Cerakote vs duracoat?

[Gabriel91309]

I'm really interested in customizing and was wondering if anybody out there has any experience with cerakote? If it is has hard to pull off as the web says...I'm leaning towards duracoat because it is easier..Just don't know how to pull off a four color pattern with this heat cure paint? Thanks!

[Trickrick]

I have used Duracoat on several rifles and really like it. It's easy to spray with a Harbor Freight airbrush ($20) and so far the durability is fantastic. Customer service with Duracoat is second to none. Just be sure to spend the needed time to clean and degrease before painting and wear vinyl gloves when you handle it prior to spraying. I warn you, spraying a gun is addictive!

[Gabriel91309]

Duracoat it is then! Wish me luck...lol

[largom]

Like Trickrick I too have used Duracoat on several guns. It is a great product but be sure to read and follow all instructions.

Larry

[Gabriel91309]

Will do! It may take some time but I will post some pictures. I know the pattern I want now just to pull off.....

[bear67]

I hate to paint and I have used Duracoat successfully several times. Did a red, white and blue 10-22 for oldest grand daughter and it is beautiful, if I did do it. Takes time to clean and mask for good job. I own a pistol with cerakote, but can't really say it is harder than my duracoat ones. I like that I can do it myself.

I am an old foggy and thought all guns should be blued steel and real hardwood stocks. But I now have synthetic stocks and painted guns. Who woulda thunk it.

[n10sivern]

I like cerakote at it applies thinner than duracoat. With either one, prep is the most important thing for either one. both should suffice and both have great reputations and a variety of colors

[Gabriel91309]

My question with cerakote is with a 4 color camo do you first cure the base coat? Then each additional color after?? So heat curing each part after every color? There's zero info on this on their site. Do I need to perp it or just handle with glove after curing? Sounds like a pain but I really like the cerakote for this particular build

[n10sivern]

I'm not sure. In the manual it mentions if using stencils, flash cure metal at 180* for 15 minutes

[Gabriel91309]

Ahh ha! finally found it thanks n10sivern! Mine must not have been a complete booklet or something was missing. I read to flash cure it if you needed to sandblast it again and redo

[Wolfgang]

Gabriel91309,

Just saw this thread. Been doing CeraKote for quite some time now. Built a baking oven for the process and the whole nine yards. The prep work is the hardest part and the most important. I have done quite a few projects and they all turned out well but they were time consuming. The surfaces have to be properly prepared to take and hold a good strong bond as the coating that is being applied is very thin, I use 120 grit aluminum oxide. CeraKote is unforgiving if it is touched prior to the curing process and any marks on the finish will be there after curing. As far a stencils and multi colors, flash cure and move on to your next color and remember that this needs to be done with each coat. CeraKote folks told me that they don't recommend putting one coating on top of another as they tend not to bond to each other and flaking takes place. I took them at their word and never tried it but others have and had good luck. Also each surface is a rule unto itself. Degrease everything heat the parts up to drive oils out that you never knew could be there and do it all over again. It will pay off in the end when the finished product looks as it should. One other thing, this stuff is as tough as they say it is. Have fun and take some pics to show us your projects.

Wolfgang

[Gabriel91309]

Yes I have the oven, and blasting cabinet thing all worked out now. You said they don't recommend it? Hmm...I wonder if they are talking about putting fresh paint over fully cured??? That was my first thought but the flash cure make a lot of sense to me. I'm going to try it. Worst case it's back in the blasting cabinet and I'm out 150 bucks. I will defiantly take pictures

[Wolfgang]

From what I gathered it was more of an issue with the product being able to bond to itself. Not too sure but I have never tried it. I can say that I once, just for fun, sprayed an empty Diet Pepsi can with some left over Graphite Black. I just wiped off the condensation and sprayed it then tossed it in the oven with the rest of the parts. No prep work, no blasting, no degreasing. When it came out of the oven it looked good and I then crushed it. After I crushed it I checked it over and was impressed that the CeraKote didn't crack or peel. I will say it is some good stuff but not the beautiful finish that I have seen others who are on this site are capable of. I am still a blued steel and wood kind of person. :-o

Here is a Youtube video of a couple that I have done for friends.
[URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyoNMLfxlB4"]

[Gabriel91309]

Nice video Wolfgang! I'm still waiting for a few goodies before I can start on this project. Your slide show has inspired me on a few other projects that never even entered my mine. I'm going to need to enlist my wife for help with posting pictures and maybe video.....

[Wolfgang]

I've done several since then and have people standing in line waiting on me to do more. I just wanted to do this as a hobby but word seems to travel fast and you discover just how many "friends" you have! Not that I don't enjoy the tinkering but unless I go out and jump through the hoops to get an FFL and vendors license I really can't charge for the job. That is fine when doing a couple here and there but when people you don't know start calling it becomes a job. I will hopefully survive another year and ten months to retirement and then I may think about actually opening up a small shop. If that happens I would invest in some tanks and set up to do bluing as well. Maybe all of those armorers schools that my employer sent me to as well as hanging out learning things from a friend who is a real gunsmith will pay off in the end:-)

[Gabriel91309]

I've just started on the gunsmithing side of things. I have strong knowledge with little experience. Up until now I have spent my "gun time" with my nose picker on or next to the trigger. I'm in the process of setting up little shop for myself. It's going to take me awhile to finish with my platinum taste and a shoe string budgets. One component at a time...good luck starting a shop sounds like a second career maybe in your future. Just the sense of accomplishment along would make it worth while.