Base - Clear Coat Interactions
 

Refinished headlamp rims using base coat - clear coat from rattle cans - turned out well. Curious to know if the wet, clear coat actually softens and
integrates into the base coat. Seemed like to finish was pretty fragile until the clear coat had dried for 48 hours or so.
thanks, tk

I believe the clear coat would undergo chemical reactions with the base coat to form a chemical bond and that is what you'll want for a stable coating (assuming the BC/CC are from the same recommended system). I apologize if you already knew this but when you clear coat a base coat that has cured and is outside of the recoating window, you'll need to scuff and then shoot another coat of base and then clears it to same the same chemical bond. If you don't do another coat of base and then just clears it, you'll only form a physical bond and many schools of thought believe it is not as strong as the chemical bond. Andy

Good explanation from Andy. The clear will not integrate 'into' the basecoat, that would be strike-in. Which in turn would give you a poor DOI, (distinction of image). But as Andy says it will chemically bond with the surface of the basecoat.

Thank you both for responding. Given good council from Andy, the rattle can instructions are pretty poor. Next time I will know to apply the clear within the "window".
Thanks again.
tk