Louisiana Classic Truck Club

Can you painters explain to me what is different about intercoat clear? I know basically what it's used for, just fuzzy on what the difference is, as I've never used it.

Basically a glorified base binder.
It's a form of clear coat but with no UV inhibitors,requires no hardner to dry,dries about as quick as base paint so you can tape on it quicker,allows you to actually scuff or sand it after it dries without adhesion problems like regular base paint will have.
Best way to cover your "paint job" for further graphics work without screwing the "paint job" up or build over graphics to level it out without having a ton of clear coat and having to wait it out.Provide a cover coat on unfinished work. Good base to smooth a sanded or scuffed surface to spray metallic blend work over
And as you know,a transport for kandy or pearl toners.

As for the actual chem make up of it,
I can't tell you that one but since you asked,I'll find out.
Keith probbly knows,Maybe he'll wander in and straighten my mess out.

HOK is the one that came up with the name "intercoat" but its just a blending clear but not the same as mixing binder. I have no idea as to the chemical make up but it is "similar" to basecoat but alittle harder when dry.

Mike hit all the main uses for it.

Its main uses other than what it was designed for (blending) is a lock down coat, a mixing base for candies or and extender for basecoats. If you know that there is no way you can finish a graphic or airbrush job in the 24 hour recoat window spray a coat of intercoat on. This will save you from having to resand custom bases like metallics/pearls/candies, and risk ruining them as you will be sanding the intercoat, not your colors.

Thanks for the help Mike & Keith, that's kinda what I thought, but didn't know for sure. Keith, you say it was designed for blending, how/why is it used for blending? Blending base?

You got Wynne, its for blending repairs with basecoat.

When you have to blend a metallic or pearl base its hard to see it due the the base drying flat and some colors are almost impossible to spray without a halo.

Spray your base to till you get coverage of your repair area, then spray a coat of blending clear on the panel, this will give you enough gloss to be able to see as you blend the new color into the old. You then mix your reduced base and reduced blending clear 1:1 to make a transparent base to get a real fine transition out into the rest of your panel. Spray this mixture alittle further and back off alittle each time to get a perfect pearl or metallic blend. You can reduce the color mixture alittle each coat to get a finer transition with no halo.

I use PPG's DBC 500.

To make any candy color or custom mixed candy color you simply add the Radiance II DMX candy toners to the DBC 500. To make a candy mix the toner to unreduced DBC 500. The strength you want you will have to play around with but but dont exceed 3 ounces of DMX toner to an unreduced quart of DBC 500. Mix in the DX 57 hardener as required and you have one of the easiest to use candies there is.