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Gunsmithing Cerakote application

U

ugsly

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
May 10, 2005
725
3
39
Oregon Linn County
When applying cerakote how far inside the action do you go? Action threads and all? Do you also blast the action threads & raceways with aluminum oxide?

I know it goes on very thin. When doing a bolt just tape off the lugs and do the whole bolt? Face and all? Has anyone ever done the back of the lugs?

Kc
 
Re: Cerakote application

On my first gun I didn't know any better and sprayed the entire bolt(face too). It still works and I have not noticed a accuracy drop. Now keep in mind that my rifle is a factory rem 700, not a custom build (tolerances are much tighter on a custom rifle)

I also did not take my barrel off. I used a piece of brass with a fired primer in it to keep paint and blasting media out of the chamber.

The second rifle I did I masked off the end of the bolt and it turned out fine.

2 is all I have done so far.

The nest rifle is going to have just the lugs masked off.

If anyone with more experience would like to confirm/correct what I have just said, that would be great.

 
Re: Cerakote application

when I blast a barrel action the both ends get plugged obviously, I blast every part of the action i can to prepare it for paint. Same for the bolt, every part gets blasted and painted. Never had and dont know of any problems from doing this. Sure you can damage any part of the action or bolt by just blasting a spot for too long, so dont do that
 
Re: Cerakote application

i use a spent case and a wood plug in the muzzle end. no reason to get too carried away inside the lock area. blow it out good or you have a just built a lap.
 
Re: Cerakote application

When I coat a gun, I blast the entire bolt unless the customer specifies otherwise. Blast the inside of the action but first insure the chamber is plugged. When blasting the barrel always plug the bore. If the barrel is threaded for a suppressor or muzzle brake, mask the threads. If you're coating the muzzle brake or thread protector, plug those to keep media and coating out of the threads. Some other considerations are the inside of the action. Pay attention to lug recesses and how much coating you are applying to those areas when coating the inside. The best plugs to use are heat resistant neoprene (IMO), put them in prior to blasting and leave them there until the coating has cured and is ready to handle. Hope this helps and good luck.
 
Re: Cerakote application

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: trigger time</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I would not and do not blast any threads or the bolt face. </div></div>

+1 But the bolt face needs a little blast to park well. Just no paint
 
Re: Cerakote application

Just put these in the oven tonight, will see how they turned out. Have to redo the brake, will see how the others did.

Thank you guys for the help
smile.gif


Kc


 
Re: Cerakote application

Looking good!

I just did my first cerakote (Air Dry) job about a month ago. It was a Surgeon action, so I gave them a call and talked to there cerakote applicator and he said plug the breech and the muzzle and aluminum oxide blast everything else. I ended up blasting it like he said and sprayed everything, bolt lugs, bolt face and all.

I checked head space after drying and everything was good to go. After about 22 rounds the cerakote came off the back side of the lugs.

Your picture shows nice even coating! How did you end up doing all your prep work and what did you use to spray your parts?

Casey
 
Re: Cerakote application

I used aluminum oxide 120 grit to blast. I cleaned the parts with denatured alcohol, its all I had last night. I plugged the muzzle end with a ear plug and taped off the breach end. I haven't done the bolt yet, I gota punch one more pin out before I blast and coat it.

I used the small harbor freight detail gun. the gun seemed to spray really well and cleaned up in a snap. This was my first time so I was experimenting to see how things would come out. Seemed to be pretty straight forward to apply.

Kc
 
Re: Cerakote application

next time you have to do touch up, flash the part, then you can respray or else you run the risk of not matching the finish.
 
Re: Cerakote application

I bought a small safe at bi-mart $90. insulated it and took it to down to the welding shop & had them sheet metal the inside and then wired it all up. Its on a base with wheels so I can move it around the shop. Still need to setup a different way to watch the temperature without opening the door.

Heres my brother 300 whisper we just did tonight, came out really well. Went with sniper gray and will do bolt,trigger & safty in matte black.



Uploaded with ImageShack.us
 
Re: Cerakote application

Not to steal the post but is it okay to cerakote over anodized aluminum or should it be blasted?
 
Re: Cerakote application

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ugsly</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I would blast it. It will give it a good surface for the cerakote to grab hold of. </div></div>

Anodization, especially t3 is very rough & will offer good adhesion as long you properly degrease.
 
