clear coating

[death on 4 wheels]

If I clear coat a stick from outside, will it stay ppreserved,and for how long?

[waaytoomuchintothis]

What kind of stick, what kind of exposure? Is there bark, is it tooled like a dowel, etc?

[death on 4 wheels]

Just a maple tree branch,cleaned lightly. For realistic dead trees.

[waaytoomuchintothis]

Your best bet is a dull or satin spray lacquer, like Deft. As soon as you get the first coat on, poke it with a paintbrush to clear any bubbles made by the rough bark. Within a few minutes, spray again, and again a few minutes after that. For the last coat, turn the twig at odd angles to be sure you got into all the crevices. It should last years.