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Tool: DiamondFinish Clear Shop Now
Manufacturer: KBS Coatings
MSRP: $28+
It’s not often that a new type of finish is brought to the woodworking market. Recently, KBS Coatings, a company specializing in industrial coatings, started to make a push to bring their Diamond Clear finish to the home hobby woodworking market. I got in a few cans to try it out on the top of the miter saw project we built a few issues back. So far, I’ve been impressed with the performance of it, but the application took a bit of work to understand.
The closest coating or finish that I can compare KBS Diamond Clear to is a layer of bar-top epoxy. Once it’s cured, it stay flexible so the wood can move. It also is crystal clear, as the name implies, and the finish seems to be as tough as nails. The bait-making industry has been using Diamond Clear as finish on crank-baits for years.
Being a moisture-cured urethane, it took me a bit to understand the curing process. Diamond clear needs moisture to cure, and that’s important. I first tried to apply it in the shop with air conditioners and dehumidifiers running—because there was very little moisture in the air, it took several days for the finish to not be tacky. Once I opened the windows and let the humid air in, it cured within a day or so. Diamond clear is available in cans for brushing (I found a low-knapp roller the best tool for applying it), and it’s also available in spray cans. Diamond clear can be applied directly over raw wood, or over various other finishes such as paint.
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