Britbike forum Forums British motorcycles in general Britbike decal forum decal sealant question

Has anyone tried water base spar varnish as a sealant for decals?
I have a quart of it that has been sitting here for years, and no spar has hove into sight yet, so there doesn't seem to be any reason to save it.
Not that it will take much to seal some decals.
The only question is, will oil or gas affect it?
Anybody have any experience with it?

Thanks for any thoughts.

JR

I have used water-based varnish to seal decals since 1982.
The varnish I use is a readily-available water-based furniture varnish.

As the ink of water-slide decals won't dissolve in water, a water-based varnish is safe to use.
Regular petroleum-based varnishes will smear decal inks, as I found out "the hard way" back in '82.

Thanks IS,
The stuff I have is semi gloss, but if I'm careful to apply it just enough to cover and seal the edge of the decal, it shouldn't be noticeable.
Artsey fartsey time.

Jerry, that's the way it should be done. Two coats is advised. It will take YEARS to wax through the varnish to the decal itself.

Hi you can use model varnish on waterslide transfers.