Have you tried Rustoleum 2X Ultra Cover Clear Gloss Spray?

[vavavroom]

I wonder how the acrylic 2X Ultra Cover Clear Gloss compares to the older Rustoleum Crystal Clear enamel in terms of thickness, smoothness, gloss, drying time, and durability. Obviously, the older Crystal Clear with its harsh solvents can't be used on top of the acrylic 2X paint. Just wondering. It's not for an automotive application.

If anyone can recommend a low-pressure can of compatible-with-acrylics gloss clear coat that would be great. If the nozzle can be swapped for a very fine airbrush nozzle, for example, one of those made by Montana, it would be even better.

 

[Lubener]

I have used the satin. The 2X has worked great for me. I haven't tried the clear however. I haven't had the need for a gloss. Dries much quicker than enamel, has a smooth finish and is durable. This product is all I use now since Krylon has disapeared.

 

[vavavroom]

I have used the satin. The 2X has worked great for me. I haven't tried the clear however. I haven't had the need for a gloss. Dries much quicker than enamel, has a smooth finish and is durable. This product is all I use now since Krylon has disapeared.

Thanks for the feedback. I'll try it out. My biggest problem with most current types of rattle cans is that they are high-pressure which makes getting a thin coat difficult. I prefer low-pressure cans and fine nozzles but options are limited. There are adaptors that allow the use of airbrush nozzles on Rustoleum cans which is better than nothing.

 

[joekingcorvette]

Great tip vavaroom. I had no idea you could buy different nozzles. I checked Amazon and they have lots of different kinds. I used to throw the spray bomb away due to a clogged cap if I couldn't find a used nozzle.

 

[nwjones18]

I just repainted all the plastic shudders on the house I was selling with the 2x paint forest green gloss and it was the best spray paint I've ever used. They were faded badly and it covered very well in 2 (really 1.5) coats and went on smooth. Seemed to stick well also. I did 8 shudders with 6 cans of paint and they were tall.

Having said all that I can't speak for the clear though, but I'd be willing to give it a shot.

 

[D60]

Anything can be swapped with adapters from Art Primo.

The first thing I do with all Rustoleum cans is revert back to old style nozzles with an adapter.

Beyond that, not much help on the paint. I try to only use the Professional, but colors are limited

 

[vavavroom]

Great tip vavaroom. I had no idea you could buy different nozzles. I checked Amazon and they have lots of different kinds. I used to throw the spray bomb away due to a clogged cap if I couldn't find a used nozzle.

I like to pop off the nozzle after use and I put it in small container filled with acetone to clean it out. Nozzles with different spray patterns and even adjustable nozzles that allow you to adjust the direction in which you spray have been around for decades. I was introduced to them by a graffiti artist over 30 years ago and I at first used them when painting model kits and such because of the very fine nozzles that were available. That was also when I first found out about low-pressure cans that allowed for much greater control when spray-painting. A great variety of nozzles is available at art supply stores or online. They also have male and female adapters for most US and European-style cans.

 

[vavavroom]

Anything can be swapped with adapters from Art Primo.

Yes and it's something they don't usually know of or tell you at The Home Depot.

The first thing I do with all Rustoleum cans is revert back to old style nozzles with an adapter.

I miss the old Lego caps. What were they thinking?

Beyond that, not much help on the paint. I try to only use the Professional, but colors are limited

That's the problem with the low-pressure Montana paints. They only come in flat or something between flat and satin. And their gloss coat is a nightmare.After shaking the can fir 10 minutes, the nozzle will eject a glob of snot before spraying smoothly. Their paint goes on smooth, though.

 

[someonesomewhere]

Used the 2x Gloss clear to clear our white plastic mailbox year before last. Still looks good, hasn't yellowed, peeled, or anything weird, and it sits in full sun and full weather exposure 24/7/365 here in the Southeast. Summertime gets pretty brutal.

 

[zzyzzx]

Look for YouTube Video

2K clear over CHEAP rustoleum paint (AMAZING RESULTS!)​

 

[D60]

Tangentially related: I fired up my paint booth today (try to contain your jealousy)

It occurred to me I've used this modified trigger adapter for about a decade. The adapters + old tips are much taller, so I clearanced with a die grinder.

While it looks VERY crude, it has served me for 10 years. Can't argue with results

 

[JHZR2]

Ive never looked at if a can is high or low pressure. I have had good luck with the ace rust stop paints going on very smooth and even. They have a clear gloss enamel that may be worth a look.

 

[vavavroom]

Ive never looked at if a can is high or low pressure.

