Can You Clear Coat Over Mylar?

[bob123]

Mylar can come in some outrageous colors and reflectivity not afforded in paint. Any one know if you can clear coat over it wtihout damaging the reflectivity?

[ScottR]

A clear coat will not damage the reflectivity. You just need to test to see if your clear sticks to polyester.

SR

[bob123]

A clear coat will not damage the reflectivity. You just need to test to see if your clear sticks to polyester.

SR

Thanks, I know clearing over certain materials ruins the reflectivity of it, or can even damage it. Mylar is a strange material, so Im not sure how it will react. Guess theres only one way to find out I guess... Hoping someone here maybe has done something with it material wise.

Edited April 23, 2013 by bob123

[ScottR]

Mylar is metalized polyester. It gets printed on including clear coated all the time.....But those are inks- not wood finishes. I don't know how it will react to those. The reflectance is caused by light bouncing off the metalized surface. As long as your clear does not block the light--in which case it would not be clear would it? As long as the light can pass through it it will still reflect.

SR

[bob123]

We have a lot of mylar film at work for radiation detectors (beta blockers), so I may have to... "procure" a peice to try it out on

I was just thinking, I know you can get colored mylars, a copper colored mylar top with black binding would look pretty sick if done correctly imo.