[Tt3Sheppard]

[QUOTE=Kiske;1208808]2k (aka 2 part -has a mixed in hardner-) urethane clear will always look better than any single part out of a rattle can. I spray lights all day and they look perfect with zero polishing. With a rattle can your going to have to spend a lot of time polishing the tailights to get the clear to shine.

Another benefit of doing automotive paint vs rattle can is by mixing the candy into the clear you can create more seamless finishes. If you do say one pass of VHT on a lense you will notice it is spotty until you have enough passes to make it solid. This is due to the way the rattle can dispenses the paint. You can do very light smoke no problem by just adding a few drops of black into your 2k automotive clearcoat.

To whomever posted about the clearcoat cracking the lens... that is simply because you are applying it too wet and the solvents in the car and soaking into the etched (sanded or scuffed) plastic eating away at them before it can dry. Counter it by making your first coats light!

As far as the question on prepping them. I find the best result it to FIRST clean them with dish soap/water followed by an automotive wax & grease remover. Normally we'd use the wax & grease remover after sanding them but some plastics used in tail-lights are really sensitive and will react to the cleaners. I then follow with a a through scuffing with a fine (gray) 3m scotch-brite pad. No need to use sand paper, can easily be done by hand. The scotch-brite is easy to hold and has some thickness making it easy to do contours and curves. After I scuff it I blow it off with an air gun and give it a final wipe with a tack cloth to remove any loose particles just before the first coat of paint.


I'm going to attempt this with the metalcast red (2 cans) and 2x Clear Rustoleum. You stated above that a 3m (grey) scotch brite pad works. Does this take the place of the sanding? Did you sand inbetween any coats?