Taxidermy mounts represent hours of skilled work, irreplaceable memories, and significant investment. A properly applied clear coat preserves color, locks down delicate detail, and shields the finish from dust, moisture, UV light, and accidental contact. DiamondFinish Clear is the clear coat KBS Coatings customers reach for again and again, and for good reason: it dries crystal clear, builds a glass-smooth film, and stays flexible enough to handle the contoured shapes of fish, antlers, feathers, fur, and skin mounts.

Because taxidermy has so many curves, undercuts, and tight angles, the two application methods that consistently produce the best results are airbrushing and HVLP spray gun application. This guide walks through both, plus prep, dry times, and tips taxidermists have shared with us over the years.

Why DiamondFinish Clear Works So Well on Taxidermy

DiamondFinish Clear is a single-component, moisture-cured urethane. That chemistry gives it a few properties that matter on a mount:

• Crystal clear, non-yellowing finish. Colors stay true. Whites stay white. Reds and oranges on a brook trout or a pheasant keep their pop.
• UV resistant. Mounts displayed in sunny rooms or near a window are protected from fading.
• Tough but flexible. The film resists cracking on flexible substrates like skin, ear edges, and fin membranes.
• Self-leveling. Drips and brush marks tend to flow out, leaving a smoother surface than most over-the-counter clears.
• Excellent adhesion. Bonds well to dried paints, lacquers, oil based topcoats, gel coats, and properly prepped natural materials.

For fish, reptile, and bird mounts, DiamondFinish Clear delivers the wet-look gloss most artists want. For mammal heads, full body mounts, antlers, and skulls, it can be cut with KBS #1 Thinner or applied as light tack coats so it does not pool in fur or feathers.

What You Will Need

• DiamondFinish Clear (4oz, pint, quart, or gallon depending on project size)
• Airbrush (gravity feed, 0.3 to 0.5 mm tip is common) or a quality HVLP spray gun. We recommend the KBS HVLP Mini Spray Gun for fish, birds, and small mounts, and the full-size KBS HVLP Spray Gun for deer, big game, and full body mounts.
• Clean compressed air supply with moisture trap
• KBS #1 Thinner for thinning and cleanup
• Lint-free cloth
• Nitrile gloves and a properly fitted respirator (organic vapor cartridges)
• Well-ventilated spray area with stable temperature between 60°F and 85°F
• Mixing cups, stir sticks, and a paint strainer

Step 1: Prepare the Mount

Surface preparation is where good clear coat jobs are won or lost. Before any DiamondFinish Clear hits the mount:

1. Let paint and finishes fully dry. Any oil based paints, lacquers, or acrylics should be cured per the manufacturer's recommendation. Trapping solvents under a clear coat causes hazing.
2. Remove dust, lint, and overspray. Use clean compressed air, a soft brush, and a lint-free cloth. Pay special attention to fin webs, eye orbitals, ear bases, and the gaps between feathers.
3. Mask off areas you do not want coated. Eyes, teeth, claws, and habitat materials can be masked with fine line tape or liquid mask.
4. Confirm temperature and humidity. Aim for 60°F to 85°F and 40 to 70 percent relative humidity. Cold or excessively dry conditions slow the cure.

Step 2A: Airbrushing DiamondFinish Clear

Airbrushing is ideal for fish, small birds, reptiles, and detail work where you need fine control to avoid pooling on scales, feathers, or fine fur.

Recommended Setup

• Tip size: 0.3 to 0.5 mm
• Air pressure: 25 to 35 PSI at the airbrush
• Reduction: Thin DiamondFinish Clear 10 to 25 percent with KBS #1 Thinner for an airbrush
• Strain the mixed material through a paint strainer before loading

Technique

1. Hold the airbrush 4 to 6 inches from the surface.
2. Apply a light tack coat first. This thin, almost dusty pass gives the next coat something to grab and prevents runs in feathers and fur.
3. Wait 60 minutes, then apply your first coat in smooth, overlapping passes.
4. Move the airbrush parallel to the contour of the mount. On a fish, follow the body curve from head to tail. On a bird, work with the lay of the feathers.
5. Wait 2-4 hours between wet coats. Most fish and reptile mounts look great with two to three thin, covering coats.