If you paint highly detailed small-scale items like scale models a low-pressure can allows much better control, finer atomisation, less risk of runs, thinner layering, and it wastes less paint. A low-pressure can with airbrush nozzle is nowhere near what an airbrush can do but using an airbrush is often inconvenient if you don't use it regularly with a proper setup.

I have had good luck with the ace rust stop paints going on very smooth and even. They have a clear gloss enamel that may be worth a look.

Depends on the chemistry. Oil-based enamel paints have mostly been replaced by acrylic paints even if they misleadingly call them "acrylic enamels." If you coat, for example, an acrylic "enamel" with a clear coat that is made for enamel paint there will be a reaction, usually crazing, due to the incompatibility of the solvent in the clear coat. That's why Rustoleum has its Crystal Clear for enamel paint and its Ultra Cover Clear for its acrylic paint ("acrylic enamel").

Lacquer is hit or miss over acrylic and enamel. I have never had a problem with Tamiya Clear Lacquer over any enamel or acrylic. The stuff is however too expensive, comes only in a tiny can, and the glossy version is more like satin. Lacquer used to be a natural resin made from the secretions of beetles. Think shellac. Other than for food-grade coatings, shellac has been mostly replaced by synthetic resins. Whether or not lacquer is compatible with a particular paint will likely depend on the solvent in the lacquer.

I think @demarpaint paint could elaborate much better on paint compatibility.

 

[demarpaint]

@vavavroom you summed it up nicely, I don't have much to add. About the only thing I can add is I found spray bombs atomize better if you let the spray can sit in hot tap water from the faucet for about five minutes or so before shaking the can and spraying with your favorite tip. Just make sure to dry the can, a drop of water coming off the can and onto the project can make for a bad day. Please note I italicized the words "hot tap water from the faucet" for a reason. I'd hate to see someone toss the spray bomb into a pot of boiling water and get hurt!

 

[vavavroom]

Warming up cans definitely improves paint flow. Also, I invert my stored cans intermittently to prevent the pigments from settling out at the bottom. I also prefer cans that contain multiple rattle balls rather than just one but off the top of my head I can't tell you which brands do. I also shake the cans for several minutes rather than just for 30 seconds or a minute.

 

[D60]

@vavavroom you summed it up nicely, I don't have much to add. About the only thing I can add is I found spray bombs atomize better if you let the spray can sit in hot tap water from the faucet for about five minutes or so before shaking the can and spraying with your favorite tip. Just make sure to dry the can, a drop of water coming off the can and onto the project can make for a bad day. Please note I italicized the words "hot tap water from the faucet" for a reason. I'd hate to see someone toss the spray bomb into a pot of boiling water and get hurt!

Kinda like putting your lava lamp on the stove top to speed things along!!!!

 

[vavavroom]

I have finally gotten around to trying Rustoleum Ultra Cover Clear Gloss. It's not working for me. I get mist that dries too quickly if sprayed thin and it results in a rough finish. If I spray thick enough to get a smooth finish I get runs. Will stick with Tamiya Clear (lacquer). I can polish for a higher gloss finish.

 

[D60]

I have finally gotten around to trying Rustoleum Ultra Cover Clear Gloss. It's not working for me. I get mist that dries too quickly if sprayed thin and it results in a rough finish. If I spray thick enough to get a smooth finish I get runs. Will stick with Tamiya Clear (lacquer). I can polish for a higher gloss finish.

Interesting you say this, I feel like I experienced this on the trailer above with the semi-gloss black. I wanted the gloss black but they didn't have enough so I got some of both.

I didn't even know they offered semi-gloss in Professional, and I don't see the point.

That said, I was in a considerable hurry (although I did shake the cans for one minute + before use) so I can't make hard conclusions.

 

[vavavroom]

Interesting you say this, I feel like I experienced this on the trailer above with the semi-gloss black. I wanted the gloss black but they didn't have enough so I got some of both.

I didn't even know they offered semi-gloss in Professional, and I don't see the point.

That said, I was in a considerable hurry (although I did shake the cans for one minute + before use) so I can't make hard conclusions.

Warm can, shook it up for over 3 minutes. I think most consumer spray paint cans are made to lay down a pretty thick coat for convenience. That may be okay when spraying garden furniture but for more delicate paint jobs it's a disadvantage.

 

[JHZR2]

Warm can, shook it up for over 3 minutes. I think most consumer spray paint cans are made to lay down a pretty thick coat for convenience. That may be okay when spraying garden furniture but for more delicate paint jobs it's a disadvantage.

It’s a 2x product, which I thought implied “two times the coverage” and thus a thicker coat by default…?