Hello,

I made a bike mounting system for transporting bicycles which will be used in the bed of my F150 inside a Leer cap. It will not see direct rain/snow but will see occasional moisture and water contact. It's made from three pieces of red oak that bolt together and is designed to be disassembled quickly when not needed. I've been looking for a clear coat that will give protection from scratches and scuffing, water protection, and not crack or peel with temperature changes in the wood from below freezing to no more than 120 degrees. Also, very important is the resistance to "blocking" or sticking together when disassembled since there is contact between the three pieces when bolted together. Also, I would prefer a satin finish but can live with gloss.

Will the KBS Clear Diamond Finish work well for this wood project?

Can I recoat in the future to hide bigger scratches, gouges, etc.

Can I use this over a water based or oil based stain?

Will it resist block or sticking together?

Any help or suggestions are welcome, thanks.

Thanks for the detailed rundown on the rack. Yes, DiamondFinish Clear works well on red oak that lives inside a truck cap.

DiamondFinish Clear bonds directly to bare and previously finished wood, indoors and out, with no primer. Once cured, the film is fully waterproof and reaches 7H pencil hardness at 7 days, so it stands up to scratches and scuffs. It stays permanently flexible, so it takes impacts without cracking. It has been tested down to -30 degrees F, and its dry heat resistance is far above the 120 degrees a truck bed sees in summer. Let it fully cure before it goes out into freezing weather.

On bare oak, the process looks like this:

1. Sand smooth and remove all dust. The wood must be dry with a low moisture content. Skip the solvent wipe and the tack cloth, since both leave a residue that causes fisheyes.

2. Thin the first coat 30 to 50 percent with KBS #1 Thinner and brush on a single covering coat to seal the grain. Let it cure 24 hours.

3. The first coat raises the grain, so sand it smooth again with 280 to 320 grit.

4. Apply at least one more full coat. Recoat once the previous coat is dry to the touch and leaves no fingerprint, typically 2 to 4 hours, and keep each coat within 8 hours of the last.

Apply it between 50 and 82 degrees F, in moderate to dry conditions. Before you get started, we strongly recommend reading through the complete application directions. The link is included below. The steps above are a quick orientation, not a substitute for the full directions.

Yes, you can recoat later to cover scratches or gouges. Clean the cured finish with KBS Klean diluted 10 parts hot water to 1 part KBS Klean, scuff with 600 to 1200 grit, clean again, rinse, and let it dry completely. Then apply fresh coats.

It also goes over oil-based or water-based stain once the stain is fully cured and the surface is completely free of dust and debris. Use the full cure time on the stain maker's data sheet, not the dry-to-touch time. Water-based stains usually take much longer to cure than oil-based ones, and clear coating too soon is a common mistake.

Once fully cured, the glossy film resists sticking where the pieces touch. Give them the full 7 day cure before you bolt them up. They can be handled after a day, but the film doesn't reach its full 7H hardness until day 7.

The liquid DiamondFinish Clear is high gloss only. For a satin look, rub the cured finish evenly with fine 0000 steel wool after 24 hours. If you'd rather have satin straight from the can, KBS MAXX Clear is a 2K clear that comes in Satin and also bonds to exterior wood.

Here are the links:

• DiamondFinish Clear

• DiamondFinish Clear Application Directions

• KBS #1 Thinner

• KBS MAXX Clear

If anything comes up while you're finishing the rack, post back here and we'll help.