As of late I had favored duplicolor 1K clear coat (a few times using the pearl version) - it works well, but can take awhile to get to full cure (and I have some rockets with a few dents from pressure I let occur while it was apparently still curing a week+ later. So, I got some Era paints 2K clear off Amazon ($42 for a 2 pack), lined up 4 completed rockets and went to town. I made sure I had a respirator on (also got off amazon, but when painting you can't smell the paint at all, so I figure it must be working), as well as gloves and eye protection and setup in my backyard. Super happy with the results, no runs or orange peeling. Did 2-3 coats on each rocket and by that evening it was dry and done. Sealed off the decals nicely. Supposedly this stuff won't yellow and it sure seems tough.
I had another rocket (birthday was recently, these were all gifts) that I finished with rustoleum enamel, so I waited 48 hours as per the can, and put rustoleum clear enamel over it - several spots where it crinkled up. Annoying to say the least. So, I think the moral of the story here is batch finish rockets with the 2K clear coat. It's only a dollar or two more expensive than the duplicolor 1K from my local auto zone, and honestly seems to be much better (and head and shoulders above the rustoleum crap). I spent the time and money (stickershock decals) to finish these rockets nicely, so I like giving them some protection before flying. Wish I had a better setup than doing this in my backyard, but for now it seems to work.
I had another rocket (birthday was recently, these were all gifts) that I finished with rustoleum enamel, so I waited 48 hours as per the can, and put rustoleum clear enamel over it - several spots where it crinkled up. Annoying to say the least. So, I think the moral of the story here is batch finish rockets with the 2K clear coat. It's only a dollar or two more expensive than the duplicolor 1K from my local auto zone, and honestly seems to be much better (and head and shoulders above the rustoleum crap). I spent the time and money (stickershock decals) to finish these rockets nicely, so I like giving them some protection before flying. Wish I had a better setup than doing this in my backyard, but for now it seems to work.