Re: Cerakote application

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: RWH82</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Very nice job. I plan to bead blast my AR and cerakote it. </div></div>

NIC industries recommends against glass bead blasting because it doesn't scratch the surface enough to give the cerakote a mechanical bond to the metal. I would strongly urge you to use Aluminum Oxide 120 grit
 
Re: Cerakote application

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: RemmyMaxhit</div><div class="ubbcode-body">wheres the best place to get a curing oven like that?</div></div>

I actually bought an old pepsi machine, removed the guts and plastic, added a layer of non-combustible insulation, put heavy fire rope around the door to seal it, and then added the guts from a toaster oven works great. I have no trouble keeping 350 to 400 degrees. I could probably go hotter if I needed to. I opted to install a PID temperature controller with SSR(solid state relay). It is all digital set to the temp you want and wait for about 10 minutes and then bake until your little heart is content. I can post some pics if needed, let me know
 
Re: Cerakote application

I ment to say aluminum oxide but it was late. I would like to see this oven you made. My wife hates the idea of me useing her oven.
 
Re: Cerakote application

i pull a bullet, put the actual bullet in the muzzle, wrap the case with teflon tape and stick that in the chamber. i usually use brake cleaner to degrease it then dry it with compressed air. i use aluminum oxide(not glass beads) and hit every part except the bolt face. i havent had a problem hitting threads. i do coat the back of the lugs but it wears off pretty quickly. usually, i add some white lithium grease to any threaded area afterwards;it might be why i dont have any issues.
 
Re: Cerakote application

oh, no, i dont do the action threads. i coat after the barrel/action are assembled. obviously, blow everything off after blasting and before painting.
 
Re: Cerakote application

sry, one last thing, i would NOT use your family's oven to bake anything with one of these coatings on it. the smell doesnt go away and you really dont want your family's food cooking with that residue in there.
 
Re: Cerakote application

I am looking for an oven to build. I would like to do long guns so I can hang them vertical.
 
Re: Cerakote application

I also use brake cleaner, but I am thinking about building a 48"x8"x8" metal tub so I can soak the parts in acetone. I have been told soaking is better than spraying plus use can reuse it. My question is will acetone hurt the bore? I am guessing not but it would be nice to know.

I am cleaning up the shop tonight so hopefully I can get some good pics of my oven for everyone(I will warn you; I am mostly redneck so hold judgement).

I like the idea of Teflon tape on a piece of brass. I just used a fired case. I have found an ear plug works good at the muzzle or a tapered rubber plug works good too. Does the bullet let the blasting media by or does it seal off pretty tight?
 
Re: Cerakote application

And about coating threads: I spray barreled actions so the action threads need not apply, but NIC industries says that a test for spraying the right thickness of cerakote is: if you spray the threads on both a bolt and a nut they should still thread together using just your fingers.

When I did my bolt on a rem 700 I sprayed the threads and I wouldn't be afraid to spray the threads on a muzzle brake. I wouldn't however spray the action threads(not because I was told that, it just makes sense to me. I could be wrong).
 
Re: Cerakote application

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: RWH82</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I am looking for an oven to build. I would like to do long guns so I can hang them vertical. </div></div>

I had the same dilemma a few years ago when I needed an oven, but i didn't want to drop a lot of cash in doing it... so I invented my own "redneck oven", damn it works like a rockstar! here's what i did.

Basically an oven is a vessel to contain and control heat, it doesn't have to be a specific shape it just needs to contain and control the heat.

I went to Home Depot and picked up a few things:
"round galvanized sheet metal pipe - 60 inch in length" (hvac isle), get one that is about 10" or so in diamater, a bit larger than the metal lamp.
One of those CHEAP metal lamps that clamp on
HEAT Lamp bulb
Very Bright flood light

Now it's time to take that stuff home.

I put the pipe together at the seams and fused it with HVAC tape, but QUALITY duct tape will work too. Next I took the lamp fixture and removed that silly ass clamp from it so it's just the fixture, then I take the lamp fixture insert it into one end and sink some drywall screws into the metal and through the fixture, but not too deep so it doesn't get close to the bulb.

Now you have got a good part of it made, next to hang the stuff you will want to take a piece of pipe of wood rod and put it across the top, use snips and cut out a notch at the top of the steel tube so it fits across. From that piece of rod across the pipe is where you hang your stuff. You will use an old coat hanger to attach to your parts and then to the redneck drying rack.

To keep the temps inside warm, put aluminum foil over the top of the metal tube to keep the heat in, you want a little to escape to keep the heat even and not overcook everything.

If you are shooting for a temp around 140-175 just use a normal flood light, this will keep that temp right around that area. If you are shooting for higher, use the heat lamp, it should have no problem reaching 250 or more in the tube with a heat lamp.

