Tried a new clear coat process on a 2021 F-150 hood last week

Honestly, I always used to spray two medium coats of clear with a 10 minute flash time in between. For this job, I tried three lighter coats with a 7 minute flash instead, just to see. The difference was huge. The final finish had way less orange peel and a deeper shine. It only added about 15 minutes to the whole job. I'm thinking this might be the move for solid colors from now on. Has anyone else played with their clear coat timing and seen better results?

3 comments

3 Comments

oscar_wood27d ago

Honestly, I've tried that exact thing and it went sideways on me. Three light coats just didn't build enough film thickness for the cut and buff later, ended up burning through on an edge. That extra 15 minutes per panel adds up fast on a full repaint, too. Sticking with two good wet coats has always given me a solid, predictable finish without the extra risk.

derekl7927d agoTop Commenter

Try it on a test panel first.

brian_ramirez21d ago

That whole burn through thing seems like a worst case scenario. I've done three light coats on a few projects and never had an issue with the clear being too thin. Maybe it depends on the brand of clear you're using. The extra time is a pain, but it feels safer than putting on too much at once and getting runs.