I am waiting on getting a tank back that is being painted by HD with the spectrum metal flake paint. I will apply a tank water slide decal to the new tank. My question is do I have to clear coat over this decal? If so what would happen if I do not clear coat it? Thanks.

 

You can bet that if the decal is not buried under the clear coat the edges of the decal will start to curl and crack. Check with your painter to see if he can do the job for you. Some decals will distort from the chemicals in the paint. Again, check with the man doing your paint work.

 

What do you all thunk of this. I will tape around the decal with about a 1/4 inch space between tape and decal. I will spray it with a spray max clear coat. Anyone ever use spray max? Does this sound like a good plan? I am a novice. The tank was just painted by the factory, spectrum metal flake.

 

If you're going to clear over the decal I would recommend reclearing the whole tank. If you mask off a section and just clear it, it will be difficult to blend that with the rest of the tank. It could be done but will take some time and expertise in blending. It would be quicker and look better to do the whole tank.

 

Let the painter apply the decals before he clears the tank. If you tape around the decal and clear over it, there is going to be a noticeable line. If that doesn't bother you, go for it. IMHO it would be a shame to have a good looking tank with a crappy decal job.

 

Do as Uncle Larry suggested! The best place to get this done is by the painter, as part of the finished job.