Prepping a gun for Durocoat/Cerrokote

[Dane Armory]

I got a question from one of our member and could not answer it.

Q1 He wanted to know is a raw alumininum needed to be anodized before it could be coated ?

Q2 .I sandblasted a upper reciever and handguard today at 75 to 80 PSI, It turned outdark grey to frosted black. The surface coating is hard, do I need to take it all off to get a good finish or is a light scuff good enough ?

[shibiwan]

Scuff is enough. Then, clean, clean, clean, before you apply anything.

[98Z5V]

Q2 .I sandblasted a upper reciever and handguard today at 75 to 80 PSI, It turned outdark grey to frosted black. The surface coating is hard, do I need to take it all off to get a good finish or is a light scuff good enough ?

 

You were almost there.  You almost wiped out the hardcoat annodizing.  Not much longer in the blast bin would have had it down to bare aluminum. 

 

Been through this.

 

Scuffed some parts, 'eh...  KILLED some parts, down to bare alu.  Didn't take much more to crush all the anno off there and get to bare alu.

 

The coating will last much longer if it's adhered to bare metal, that's prepped correctly.  I'm just sayin'.

 

I've done a few of these, and I'm Cerakote-exclusive now.  I've "roughed" parts, and had the Cerakote come off from "rough handling" with a scope mount, on the pic rail.  When I take that $hit down to bare metal, that $hit is harder than woodpecker lips.  That $hit is so hard a cat can't scratch it, and diamonds are impervious.  The more you go down...  insert comment here...  <lmao>  ...the longer it will last.

 

If it's some customer $Hit, and you don't want a "comeback" from the coating getting chipped up or scraping - take that $hit to bare metal.

 

^^^  That advice goes to you, too, Shibi.

Edited August 3, 2014 by 98Z5V

[Dane Armory]

Thanks ... So Bare Metal on Q1 and Q2.

My gun , for my daughter's graduation present. Hot Pink . Strippers Pink ,Neon Pink. !

Woodpeckers Lips and going down in the same post ... WOW !

[98Z5V]

I've got some SCARY Cerakoted $Hit coming up, brother...  <lmao>

[392heminut]

I've got some SCARY Cerakoted $Hit coming up, brother...  <lmao>

<munch> <thumbsup>

[Dane Armory]

I sandblasted a Midwest Industries Quad rail and an Aero upper receiver. It turned out pretty good except for the charging handle, the stem area was extra hard. The rail area was a real PITAto get down to the metal.

[Dane Armory]

Got some Dura coat , Ergo Pink and Tactical Black. Now I need to pick up some Ceracoat colors from the paint store in Mesa. The pink is a little to pale for my liking, I want a flashy or neon Pink for my daughter's gun.

[Dane Armory]

I've got some SCARY Cerakoted $Hit coming up, brother...  <lmao>

Me too !

Storm Trooper Ar !

[Dane Armory]

Ok , another stupid question...

On the plastic buttstock do I need to scuff it with sandpaper or will wiping it with cleaner be enough ?

[98Z5V]

Duracoat, don't know.  Cerakote, soak your plastic parts for 2 hours, the gas them out in the oven, 150 degrees for 2 hours.  If there was no oily residue on the parts after the gas-out, then paint them.  If there was oily residue, soak them again and back into the oven.

[Dane Armory]

Whiskey-Tango-Foxtrot !

Tom you want me to soak the parts in gas then put them in the oven.

I don't think so !

I was going to clean them with denatured alchol then spray the parts.

So no sanding needed.

[98Z5V]

Not gas, brother.  "Gassing them out" means applying heat to them to force-dry the parts you've soaked. 

[Dane Armory]

That makes more sense.

[98Z5V]

Cerakote sez...

 

***In most cases it is not necessary or recommended to soak plastic and polymer parts in a solvent-based degreaser as to avoid damaging the part.  Thoroughly wiping plastic and polymer parts with a compatible degreasing solvent is sufficient.

[Dane Armory]

Thats good . I have a qt can of degreasing solvent in the garage.

Now I need to sand blast a lower and a reciever extension this weekend.

[98Z5V]

I'll be prepping some MagPul polymer stuff on Saturday night, for paint Sunday morning.  I'll let you know what I do.  NOT USING acetone, that's for damn sure.  I picked up some denatured alcohol to hit them with, though.  They'll go into the little plastic tub with that stuff, and sloshed all around, that's for sure.  I'll gas them out at 150 degrees for about 30 minutes.  I'll let you know if it works - or post pics of melted goo in the bottom of my oven...  <lmao>

[edgecrusher]

You should be fine at that temp. I suspect that the polymers they use are ok till 250 or so

[Dane Armory]

I am going to clean the parts by wiping down the parts with denatured alcohol then degreaser solvent. But I will air dry outside in a closed container (vented).

[darb]

I'll be prepping some MagPul polymer stuff on Saturday night, for paint Sunday morning.  I'll let you know what I do.  NOT USING acetone, that's for damn sure.  I picked up some denatured alcohol to hit them with, though.  They'll go into the little plastic tub with that stuff, and sloshed all around, that's for sure.  I'll gas them out at 150 degrees for about 30 minutes.  I'll let you know if it works - or post pics of melted goo in the bottom of my oven...  <lmao>

It's been awhile and since I did not see any pictures of melted goo, I must ask: Did it work? ^-^

[98Z5V]

Let them soak in the denatured alcohol for 30 minutes, made sure I wire-tied them before going in the vat.  Extracted them with the wire ties and made sure I didn't touch them.  Gassed them out at 170 degrees for 30 minutes, let them cool, and shot the cerakote.  Baked them at 170 degrees for 2 hours.  Removed them and hung them until they were room temp, and assembled.  Worked like a champ.  No issues whatsoever with them.  Cerakote goes on so damn thin, it doesn't affect any clearances...   <thumbsup>

 

Baked an EOTech 512 twice, too, at 170 degrees, a few hours each time.  It still works, to this day.  THAT surprised me...  <lmao>

[darb]

Got some Dura coat , Ergo Pink and Tactical Black. Now I need to pick up some Ceracoat colors from the paint store in Mesa. The pink is a little to pale for my liking, I want a flashy or neon Pink for my daughter's gun.

I am still following this historic thread. I am stuck with a couple of Duracote kits.  My parts are anodized. Do I need to strip to bare metal? I'll probably blow this doing something stupid, which by the way I am good at. :banana: I just like to see that banana guy.

[MikedaddyH]

Sand blast the anodized part to bare metal then clean part with a solvent,dry then apply coating.

Air bake in an oven or take it outside if you live in AZ because its like a toaster oven outside right now for a couple hours and its done !

Problem Solved ,Problem Stain Solved !

Rangers Lead The Way !

[darb]

Sand blast the anodized part to bare metal then clean part with a solvent,dry then apply coating.

Air bake in an oven or take it outside if you live in AZ because its like a toaster oven outside right now for a couple hours and its done !

Problem Solved ,Problem Stain Solved !

Rangers Lead The Way !

Pretty warm here in the central valley up against the seirra nevada foothills. when you say sand blast, what grit of sand? or is there a better material to use? I have one of those cheap harbour frieght blasters. Works ok for small projects but you have to be careful and not get to close.

[edgecrusher]

No need to blast with duracoat. Degrease and spray.