Clear Coating the chassis plate on the BeePre

[docbob52]

I love the swirled new chassis plate, so much I decided not to paint it.  I do want to clear coat it with a spray finish.  I have some clear Lacquer spray here.  Any better ideas for a clear coat on aluminum?

[Paul Birkeland]

You can indeed clear coat aluminum, but I'd have a tough time figuring out what would be gained from doing so.

One potential option would be to have the plate clear anodized, which would harden up the brushed swirls, but it potentially would change the color of the material significantly.

If you do spray a clear lacquer over the plate, you could change the gloss level (good) and potentially protect from scratches (maybe not that useful), but at some point that coating may begin to flake off, and that can be really frustrating. 

The best option for a clear coat, IMO, would be to have the plate powder coated.  This will go on thicker and adhere better than other products you could get at your local home improvement store (and you can have the transformer covers coated at the same time).

-PB

[Doc B.]

Clear coat fills in the brush pattern because it is not very deep. The plate will lose some of the interesting changes in visual texture that you see as the light angle changes.

[docbob52]

Thanks so much for the advise. I don't want to loose the interesting pattern so I will leave it unpainted.

[Grainger49]

Just use some Windex on it to clean it from time to time.  This is what I do.  Let the tubes cool first, of course.

[Armaegis]

random thought: how about car wax?

[ssssly]

Brush on, oil based polyurethane won't fill in the recesses nearly as much and will allow them to be visible in the final product. It is not totally clear though. It will give it a bit of "patina". I however think it looks good that way.

[Doc B.]

That's a good idea. I'll take it one step further (thinner?) by suggesting spray lacquer. That might not fill in the brush pattern as much as other coatings. However I haven't tried it myself so I don't know for sure.

[Lee Hankins]

Just have your top plate clear or colored anodized, will not fill in the pattern.  Had a setup for years doing parts for boats and motorcycles.

Lee Hankins

[Paul Birkeland]

The anodizing won't fill the pattern, but I would wonder about what the pattern would look like when the gloss to matte color gradations were neutralized by the anodizing process.

[RPMac]

What would be the problems of using gun oil on the top plate?

[2wo]

Dust...John