPRAY NOZZLE TOP be used on any of these brands? And will it perhaps atomize the droplets smaller for less dripage?)

Like really done with it - (I should've done a very similar test considering the years of headaches, why I hadn't thought to do it myself is a mystery???)

From now on when faced with a consistent aggravation like this, I am going to set to TEST MULTIPLE PRODUCTS & METHODS, likely there will be an applicable version that does the job as expected.

[hmeslce]

I had the same exact problem I use the same paint and there's times that it just comes out really really nice and I I I I I I I think somebody told me I'm not letting the paint here long enough and sometimes it seems like I let it go for a while and it's got to be dry but it'll still blister and sometimes it doesn't so I try to put too much on on the first coat you know it's hard for me to to do

[metallife]

The very first time I ever experienced what you're calling blistering no. I was spraying the gold metallic from Rust-Oleum because I just wanted to see how it would turn out looking like cuz I was painting a good guitar at the time already had my mind set on a color but I just wanted to see just for you know the giggles. That was the moment that I witnessed the blistering effect. Something about it triggered a massive OCD I apparently have. I can't see far distance that well but I can see super close-up and it was like looking at a swarm of bugs. I've only ever had that problem usually with Krylon but that's usually about it. Blistering is absolutely terrifying something about it the way it moves especially when you apply it really really heavy.

[colt]

Update. I have a large and small project with Rustoleum Husqvarna orange enamel paint. They've sat for a couple of weeks. I had then gotten Duplicolor Wheel gloss clear. And had done a test on a scrap painted piece, and no issues. So I sprayed my small project and the can sprayed way too thick. No wrinkling though. So I returned the can as the cap was defective and decided to go with the matte version. Which sprayed like it's supposed to. I sprayed my test pieces with the matte version and the Rustoleum enamel paint got small wrinkles in it.

So looks like Duplicolor wheel gloss clear is safer to use than the matte version when clearing over Rustoleum enamel paint. Anyways, my large painted piece still isn't cleared yet. Had thought of just getting the gloss version and trying that even though the factory paint around the area is more of a matte finish. Though have looked at Spray Max 2K clear matte. Will have to ask them if they've had any wrinkling problems over enamel paint. Or may just not clear it. I had to do some touch up paint on my riding lawnmower as a brief fire had burned off some of the paint on the orange paint of the frame.

[czarcitizen]

Hi Wayne, would the clear coats you recommended at the end of the video also apply to spray-on Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch 2X Ultra Cover Multi-Purpose Paint And Primer? I have a three-month-long paintjob I'd rather not ruin with clear coat blistering at the 11th hour.

[douglasgrosch]

need a flat black start then gloss/ not gloss over gloss black

[colt]

As mentioned in my other post, I used Rustoleum Husqvarna paint that is an enamel. And I can tell it can blister easy even when I waited 4 days to do a recoat due to it scratching easy. Though It's possible I put it on too thick the first time I painted it.

Of those three clears you mention as being okay, can you tell which one would be the safest to use that won't cause the blistering? I saw in another comment of yours that when you used Duplicor enamel clear, that you'd get some blistering if you laid the first coat too heavy. What about the other clears? I need whichever clear is the safest as it would be such a pain to have to sand it off to do it a 3rd time. Thanks.

[colt]

My enamel color paint has been painted for a couple of weeks now. I'm going to be spray the Duplicolor wheel gloss over it as soon as I get a new came to replace the bad can. What's the best way to do this? I assume the color coat would need to be scuffed up first? Like with a gray scotch brite pad? I should have color coated when I painted, but hadn't of planned on it at the time.