Duracoat questions

[skullmount]

I am looking for input on preparing for a Duracoat finish.

This is a .358 barrel that is on a White Super 91 action.
(see "ML dreanin" thread in Frontstuffer section)

Do I need to use a specific media if I choose to blast?

What grit paper for finishing?

Any suggestions for a de-greaser?

What about the inside of the action where the "bolt" sits?

Any other tips would be appreciated!

http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/3actionbl.jpg

[wiljen]

I'm doing a Winchester 94 Golden Spike that was trashed with Duracoat Stainless. Brakleen works for degreaser - watch any of em that leave a residue. Surface - rough it pretty good. I tried just running 1000grit paper over it, but the coating pealed back off the gold. I'm gonna bead blast it with glass to strip the gold off then shoot it again with the stainless then cover it in clear.

[Scrounger]

Do post pictures. Duracoat is intriguing.

[Dave Berryhill]

I haven't used Duracoat but I've done a few pistols with Gun Kote and the preparation is similar. Media blasting is the method of choice but you need to use a media that is sharp, such as Aluminum Oxide, rather than glass beads. Glass beads are little round balls that just peen the surface. Aluminum oxide has sharp edges that actually cut into the metal and leave a rough surface and that is important for proper adhesion of the coating. If you use glass beads you finish will probably chip and flake. Sand will also work but I've been told that sand blasting without a breathing system is very bad for the lungs due to the free silica in the sand (silicosis).

Degreasing is also very important and wiljen is correct about a solvent. Jus about anything that doesn't leave a residue will work. Wal Mart and auto parts stores have cheap brake and carb cleaners available. Wear nitrile gloves and use in a well ventilated area because most of these solvents have nasty chemicals in them. Don't touch any metal with your bare hands once you have degreased them.

If the guns is pretty dirty, you may even want to degrease, blast and degrease again. If your gun has fixed sights or nooks and crannies where grease and oil are trapped, the oil or grease will bleed out when you are baking your finish and ruin the job no matter how well you think you've cleaned it (ask me how I know!). You may need to bake your firearm for about an hour at the same temp that the finish calls for. (if your spray finish is an air-hardening formula then this is less likely to happen). On really grungy old rifles you may need to bake and degrease several times to get it all. On a barreled action with no sights, this probably isn't an issue.

Here is a link to some instructions for applying Gun Kote:
http://www.tenring.com/Applygun.htm
Even if your finish doesn't require baking, the instructions on surface prep are pretty good.

Also, a cheap air brush will give MUCH better results than a spray can. Practice your spray technique on some cardboard or extra parts. If your brand of finish can be applied in more than one coat, putting several light coats will usually give a better result than one heavy coating and is less likely to get runs in it.

I hope this helps.

[skullmount]

:)

Keep the suggestions coming!

Thanks :drinks:

[wiljen]

one other thing - use an air compressor - using the airbrush propellant they sell with the beginner kit only serves to go through a lot of $ quick. If you must use the airbrush propellant - hit a local craft store and buy 2 or 3 extras. The kits have a lot more duracoat than propellant.

[Possum]

I took two Ruger Single Sixes that were completely rusted and after blasting them with aluminum oxide coated them with black duracoat. They are completly functional now and rustproofed too. I used my shop to do it in, but did the degreasing outside. One suggestion, use a quality air brush. I used a Harbor Freight brush and wish now I would have spend a few more dollars and bought a decent one. What I had worked, but I spent more time keeping the tiny air hose on the thing that I did painting.

I don't think I will do all the guns in the safe, but I liked the application and the result with the DuraCoat and will use it again when a suitable candidate is found. It will make you look twice at those bad finish "deals" you run across from time to time.

[nicholst55]

Go to Home Depot and buy a respirator suitable for use with 2-part epoxy paint before you spray anything. It's $35 well spent, believe me!

[Johnch]

I did my 870 duck gun almost 2 years back

I used glass beads to prepair the surface
I then had a freind Parkerize it

After it was parkerized , I Dura coated it in OD green

The parkerizion sucked up the Dura Coat

I have abused this gun for 2 seasons now , after a quick cleaning to get the marsh muck off of it
It still looks as good as new

John

[Dave Berryhill]

...
I used glass beads to prepair the surface
I then had a freind Parkerize it

After it was parkerized , I Dura coated it in OD green

The parkerizion sucked up the Dura Coat....

John

Yes, a parkerized undercoating is probably the best way to apply a coating such as Duracoat or Gun Kote. You can use glass beads prior to parkerizing instead of aluminum oxide because the phosphating solution (parkerizing) doesn't adhere to the steel, it reacts with it and forms a conversion coating. The surface just has to be clean, bare carbon steel. You can't parkerize stainless steel so if you want to apply a coating then blasting with a sharp media such as aluminum oxide is your only real option

You should plug your bore first to keep the parkerizing solution out of it. Also, don't treat the parkerized surfaces with oil if you're going to put a coating over it. It still needs to be a clean, dry, oil-free surface.

