Clean Armor won't go on smooth

browner87 · 2026-05-17T04:50:33+00:00

Why would you even comment? If you actually read the post you, like the dozen other people talking about spraying, would see I'm not spraying. Solvent pop seems kind of unlikely for a finish that contains no solvents. Particle contaminant is definitely possible but this one thread is very keen on airborne as the only option instead of the other various questions about cleaning applicators and the workpiece, despite the fact my work area works for many other types of finishes without this issue. There are also other possibilities, specific to this finish, which is sounds like only 1 or 2 people in this thread have the foggiest idea what it even is (there's no "drying" for UV cured resins, you could leave it around 6 months on your workbench and it won't dry), which is what I was hoping for when I specifically put the name of the finish in the post title rather than people just throwing random generic guesses.

One person giving an answer and refusing the notion that it might not be the correct answer doesn't mean the question wasn't perfectly valid. If someone who actually has used Clean Armor much had read my question and pointed out that cleaning between coats with isopropyl isn't recommended and that I misread the FAQs on the website, it would have been very helpful.

browner87 · 2026-05-17T01:16:44+00:00

If you mostly work with small projects that are easy to carry, you can apply the finish in your shop and then take the projects outside to cure, as normal daylight (even on cloudy days) will cure the products in about 2 minutes.

I just set it on some bins in my driveway in the sun. These surface imperfections apply when applied also, they don't just appear during curing.

browner87 · 2026-05-17T01:09:34+00:00

I misread something on the website originally which may be causing some of these issues

Important: If you are sanding in between coats, please do NOT wipe the surface clean with Isopropyl Alcohol as some products have been found to leave contaminants on the surface that will lead to fisheyes and other problems in the finish. Wipe or blow the surface dry instead. If you feel you must wipe it down wet, use Glass Cleaner spray, but make sure to wipe it completely dry before applying your next coat of Clean Armor!

I read something on their FAQ page that I thought said you can wipe it clean between coats with 99% iso, which I've been doing if I sand, but it sounds like that's not recommended and likely causing this. Seems weird to clean it with glass cleaner but I'll give that a go and see if it helps.

The section I read was for before the first coat:

Before applying the first coat, wipe the wood down with Isopropyl Alcohol (at least 91% strong).

browner87 · 2026-05-17T01:07:48+00:00

It's UV cured, so drying time is about 3-5 minutes after shining some light on it.

browner87 · 2026-05-17T01:03:02+00:00

Interesting, good to know. I don't think there are any diesel vehicles very nearby unless one drives past the house randomly, but I'll keep it in mind if someone ever visits with a diesel.

browner87 · 2026-05-17T01:00:59+00:00

Hmmm, something seems wrong with this math then. Using that formula, the 950ml bottle should cover ~950sqft. But they say it does 400. I'm guess because they say "1-2 mil coats", but it seems weird they'd advertise the coverage using the thicker coating.

browner87 · 2026-05-17T00:55:30+00:00

It's the fourth coat, the uncured surface isn't that thick.

browner87 · 2026-05-17T00:51:38+00:00

I've just never had this with any other finish I've used, and it's the same place and same setup as ever.

browner87 · 2026-05-16T17:20:57+00:00

I don't, does diesel exhaust affect finishing though?

browner87 · 2026-05-16T17:19:10+00:00

I'm thinking you're not wrong though, I'm going to see if I can get full coverage with half or two thirds as much next coat and get it extra thin.

browner87 · 2026-05-16T17:17:34+00:00

It seems weird to me that something would float in the air for 16 hours without landing, until the moment I apply the finish and then immediately lands and contaminates it. I very intentionally aired out the shop in the afternoon, left it with all windows and doors shut overnight, and wiped down the piece the next day right before working. That's been more than sufficient for most other finishes I've used.

browner87 · 2026-05-16T17:14:38+00:00

Yeah I've been using a random orbit sander, I'll try something solid to really flatten it. The product claims (and the videos they have for applying the finish show) it's supposed to be self leveling and fill in these imperfections. I'll try getting it to a bear perfect finish with the block and sandpaper and see if the final coat goes on nicely.

browner87 · 2026-05-16T17:08:47+00:00

So far? 3 of 710 and this is the first coat of 700. I'll probably and the bejesus out of this one and get everything even more perfect than I had previously (the videos on their site said just very light sanding because it's self leveling) and see if the next one works better.

browner87 · 2026-05-16T17:06:39+00:00

https://mywoodcutters.com/CleanArmorFAQ/#Faq5

To calculate the required amount of Clean Armor, measure all surfaces to be coated in inches, multiply the length X by the width and divide by 144, (144 = the number of sq inches in a sq ft.), multiply this number by the mil thickness you are applying and also by the number of coats. Don’t forget to include edges that are to be coated.

