# New to tractor painting. Question Re: decals and clearcoat. What sequence?



## tmac196 (Aug 26, 2014)

1965 Ford 2000-3 cylinder

Sheet metal has been base coated with Tisco's Industrial enamel in Empire blue. Two coats with a HVLP gun. I have new decals for the rear hood and wonder if it is most advisable to place them on top of the clear coat like a bumper sticker on a car or to place them on the base coat and clear coat over the top of them. The decals are a vinyl material. How was this done at the factory?

I plan to spray the Majik brand clear coat after 1 week for the base coat to cure for what it is worth. Mineral spirits is the recommended thinner/solvent.


----------



## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

tmac196 said:


> 1964 Ford 2000-3 cylinder
> 
> Sheet metal has been base coated with Tisco's Industrial enamel in Empire blue. Two coats with a HVLP gun. I have new decals for the rear hood and wonder if it is most advisable to place them on top of the clear coat like a bumper sticker on a car or to place them on the base coat and clear coat over the top of them. The decals are a vinyl material. How was this done at the factory?
> 
> I plan to spray the Majik brand clear coat after 1 week for the base coat to cure for what it is worth. Mineral spirits is the recommended thinner/solvent.


After the clear coat.....the factory didn't use clear coats. Good luck, always fun doing a repaint.....rewarding to do it right


----------



## danwi (Mar 6, 2015)

Friend had an IH painted this summer and they tried to clear coat over the decals and it wrinkled the decals.


----------



## 1oldphart (Aug 20, 2014)

put them on top, make sure you can wait for clear coat. the chroma system base coat clear coat I use requires clear applied within 24 hrs or it can lift the base....paul


----------



## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

One piece of advice on decal application is that on the long stripe type decals, be sure to let them overlap about a 3/8" if they are in two sections as the sun and engine heat will cause them to draw up slightly in time and if they are not overlapped you can have some unwanted exposure of a different color at the joint....at least that happens with Deere decals.

Regards, Mike


----------

