Spraying over a waterslide decal. Will this work?

Alex W

Alex W

Pork and Beans connoisseur
Got my waterslide decal in th mail and I figured I'd spray a slight clearcoat over it once I have it on the headstock. The wood is already finished in satin poly. I have a can of this in the garage rustoleum.jpg but it's oil based. Will this work or would I be better off to go to the hardware store and look for clear satin poly?
 
Lemme give you some advice based on my experience decalling model trains. If the base coat is a gloss finish, it will work, provided you roughen up the undercoat just a very little bit. A couple swipes with a Scotchbrite pad is all you need. Don't use sandpaper or steel wool. Wash off the area with a damp paper towel, then apply the decal. Try not to trap any air bubbles underneath the decal. Doing so will add extra steps if you are not carefull. Let it sit and dry for a full 24 hrs. Then overcoat with a few coats of clear gloss.
 
I think that stuff you have in the can is an enamel. I wouldn't use it without testing a bit on the back somewhere.
 
It will work, I have used everything from lacquer to win wax to plain enamel. The trick is dust it with a coat and let it dry, dust it again and let it dry, just dust it until it is sealed over and then put a decent coat on it and let dry over night and then you can put a couple of good solid coats on it and you will be good to go. Wet sanding with a block is the best way to make it perfect. Keep going higher in number (less course) on your paper. 400, 600, 900 or 1000 grit to finish. Wet and dry paper.
 
Some decals are made specifically for certain finishes. You can probably get away with it if you follow Crusher's spray technique. If you spray too heavy a coat, the decal ink could bleed off.
 
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