<p>Given your time and store restraints, I would agree with your choice of a rattle-can/spray can of matte clear coat.  I don't know the brands well enough to recommend one over another.</p>

<p>There is the potential that the clear coat will reactivate the frosted coats, even if they are thoroughly dried and cured.  So apply very light coats from twice the recommended distance and allow each coat to dry before adding the next.  If the frosted coat does reactivate, it will mix with the clear coat and thus dilute or distort the frost.  The less of the clear coat you apply in each protective coat, the less chance of ruining your artwork.</p>

<p>It might be wise to frost up another piece of plastic and after it dries, test the clear coat on it before risking your art.</p>

<p>If you had more time, an art supply shop (or Hobby Lobby), and an airbrush, you would have more options.  Createx Airbrush paints has a product called Intercoat  which would be perfect for this situation.  It provides a non-reactivating layer to protect your existing artwork from the solvents in any paint or clear coat which you might apply over them.  Spraying a layer of Intercoat over your frost paint would lock it in place, allowing you to add a matte clear coat without any risk of reactivation.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-07-27T20:45:44.053Z
I had probably just missed your message on the way to buying and then applying the Ultra Cover Matte Clear yesterday. There were so many indiscernible options that I decided to test in on a different glass first, and that turned out far better than I thought it would. The rough surface of frost turned smooth and hard, and not glossy. But that glass only had three coats of the frost.

When I put it on my project it does seem to have reactivated the frost, and it lost most of the opacity the test glass never had.
TURNBOMB
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-07-27T20:45:48.647Z
How would you fix it? I'm not sure if I should spray the rest of the can of frost on top of it and try it again, or alternate layers of frost and sealant, or try to clean it all off and start over again. I'll see if I can find intercoat somewhere around here, good call.
TURNBOMB
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-07-28T00:04:32.527Z
If you just want to increase the opacity, have you considered adding a layer of wax paper on the inside.  It would defuse the light more and has a factory-consistent thickness/opacity so you won't get light and dark spots.  If you must fix it from the outside, I wouldn't add any more clear coat.  Try building up a layer of frost over the work you have already done, to get it back to where you want it.  Then try EXTREMELY LIGHT coats of clear coat with time between each for drying.  Paints are funny stuff sometimes.
Henry Taylor
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-07-27T03:06:02.900Z
2017-07-27T03:12:51.540Z
2017-07-27T03:12:51.540Z
Henry Taylor
<p>The frosted glass is specifically to diffuse an RGB LED lamp thing I made, so every scratch and other degradation on this thing so far is very prominent. There must be 8 coats of Rustoleum frosted glass spray on it. It's a very thick matte finish.</p>

<p>For all the frosted glass tutorials out there, like on wine glasses, you would think a few of them would post an update that everything came off or otherwise looks terrible after a week, and perhaps a few would have shown how to solve it.</p>

<p>My concern is that whatever enamel or acrylic spray I apply will either add a gloss, or reduce opacity by filling in the surface and eliminating any light refraction.</p>

<p>The only constraint is that I need to be able to buy it nearby at Walmart or Home Depot or something. I won't have time to order it online because it's a gift. Preferably a Rustoleum product because it's cheap. Would the American Accents Ultra Cover Matte Clear work?</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/hFLtO.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/hFLtOm.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a>
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/giQGL.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/giQGLm.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a><br>
Click on images to view full-sized version.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-10-01T17:33:34.747Z
I hope you found a fix to the sealing issue. Please let me know how you fixed your issue of sealing your spray frosted glass. I am having the same issue on the lights I'm in process of making. I too have been unable to find anything related to this. I would think Rust-oleum would make a sealant for the frosted glass.
Tammy Minchew
<painting><glass><preservation>
How to protect/seal frosted glass spray
TURNBOMB
# How to protect/seal frosted glass spray

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-07-25)

The frosted glass is specifically to diffuse an RGB LED lamp thing I made, so every scratch and other degradation on this thing so far is very prominent. There must be 8 coats of Rustoleum frosted glass spray on it. It's a very thick matte finish.

For all the frosted glass tutorials out there, like on wine glasses, you would think a few of them would post an update that everything came off or otherwise looks terrible after a week, and perhaps a few would have shown how to solve it.

My concern is that whatever enamel or acrylic spray I apply will either add a gloss, or reduce opacity by filling in the surface and eliminating any light refraction.

The only constraint is that I need to be able to buy it nearby at Walmart or Home Depot or something. I won't have time to order it online because it's a gift. Preferably a Rustoleum product because it's cheap. Would the American Accents Ultra Cover Matte Clear work?

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/hFLtOm.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/hFLtO.jpg)
[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/giQGLm.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/giQGL.jpg)  
Click on images to view full-sized version.

**Tags:** painting, glass, preservation

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I hope you found a fix to the sealing issue. Please let me know how you fixed your issue of sealing your spray frosted glass. I am having the same issue on the lights I'm in process of making. I too have been unable to find anything related to this. I would think Rust-oleum would make a sealant for the frosted glass.  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2017-07-27. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

Given your time and store restraints, I would agree with your choice of a rattle-can/spray can of matte clear coat. I don't know the brands well enough to recommend one over another.

There is the potential that the clear coat will reactivate the frosted coats, even if they are thoroughly dried and cured. So apply very light coats from twice the recommended distance and allow each coat to dry before adding the next. If the frosted coat does reactivate, it will mix with the clear coat and thus dilute or distort the frost. The less of the clear coat you apply in each protective coat, the less chance of ruining your artwork.

It might be wise to frost up another piece of plastic and after it dries, test the clear coat on it before risking your art.

If you had more time, an art supply shop (or Hobby Lobby), and an airbrush, you would have more options. Createx Airbrush paints has a product called Intercoat which would be perfect for this situation. It provides a non-reactivating layer to protect your existing artwork from the solvents in any paint or clear coat which you might apply over them. Spraying a layer of Intercoat over your frost paint would lock it in place, allowing you to add a matte clear coat without any risk of reactivation.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I had probably just missed your message on the way to buying and then applying the Ultra Cover Matte Clear yesterday. There were so many indiscernible options that I decided to test in on a different glass first, and that turned out far better than I thought it would. The rough surface of frost turned smooth and hard, and not glossy. But that glass only had three coats of the frost.  When I put it on my project it does seem to have reactivated the frost, and it lost most of the opacity the test glass never had.  
> **username_0**: How would you fix it? I'm not sure if I should spray the rest of the can of frost on top of it and try it again, or alternate layers of frost and sealant, or try to clean it all off and start over again. I'll see if I can find intercoat somewhere around here, good call.  
> **username_2**: If you just want to increase the opacity, have you considered adding a layer of wax paper on the inside.  It would defuse the light more and has a factory-consistent thickness/opacity so you won't get light and dark spots.  If you must fix it from the outside, I wouldn't add any more clear coat.  Try building up a layer of frost over the work you have already done, to get it back to where you want it.  Then try EXTREMELY LIGHT coats of clear coat with time between each for drying.  Paints are funny stuff sometimes.  

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