Has anyone found an aerosal clear coat for coating their baits, one that doesn't have to be rotated on a wheel?

Check out some of the auto clears at a parts store.   You can also use clear polyurathane but those won't last very long on a bait.   You will need at least 4 coats to get any kind of durable coating.

I may be able to help you. I've been working on repainting some TD-Z's for a few months, and it's been a trial and error process. Painting was fairly easy, but now it was time for the clearcoat. After being informed by the guys at TCP Global that automotive clear coat is too thick to spray through an airbrush, I tried to improvise. They recommended an aerosol clear, but I just didn't like the sound of 'arerosol'. I bought some clearcoat at my local auto parts store, and thinned it with denatured alcohol. It was able to spray through my airbrush just fine, but it wouldn't set up for some reason....it remained soft enough to show a fingerprint even a day later. So I had to strip the sideplate bare and repaint it. I call back the guys at TCP Global and they recommend U-Pol Clear #1, which they said is a body-shop worthy clearcoat. I had it in 3 days and I was ready to paint. After shaking the can for 2mins (which it recommends), and holding the can 10" away as directed....I started coating. I sprayed one pass and it seemed very speckled and sparsely coated...it automized very nicely, but it showed its thickness on the surface by not bleeding together. I made another pass and it began to close the tiny beads. One last pass and the surface fused together into a sheet of glass. A perfect, thick coat! Even though it was wet; I must have admired it for 10 minutes. The metallic in the black paint popped out like crazy. I let it dry for two days, and it formed a ridiculously hard layer. I polished it perfectly smooth with some liquid polish (meguiars 2.0). I highly recommed it....

http://www.tcpglobal.com/AutoBodyDepot/ItemDetail.aspx?ItemNo=UPO+796

I didn't mention it, but yes....this stuff would rock on baits.  I plan on using it myself.  

Natural -

Thanks for the info. Can we see some photos of the TDZ's?

I may be able to help you. I've been working on repainting some TD-Z's for a few months, and it's been a trial and error process. Painting was fairly easy, but now it was time for the clearcoat. After being informed by the guys at TCP Global that automotive clear coat is too thick to spray through an airbrush, I tried to improvise. They recommended an aerosol clear, but I just didn't like the sound of 'arerosol'. I bought some clearcoat at my local auto parts store, and thinned it with denatured alcohol. It was able to spray through my airbrush just fine, but it wouldn't set up for some reason....it remained soft enough to show a fingerprint even a day later. So I had to strip the sideplate bare and repaint it. I call back the guys at TCP Global and they recommend U-Pol Clear #1, which they said is a body-shop worthy clearcoat. I had it in 3 days and I was ready to paint. After shaking the can for 2mins (which it recommends), and holding the can 10" away as directed....I started coating. I sprayed one pass and it seemed very speckled and sparsely coated...it automized very nicely, but it showed its thickness on the surface by not bleeding together. I made another pass and it began to close the tiny beads. One last pass and the surface fused together into a sheet of glass. A perfect, thick coat! Even though it was wet; I must have admired it for 10 minutes. The metallic in the black paint popped out like crazy. I let it dry for two days, and it formed a ridiculously hard layer. I polished it perfectly smooth with some liquid polish (meguiars 2.0). I highly recommed it....

http://www.tcpglobal.com/AutoBodyDepot/ItemDetail.aspx?ItemNo=UPO+796

That might be the way to go. Thanks  

Natural -

Thanks for the info. Can we see some photos of the TDZ's?

I only have two of them done, but yes...I planned on posting pics this weekend.  I'm working on finding someone local to put them back together.

I posted some pics on Tackle Tour in the 'Show and Tell' section.  Apparently you can't link to a post over there.  Heaven forbid I show someone another site....they may never come back! :