Clear Coat for Aluminum

Here in Aus, most road signs are made using a 3M product that has the clear coat already applied to the master film.

In auto manufacture, we used a Dulux product that was designated LS1, but that was back in the days before VOC free became an issue. It was developed for us, but released for industry use suited for ABS and Polycarb so we didn't have to change compounds for different lamps. There would now be VOC free versions. Note that LS1 was used as a UV protection for automotive signal lamps, so was suited to plastics.

Maybe 3M USA would be able to advise through their help line.

I think that is used here too. It's a multi-layer film that is laminated to the sign material (I assume after the Al has been etched)

3 M ™ Overlaminate Label Materials | 3 M United States

Painting Al without some form of surface prep is questionable.

I had my wheels powder coated....$90 a piece...

https://www.cerakote.com/finishes/?tab=coatings&cat=CLEAR&gclid=CjwKCAjwmtDpBRAQEiwAC6lm415M0GrFh74vgtltbSDqdgicgk9y__pNSywKY3A-RAMHEy2KkVhTDBoC9AsQAvD_BwE

That looks like the ticket!

Did the price include stripping the old clear coat and prep work?

Thanks SE. and everyone that contributed.

Yeah that includes everything...I did have to buy new logo inserts, the old ones were faded out....

When I worked at Saunders Aircraft all our coatings came from RedSpot in the U.S. They were really helpful in supplying custom blends for specific applications. I remember having the new planes to be painted loaded with the RedSpot coatings and flown to the painters down east as they had a hanger sized spray booth. I have used them several times since when we needed coatings for structural foam moulded polypropylene parts which is notoriously difficult to get a coating to adhere to. RedSpot came through and 20 years later I have seen farm tractors with our painted dash boards still looking good.

Worth giving them a call?

The manufacturer of the <...highway road signs...> can. Telephone?

I agree with Just an Engineer that the product in Australia is 3M and the clear coating is a layer in the product and though I have tried it can't be delaminated from the substrate.

The local refuse station sells the old signs from $2 to $5 depending on the size and is a great source of Al plate approx 1.6mm thick, for so many uses.

In the bad old days of Japanese motorcycles the engines and wheels were sprayed with a clear coat of lacquer but it yellowed and peeled off.

I did try using clear Gel Coat on Alloy wheels I cast but it is too easy to get build up in the wrong places. Still Gel Coat lives its life on Fibreglass boats and lasts a very long time though if too thick it can craze.

Traffic signs are not painted or coated. They are a plastic film that is applied to a reflectorized aluminum panel.

I believe one (if not more) of the responders to your enquiry will have an appropriate answer on a coating to use for aluminum wheels. I doubt you want to apply film to them. :)

Good Luck.

any object that I want to protect from the sun's UV, I use SPAR urethane. You can get it in glossy, satin, semi, ect.