Craft question.

[FSogol]

I want to glue some paper images to a metal sheet and then cover the metal and image with a clear waterproof coating. It would need to be able to be easily wiped off.

What are my options? Mod podge? Some clear sealer? Thanks.

[surrealAmerican]

1. Varnish?

You'll have some research to do for this. It depends on just how waterproof it needs to be. If it's for outdoor use, you might need to think about temperature extremes too.

[FSogol]

2. Indoor use. Should have said easily wiped off instead of waterproof.

My experience with varnish is that it isn't smooth. I was hoping to have an extremely smooth surface when finished.

The start of my research consists of asking on DU, but unfortunately Meta seems to get more traffic than Crafts.

Thanks for the response, btw.

[SouthernLiberal]

3. There are probably some things in the craft department...

That will do what you need. I am not sure why you want the surface to be wiped off, though. You need to look for something that will dry on non-porous surfaces, and then chose either a matte or gloss finish. I have never worked with metal, but my choice for joining paper to plastic (another non-porous surface) is Ranger's Glossy Accents. It works both as the glue and the finish, and results in a very glossy surface. It is also almost self-leveling, so I rarely have to mess with it much after it has been applied. Although the result is a smooth, glossy surface, it is a dimensional medium, so the surface will be 'thick' (as compared to a sheet of paper)

I hope this is of some help to you.

[FSogol]

4. Yeah, many thanks. n/t