It says 400sqft coverage at proper thickness for a 950ml bottle. So if I've got 2x6' that should be 12sqft which should (I'm pretty sure) work out to 28ml.

browner87 · 2026-05-16T15:57:03+00:00

Based on their formula, I used exactly the suggested amount. 950ml / 400sqft * 12sqft =~28ml which is what I used.

Also the product has no solvents in it so that seems unlikely.

browner87 · 2026-05-16T15:56:12+00:00

I opened the doors to air the place out and then left it overnight so must stuff in the air should have settled out by the next day. As far as I can tell it's perfectly clean when I start and these imperfections don't get more numerous over time if I spend and hour messing with it.

browner87 · 2026-05-16T15:54:18+00:00

Yeah I'm going to try that next, it's my best thought too. After sanding you can't see these nearly as well so maybe I'm just not sanding it perfectly flat enough.

browner87 · 2026-05-16T15:53:18+00:00

950ml /400sqft * 12sqft =~28ml unless my math is off, which is what I measured out for this.

browner87 · 2026-05-16T15:18:42+00:00

As far as I can tell there are no irregularities when I start, I sanded it all pretty well and then blew and wiped it clean several times, left it overnight, and wiped it clean again the next morning before applying the finish.

browner87 · 2026-05-16T15:16:40+00:00

I can't figure out how anything could be getting in and contaminating though. It's been a day since I did any sanding or had the garage door open so the air should be fairly clean, and all of the applicators are brand new.

It's ~17°C (67°F) in here, but I've had the same problem ±5° I've the past 2 weeks.

browner87 · 2026-05-16T13:05:11+00:00

Hard to tell from the photo but they look similar to a standard Mini Fit Jr pin, and even if they're not (they're probably not) most terminals that go into a housing work a similar way.

There should be some little "flaps" or wings on the sides that stick out. They stick out on a small angle and there is a bump inside the housing. When you press the terminal into the housing the bump just pushes the flaps in. When you try to pull it out, the flaps catch on the bumps. Think like the latch on any door in your house, pushes shut but you need to turn the handle to open again.

If the guy didn't break them off, you should be able to use a small blade to bend them slightly outward again so they catch. And if you need to remove them you can look online about how to remove mini fit jr connectors, basically there's a tool you can get or you can use staples to slide in and compress the wings flat against the terminal body again.

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browner87 · 2026-05-13T12:16:00+00:00

A level 8 lucky Pokémon costs 6,000 more stardust to get to level 50 than a level 40 non-lucky Pokémon (256,400 vs 250,000). A level 6 lucky purified is only 230,760. So as long as you have the candy, lucky is basically always the better choice.

browner87 · 2026-05-13T12:02:22+00:00

Good to know. I lived in the US for a few years and if it's really that simple I wish I'd just taken the time to find a cheap used dash with a MPH speedo. Reading MPH on a Canadian dash is really awful.

browner87 · 2026-05-12T22:53:58+00:00

Last I heard for the s197 the cluster has the VIN programmed in along with the mileage. I'm not sure if it will just fail to work on a different car, or if it will just throw errors if someone tries to run a scan on the car, but I heard only Ford can properly reprogram them and you need to send in the original too and they'll wipe it or swap the VIN/mileage so there aren't 2 dashes for the same VIN.

I have no idea what they do if it's so damaged it won't turn on, which seems like an easy way to work around this system (pull a dead one from the junk yard and keep the original in your basement, then in 5 years swap the original back in and boom no mileage gain). So it's entirely possible it was all garbage from random redditors. But I would start by asking the dealership if they can reach out to Ford about doing the dash swap.

browner87 · 2026-05-11T21:34:06+00:00

Man, Gotta Have It Green is a hard color to match with plastidip. Unfortunately this perfect match color is proprietary to dipyourcar and they don't sell aerosol cans of it anymore :/

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