Cerakote question

I have an old steel Star 9mm Bm... that shoots like a champ but is in rough shape and has some rust pits on the exterior. does Cerakote fill in the pits or would you need to polish it remove any pits...

Any thoughts or experiences?....

 

Cerakote will not fill the pits but it will cove most fillers pretty well. I usuall draw-file to remove deep pits then polish but have used some spots of soldier on an old shotgun barrel that filled in pretty good and I was able to cerakote over it and looked like brand new. I thought about trying JB Weld to smooth the pits and then sanding before Cerakote but haven't tried that yet. Not much need for a fine polish with Cerakote, just a smooth buffing.

 

Can Cerakote be applied at home? Or does it require some kind of special equipment?

 

I used to have a old star 9 mm argintina police pistol looked like 1911

 

@Tully Mars is the answer man when it comes to Ceracoat, I have done it but I didn't have to fill any thing. I hear bondo works well, and silver solder is what I have used for paint or duracoating, or a spot of weld from a mig welder.

 

THe only place in town that I know of wants $250 to do it. I'm not paying that much.

 

I had an old Star 9mm that looked like the 1911
I was told the rail slide in the frame would crack after repeated use...So I sold it before that happened.

 

Post some good up close pics if you can. Cerakote and DuraCoat both will fill in minor pits but I do mean minor. If you have a firearm that was left wet or got wet without a person knowing kind of thing It will cover that. Deeper ones really need a filler. I haven't had to fill to many but when I do I've been using a irom impregnated filler and a ceramic filler by Devcon. It's works great but is REALLY expensive for most folks to purchase for a one time deal.
Both the above coatings strongly suggest that you media blast your part(s) before coating-Please follow that suggestion if you want a quality long lasting finish. Like most things in life the prep work is 90% of the job.
Cerakote is a one shot deal that is baked on. It is the thinnest of the two coatings but IMHO the best for wear/impact. It is a bit more picky about application methods. If using an airbrush, you will most likely have to stop and detail clean it during the application process if you are doing a larger piece and/or multi colors. It is best applied with a HVLP gun. I use the $35.00 ones from Harbor Freight and have great results. Make sure you use a .0.8mm tip in your gun, with 25-30 PSI DRY air supply.

I'm not trying to discourage anyone from trying to DIY but PLEASE follow the steps or you will not be happy. I spent several hundred dollars getting set up to apply these coatings and it has paid off.
KEEP EVERYTHING CLEAN and by clean I mean my equipment looks like the day I bought it clean.
USE A WATER TRAP on your air lines.If you have a air dryer even better. Throwaway water traps can be had for 3bux @ Harbor Freight.
Use a dedicated air line that hasn't been used for anything else. They are cheap at Harbor Freight, no need to get the high dollar ones if you are only using it once or twice, but using a airline that has been used for air tools can(and will) end up carrying air tool oil into and onto your project.
CLEAN YOUR PARTS AFTER BLASTING.
I strip the firearm down and depending on condition either clean it in the parts washer or spray it down with electrical contact cleaner. If the parts washer is used, I give the parts a quick rinse in Acetone after.
Blast the parts thoroughly. Do not use glass beads as they are not coarse enough for good adhesion. Use 80-100 grit aluminum oxide blasting media.

After blasting do not handle the parts unless you are wearing exam gloves or something similar. Give the parts another rinse in Acetone then gas out everything to be coated for 1 hour @ 300 degrees for metal parts and 160 degrees for plastic and poly parts.
Allow them to cool and check for any oil residue. If ANY residue is present repeat the process until parts are cleaned.
If you cheat on this even a little bit your coating will lift/ orange peel.

Follow the mixing directions EXACTLY and apply. Be sure to use high temp tape for any masking.

