The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word ENAMELLER
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
E
N
A
M
E
L
L
E
R
More clues leading to the result ENAMELLER
- My work’s hardly finished
- Craftsman always inscribes signature — with double line!
- Bank clerk losing head conceals reputation of craftsman
- Always carrying brand on both sides of label, one putting on a coat
- Artist in Paris, she runs to capture VIP
- With hair up, French girl meeting king is one putting on a pretty coat
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "My work’s hardly finished" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case my work’s hardly finished = enameller.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.