The closer your product is to the lamp the quicker it's going to dry / cure. I recommend that you "flip" whatever it is over once (like a rifle barrel in an action) if you can, this way it dries as evenly as possible.

Sure this isn't pretty, but it works and has worked for me time and time again, and for LESS than $40 BUCKS!
 
Re: Cerakote application

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jakel</div><div class="ubbcode-body">sry, one last thing, i would NOT use your family's oven to bake anything with one of these coatings on it. the smell doesnt go away and you really dont want your family's food cooking with that residue in there. </div></div>

Yea don't do it.... you WILL REGRET IT!
 
Re: Cerakote application

So I was able to confiscate the wife's camera and get a few quick photos of my oven.
Here they are:
P1010291.jpg

P1010290.jpg

P1010288.jpg

The elements are out of an oster toaster oven about $50
70's pop machine $40
PID temperature controller $50
Duct board left over from a job and a roll of metal duct tape FREE
An oven capable of 2 guns at once Priceless
 
Re: Cerakote application

I was using a siphon spray gun from Home Depot, but I recently upgraded to this
P1010292.jpg

P1010293.jpg


I paid about $200 for this gun from the car quest paint shop(came with 2 guns)
 
Re: Cerakote application

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: TOPDRAGSTER257</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Has anyone tried soda blasting for prep instead aluminum oxide abrasive ? </div></div>

I pondered that as well, but the cost was too high compared to aluminum oxide. I feel that the loss of the soda blasting media is just too high compared to the oxide.
 
Re: Cerakote application

I am not 100% positive but I think that soda media is to soft. I don't think it will pit the surface of metal in order to get proper adhesion.
Please correct me if I am wrong.
 
Re: Cerakote application

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: cfish36</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I am not 100% positive but I think that soda media is to soft. I don't think it will pit the surface of metal in order to get proper adhesion.
Please correct me if I am wrong. </div></div>

True, it is pretty soft but you want to "scratch" the surface up but not too deep like something more aggressive.
 
Re: Cerakote application

Aluminum oxide is what is recommended and glass bead is too soft. Just to give you an idea. Anything softer than the glass will definetly clean up the surface but it will not "scratch" the surface enough. It seems that cerakote heeds to have a mechanical bond rather than a chemical bond(it grabs the scratches rather than sticks to the surface). I hope that made sense.
 
Re: Cerakote application

If you want to save money over ao garnet is a good choice. Search tacoma company. He will send it to you cheap.
 
Re: Cerakote application

'll chime in and give my .02 worth. First, AO is what I'd use to prep the metal surface, 120 grit at 50-60 psi is what I use. Completely degrease all parts and pre heat in the oven at 300 degrees until all oil leaching has stopped. Once 100% oil free and clean let the parts cool back down to 120 degrease or so and spray. I cure at 300 degrees for 45 minutes to one hour.

I run a mix of 18:1 and use a small HVLP gun with a .8 tip. Recently, I started to have trouble with my gun loading up and the cerekote would stop spraying. The problem was the needles packing nut and packing. Cerekote is hell on spray guns, needles and packing. Plan on purchasing re-build kits at some point with needles. The gun I've been using for almost a year now is a Sharp FineX FX1000, to get the packing you have to buy a rebuild kit that cost $50, the needle re-build kit was also $50, the gun only cost $150, should have bought the LPH80 first
mad.gif


I ordered an Iwata LPH80 last week that has just packing nuts available, I think they're $5 each. Got several of those as well. If your just coating a few guns the cheaper HVLP spray guns are ok but if your going to coat more than 30 guns, get the better Iwata LPH80.
 
Re: Cerakote application

Ao is slighty harder so it takes higher pressure blasting better, garnet has a lower mohs rating, but at the pressures we blast at, it lasts reasonably well. It is about half as expensive and lasts 75% as long. Both have Sharp edges and make for good adhesion.
 
Re: Cerakote application

Thanks for the photos I have already pulled my wifes toaster oven apart. My brother is welding up a steel box and we will be up an running. Now to the hardware store.
 
Re: Cerakote application

So a budy of mine brought over a gun for me to paint and rather than useing ceracoat he wants me to paint his rifle with kg guncoat. He even bought the paints and droped it off with the gun. Is this kg gun coat going to hold up or should I tell him I cant paint it with that stuff?
 
Re: Cerakote application

His reason for wanting this guncoat is it has been used for the armys special wepons. I am not sure if it is as good as he claims any advice is welcome.
 
Re: Cerakote application

Kg guncoat is still better than krylon. If you look at it that way it's not a bad choice. I do have a preference for cerakote though.
 
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