General: Who has done their own duracoat?

[MrOneEyedBoh 14]

Just wondering who has done their own duracoating? Im thinking of doing my own, but I dont have an oven to bake it in. I heard that you dont NEED to bake it, but some say you do. What process did you use? What did you use to prep, apply it etc.

[Jaba1017 71]

[OBITUARY 12]

Dryer tube 2 caps and a heat gun from harbor freight , coat hanger or mechanical wire ,and barrow a hole saw !

Edited April 26, 2011 by OBITUARY

[grendelz 61]

did my brother's 10/22. It looked like shit. Cleaned it with brake cleaner, let dry. Broke it down and sprayed with an airbrush. baked in my oven for an hour. No problem with fumes. Came out fantastic. Damn should have took pics before he got it back

[timy 1,185]

No, you don't need to bake it. The catalyst is what makes it set up unless you're using DuraBake which needs to be cooked.

 

I haven't shot any of it yet but will be soon. IMO, you don't need their "TruStrip" cleaner for 16 bucks. I think automotive brake cleaner will work for 5. I did e-mail them a couple of days ago asking about the DuraFil primer. I plan on "erasing" the ugly etched rectangle on a Legion 223. I was told it was sandable which is what I need to make the rectangle disappear. While I again think automotive primer and/or glazing putty would work, I don't want any compatibility issues with the final finish. I will be using some JB Weld in a spot or two but don't anticipate any problems there.

 

One thing that caught my attention was the fact that it reacts with silicone. From their site....DuraCoat will react with any Silicon near your project.

Even Silicon in a sealed tube across the room can cause a reaction. Usually it causes bubbles to form in the Duraoat.

[grendelz 61]

No, you don't need to bake it. The catalyst is what makes it set up unless you're using DuraBake which needs to be cooked.

 

I haven't shot any of it yet but will be soon. IMO, you don't need their "TruStrip" cleaner for 16 bucks. I think automotive brake cleaner will work for 5. I did e-mail them a couple of days ago asking about the DuraFil primer. I plan on "erasing" the ugly etched rectangle on a Legion 223. I was told it was sandable which is what I need to make the rectangle disappear. While I again think automotive primer and/or glazing putty would work, I don't want any compatibility issues with the final finish. I will be using some JB Weld in a spot or two but don't anticipate any problems there.

 

One thing that caught my attention was the fact that it reacts with silicone. From their site....DuraCoat will react with any Silicon near your project.

Even Silicon in a sealed tube across the room can cause a reaction. Usually it causes bubbles to form in the Duraoat.

 

You don't have to bake it but it says not to handle it for 2 weeks? I think it was 2 weeks. Don't remember exactly. An hour in your home oven at 150 degrees and she was good to go as soon as she cooled off. Didn't have any fumes as she baked either, but I did turn on the overhead fan just in case. Did not know about the silicon thing, as I use desicant in my safe. hmmmm I 'll remember for next time as I still have a full bottle of duracoat. too much work and not enough time for funtime projects.Brake cleaner works wonders when prepping your gun. Maybe I'll pickup some Makarovs this summer and refinish them.

[timy 1,185]

Glad to know brake cleaner actually works. I didn't see any reason it shouldn't. You can buy at least three cans for the price of one of theirs.

 

As far as I know, you can reassemble the next day. Again, from their site......Generally you need only wait overnight, or 1 hour if baked at 110 degrees F, to reassemble and fire your weapon. Most abrasive solvents, cleaners, and lubricants can also be used at this point. Full cure time for DuraCoat is three to six weeks.

[MLM0358 107]

I did the Duracoat. Catalyst type. No heat required. Used an airbrush for application. No need for TruStrip, but did need the reducer. I bought the TruStrip but ended up using mostly acetone and brake cleaner. Finish has held up well. Just be sure it's totally degreased and lightly sand it first with 400 or 600 paper. I sanded off the ugly hatched out import stamp on the right side of the receiver and then filled with body filler. It's invisible now. I bought the high temp Duracoat for the barrel and the regular for the receiver. In retrospect, I don't think the high temp is necessary for the barrel. It's very simple to apply with an airbrush.

[BronCobraJet 80]

Good topic! Can you paint plastic and metal to make it match?

[MLM0358 107]

Yes, you can paint plastic and metal--just use the kind with hardener, not the kind that requires heating. Lots of AR15s out there with plastic stocks painted in Duracoat. Also, you can assemble the next day. Just go easy on it for a week or so so it can fully cure.

[timy 1,185]

I did the Duracoat. Catalyst type. No heat required. Used an airbrush for application. No need for TruStrip, but did need the reducer. I bought the TruStrip but ended up using mostly acetone and brake cleaner. Finish has held up well. Just be sure it's totally degreased and lightly sand it first with 400 or 600 paper. I sanded off the ugly hatched out import stamp on the right side of the receiver and then filled with body filler. It's invisible now. I bought the high temp Duracoat for the barrel and the regular for the receiver. In retrospect, I don't think the high temp is necessary for the barrel. It's very simple to apply with an airbrush.

 

I was wondering about the reducer. One place on their site said lacquer thinner won't clean your spray equipment, another says it will but use their reducer on occasion to keep it in top shape. Sounds like they need to make up their minds. Anyway, better to have some in case you need to thin it a bit.

 

So you made the rectangle go away with just body filler without priming it after sanding it? I did body work for a couple of years in the early 80s and it was mandatory to prime the filler to feather it in and fill scratches. I know this stuff is very different than automotive paint but I have to get rid of a rectangle too (for another guy) and I want it perfect. He's the one who did my 223 stock in Purpleheart wood, so I owe him at least that much. I don't plan on painting anything other than the stamped metal. New gun, so the barrel is good as is, I would think.

 

DuraCoat recommends the high temp for the barrel if you run a bunch of ammo through it in a hurry. I don't plan on doing that myself. But again, I probably won't be painting any of my barrels either.