Clear Coats for Bronze

Q. I own a foundry. We cast bronze statuary. Some of our products are fountains with a bronze bowl to hold recirculated water. I need to coat the bowls to protect the finish. We have tried acrylic lacquers and acrylic powder coatings. The standard finishes for bronze won’t hold up. These coatings work well on cast bronze but either peel or turn white when used in the bowls within a year. Can you recommend a clear coating that will not peel nor turn white in less than a year? J. W.

A. Swimming pool paint is formulated using a chlorinated rubber resin. It may be available in a clear. Check swimming pool supply stores. My guess is that a clear, two-component epoxy will work. Suppliers of these coatings are listed in the 2006 Products Finishing Directory and Technology Guide (www.pfonline.com/suppliers.html) under Coatings, plural-component on page 273. A powder coating using a water-resistant resin formulated for immersion service should work. I suggest you contact the Powder Coating Institute, 2121 Eisenhower Ave, Suite 401, Alexandria, VA 22314. The phone number is 703-684-1770. Whatever you do, remember to clean the bronze, to remove any corrosion products, polishing compounds and oily soils, before coating.