Step 2B: Spraying DiamondFinish Clear With an HVLP Gun

For larger mounts such as deer shoulder mounts, full body mammals, big game heads, turkeys, and pedestal pieces, an HVLP spray gun lays down clear faster and more uniformly than an airbrush.

Choosing the Right HVLP Spray Gun

KBS Coatings sells two HVLP spray guns matched to DiamondFinish Clear and the rest of our product line. Both come with the right tip size, are easy to clean, and are built to handle moisture-cured urethanes day after day.

• KBS HVLP Mini Spray Gun — Compact, lightweight, and ideal for fish, birds, reptiles, small mammal mounts, antlers, skulls, and detail work. The smaller cup and tighter fan pattern give you better control in tight areas.
• KBS HVLP Spray Gun — Full-size production gun built for deer shoulder mounts, full body mammals, big game heads, turkeys, and pedestal pieces. Larger cup capacity means fewer refills on bigger projects.

Many shops keep both on the bench. The mini handles fine work and small mounts, the full size handles everything bigger. Both lay down DiamondFinish Clear beautifully when paired with clean, dry compressed air.

Recommended Setup

• Tip size: 1.3 to 1.4 mm
• Air pressure: 25 to 30 PSI at the gun (follow your gun's spec)
• Reduction: 5 to 15 percent with KBS #1 Thinner if needed for flow
• Use a fresh inline filter and a clean strainer

Technique

1. Practice your fan pattern and trigger control on a piece of cardboard before approaching the mount.
2. Apply a light tack coat across the entire mount and let it flash for 15 to 30 minutes.
3. Spray your full coat in 50 percent overlapping passes, keeping the gun 6 to 8 inches from the surface.
4. Work top down on big mounts so any overspray falls onto areas you have not yet coated.
5. Pay attention to undercuts and recessed areas like the inside of antlers, ear bases, and shoulder folds. Trigger off briefly and approach those spots from a different angle.
6. Allow 2 to 4 hours between coats. Most mammal mounts get two coats. Show pieces sometimes get a third.

Step 3: Dry and Cure Times

• Dust free: 30 to 60 minutes
• Tack free: 2 to 4 hours
• Recoat window: Up to 24 hours without scuffing
• Handle: 24 hours
• Full cure: 7 to 10 days

Keep the mount in a clean, low-dust area while it cures. Avoid moving it for at least 24 hours. The film keeps hardening over the first week, so wait a full cure before final detailing or shipping.

Step 4: Clean Your Equipment

DiamondFinish Clear cures hard inside a spray gun or airbrush if you walk away. Immediately after spraying:

1. Empty any unused mixed clear back through a strainer into a sealed container only if you will spray again the same day. Otherwise discard per local regulations.
2. Flush the gun or airbrush with KBS #1 Thinner or lacquer thinner until the solvent runs clean.
3. Wipe down external parts and store the equipment dry.

Caring for a DiamondFinish Clear Coated Mount

Once cured, the surface is easy to maintain. Dust gently with a soft brush or microfiber cloth. For deeper cleaning, a slightly damp cloth removes fingerprints and household film. Avoid harsh solvents and ammonia-based cleaners. The clear coat itself does most of the work, keeping the underlying mount safe for decades.

Why Taxidermists Choose DiamondFinish Clear

KBS Coatings is a small paint manufacturing company based in Valparaiso, Indiana. We formulate every batch in-house, which means quality control is tight and customer support is direct. DiamondFinish Clear started in the automotive and restoration world, then crossed over to the taxidermy community because the chemistry simply works on natural materials. Whether you are coating a single trophy or running a production shop, we ship same day on most orders.

Frequently Asked Questions

Have a project that does not quite fit one of the methods above? Reach out through our contact page and our team will help you dial in the right approach for your mount.