Follow the above for the Dura Coat. You can use regular painting masking tape for any masking as this coating is air dried vs a baking cure.
Dura Coat can be a bit easier for many to apply as there is no baking involved. The biggest "complaint" is that it doesn't wear as well as the CeraKote. While I haven't had any issues with this as of yet, it has been talked about in daily carry weapons.
The thing about the Dura Coat is that it can be applied much thicker than the Cerakote by applying multiple coats. On slides and other high wear areas I usually apply 5 coats and everyone has held up well so far. My Step Son's AR-9 I built for him is his daily carry long gun(LEO) and looks like the day I coated it. In addition to daily carry he has used it throughout several "run n gun" type schools. In short, while it has not been abused it certainly has been used. Dura Coat offers many more colors than CeraKoat. If a clear or sealer coat is applied it is doubly tough(IMHO) Dura Coat like I said above is air dried. Honestly I suggest that the weapon is handled gently for a week after the customer picks it up to help with the curing. I will not release one for at least 3 days after I finish with it for that reason. If you read the fine print on their instructions full cure takes 2-3 weeks. You can use the weapon long before that but it's something to keep in mind.

All in all I've had great results with both products-just follow the instructions.
Hope this helps, if anyone has anymore Q's just ask-I live to serve

 

So Tully, I wanted to do a camo finish on one of my rifles, which one will adhere to plastic? Ether one? Also, how easy is it to feather edges?

 

To do Cerakote properly at home, you will need a good 25gallon or larger air compressor, sand blaster and a good blasting cabinet, and a way to baking oven(I will use a smoker for my needs), and a good HVLP spray gun.

Thr pdf instructions are available for download. The main keys to a successful coating is properly sandblasted with a 100 grit medium, properly cleaned and degreased(acetone soak), and applied with a good spray gun(HVLP), and the proper temperature of the curing oven.

All equipment I already have, just need to find the time to do my first projects.

 

Simple answer-Both.
Dura Coat has gotten a bad rap and I honestly don't know why. I have applied it more than the Cerakote and haven't had one firearm come back yet. I prefer it for most camo jobs because it does air dry quickly enough for you to handle; allowing you to add or remove templates much easier than with the CeraKote which is wet until flash dried, meaning in and out of the oven.

This is what I do for plastics/poly frames, ect
Preclean with acetone.
Media blast
SOAK in acetone. Meaning the part is completely submerged then taken out to air dry. Parts should no longer be handled with bare hands. Out gas.
Spray with this: Adhesion Promoter - Aerosol | Dupli-Color This is the Cat Daddy DEELUXE and the secret to good adhesion on plastic/poly. You must apply the top coat within 10 minutes of applying the AP. For the best result spring for a clear coat as a final coat-you won't be sorry.

I love doing camo. Done right to the right rifle it really makes 'em look bad@zz.
I am currently cutting custom templates for real Rhodesian Brushstroke for one of my FN-FAL's.

This is one of my ever favorite camo patterns and I think will look great on the FAL. There are several out there that say they are the Rhodesian but aren't even close.
The problem with templates is that they leave a sharp edge, which is fine for certain patterns like the digital stuff but not so much for others. The only way to really blend them in is to feather the edges with an air brush, and that takes practice. No other way around it. My advice is to break down some cardboard boxes lay down some basic camo lines and practice feathering the edges.
I have gone so far as to make full size cardboard cut outs and lay down the camo on those until I got the look I wanted.

 

That's what ideas needing to know! I' going to do the DSA FAL in Winter Digital, and the blueprinted FAL in Rodiasian tiger stripes, just like the real ones! I' also going to do the new Surbu in matching Winter Digital, as those are the two primary weps I carry! May also do the Savage .338 LM in tiger, would really look impressive done up in camo, then wrapped in Burlap camo! Really give it the depth!
I did Ceracoat to a Mossy 835 SuperMagnum, and I did it in a sort of Max4D with robins egg blue spots, it looks awesome in most situations and disappears when you set it down! That thing is scary how well it blends in!

 

The digital stuff I would leave the template edges as is. It's supposed to be kinda sharp lined. The Rhodesian TS is another great pattern.
Built a M4 for my younger brother and finished it off like this:

 

I have used this gun as a carry weapon for several years and like the feel, action and accuracy. If I ever had to use a weapon I would rather them confiscate a 9mm like this than a colt....

 

A great big "THANK YOU" goes out to Tully Mars for the education!

 

Any time Monkeys