Still not sold on using clear coat on crushed can art

I tried sealing a Dr Pepper can flower sculpture with clear acrylic spray last month and it completely killed the metallic shine. Everyone in my local group swears by it for protecting the edges from cutting people, but my piece just looks dull and plasticky now. I learned that some cans have a printed finish that reacts badly with certain sealants, so maybe I should have tested on a scrap piece first. Has anyone else had this problem or found a better way to keep the bare metal look?

2 comments

2 Comments

william_miller5d ago

WAIT you did a Dr Pepper can? Those have that textured metallic finish, right? I tried the same thing with a Mountain Dew can and the clear coat turned it into a cloudy mess. I learned the hard way that most spray sealants have acetone or something in them that eats the printed layer. Next time I'm trying a water-based polycrylic in a spray can, supposed to be way gentler on the print but still locks in those sharp edges.

faithb785d ago

Wait, @william_miller, did you figure out if the polycrylic worked on that Mountain Dew can without fogging it up? I've been nervous to try anything spray-based on cans after ruining half a dozen with that hazy look you're describing. Seems like the textured metallic finish on Dr Pepper cans really changes the game for how sealants react, almost like the ink sits on top of a different surface layer. Curious if that water-based stuff solves the problem or if we're all just stuck using brushes and hoping for the best.