Using a compressor is the way to go with an air brush but make sure you use a filter to keep the water and oil out of the air.

As Nichols mentioned, using solvents and coatings such as Duracoat and Gun Kote is definitely not an indoor sport! Lots of ventilation and a suitable breathing filter are really the way to go.

[dk17hmr]

I used Gun Kote on my Aluminum framed 1911, Steel Muzzleloader barrel, and Mossberg 500 which I think is steel.

The Barrel and the Shotgun have held up great and still look nice, they are hunting guns so they go through some ****. The 1911 on the other hand, climbin up and down trees with my climbing tree stand, with it in a drop leg holster has ruined the paint job. It hasnt chips but it has some scratches and just plan hasnt held up to what I wanted.

I preped everything by sandblasting it then degreasing with engine degreaser, preheated the parts in the oven, sprayed them and then baked them for whatever the time was 1 hour I think.

I am thinkin about redoing my 1911, I may just sandblast it again and then clear it.

[RANGER RICK]

I had my S&W 500 Mag PC Hunter 10.5 Duracoated and it turned out great .
I had it done 2 years ago this coming july and have put around 3000 rounds through it since I had it done , no wear on the paint at all .
The paint did get darker around the end of the cylinder and at the muzzle break due to smoke and blast ...

RR

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v504/RANGERRICKQUIGLEY/PICT0048.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v504/RANGERRICKQUIGLEY/PICT0045.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v504/RANGERRICKQUIGLEY/DSC00246.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v504/RANGERRICKQUIGLEY/DSC00244.jpg

[AlaskaMike]

I used Gun Kote on my Aluminum framed 1911, Steel Muzzleloader barrel, and Mossberg 500 which I think is steel.

The Barrel and the Shotgun have held up great and still look nice, they are hunting guns so they go through some ****. The 1911 on the other hand, climbin up and down trees with my climbing tree stand, with it in a drop leg holster has ruined the paint job. It hasnt chips but it has some scratches and just plan hasnt held up to what I wanted.


I bet the aluminum frame shows more wear than the steel parts, right? From what I've heard it's hard to get stuff like Duracote to adhear to aluminium. The aluminum trigger guard on my 870 is losing duracote much faster than the rest of the shotgun.

A friend of mine used to make custom, super rugged aluminum gun cases several years ago. He would coat them with something like Rhino Lining, but to get it to adhere reliably he would etch the aluminum with Simple Green. I don't know how well that would work for something like my 870's trigger guard, but I thought it was interesting.

Mike

[skullmount]

I uncovered the lathe in my wife's garage and set-up the .350 barrel in it. I have been working on getting this ready for Duracoat. I used a very fine file and some 220 grit paper so far, I plan on polishing with a 320 grit.
And on the live-center....I have a tapered hard rubber washer between the crown and the center.
http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/medium/barrel_0021.jpg

[22cf45]

Six months or so ago, I applied Lauers Duracoat www.lauerweaponry.com/ to the stainless frame of one of my competition 1911's. I like it very much so far. Lauers Duracoat is an epoxy type finish and requires no baking. I would suggest you give them a call and ask any questions that concern you, I found them to be very helpful. The guy I talked to told me the two biggest reasons for failure was in not using aluminum oxide to blast the surfaces and in not properly degreasing the item.

I used a simple Preval sprayer, I think I paid $6 for it and it did a great job.
Phil

[jrgift]

I used a Preval sprayer I got Tandy Leather a few years ago,worked better than the sprayer that was sent.Have also used the finisher from brownell that does a good job but must be baked.

[anachronism]

Dave Berryhill pretty much nailed it for Duracoat. I usually bead blast my surfaces, then scrub them with brake cleaner and red Scotchbrite. After I'm done with that, everything seems pretty much ready to go. Bead blasting by itself does remove the old finish, but it peens the metal surface, and lessens the contact area between the Duracoat and the metal. Parkerizing your metal first is highly recommended by Lauer, this creates even more suface area for Duracoat to adhere to. Other than that, just follow the directions, and don't paint indoors, the stuff is nasty to breathe.

[andremajic]

I can testify to what happens when you only bead blast. I used the gun kote finish with only bead blasting and after a little rough handling, the paint is really coming off easy.

I plan to fully disassemble and sand blast this time and redo my job with an airbrush for more control and less waste. Harbor Freight sells some air and water seperators for real cheap, so if you're using a compressor, it's only about 10.00 to save your finish from getting oil underneath it.

You have a lot better control with an airbrush, and you waste less paint in overspray. If you can grab a hairdryer, use it on the metal on high to heat up the metal before you start spraying. This will ensure that the paint adheres better as you spray it. Also, between coats, use the hair dryer to speed up the tack and keep it where you spray it.

I've had good results degreasing with brake cleaner. Make sure to do all your degreasing outdoors, as this stuff can cause brain and CNS damage if inhaled. (A good rule of thumb about exposure; if you can smell it, you're breathing it and you're exposed to it.)