Gunsmithing Scope refinishing questions

[normbal]

digging around on the web and this board for hours, and even read the instructions.

How do you go about cerakoting a scope?

Have the cerakote. Have the nerve to do it and the patience to tape it off in strategic places, question is how much sandblasting of the current finish is necessary to get good adherence of the new finish?

I've sprayed several dozen guns already (ARs, FN-FALS, several pistols in krylon, alumahyde, teflon-moly finishes), do parkerizing, pretty happy with the finishes I've gotten so far, but this has me stumped. I've seen some nice scope paint jobs but nothing I've read goes into any detail about prepping the current finish on the scope.

Thanks in advance.

 

[pinzmann]

Re: Scope refinishing questions

I've done several scopes with the air dry cerakote and the only prep I've done is wipe it down with the brownells degreaser.

 

[normbal]

Re: Scope refinishing questions

Is that the Brownell's TCE? It's what I use to prep park'd metal before finishing. How's the air-dry holding up?

 

[nzgrip]

Re: Scope refinishing questions

Scuff it with a grey scotchbrite pad.

 

[normbal]

Re: Scope refinishing questions

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Dazza</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Scuff it with a grey scotchbrite pad.</div></div> <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Dazza</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Scuff it with a grey scotchbrite pad.</div></div>

That's what the rep at NIC (cerakote co) said to do too. Should be done in a couple days.

Thanks.

 

[scotharr]

Re: Scope refinishing questions

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: pinzmann</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I've done several scopes with the air dry cerakote and the only prep I've done is wipe it down with the brownells degreaser. </div></div>
+1 and it stays on perfectly well. I sand-blasted my very first scopes and that was a bit of a disaster with fine powder getting in cracks and crevices that it did not belong. I've since learned the cerakote stays on very well without that prep step.

 

[coues103]

Re: Scope refinishing questions

i use brake parts cleaner and spay it down once it is all tapped off and it gets all the oil off of the anodizing and turns it a grayish color then paint that way you can always strip off the paint and oil it back up someday and it will look like nothing ever happened

 

[hntbambi]

Re: Scope refinishing questions

What does the solvent (brake cleaner, TCE, etc) do to the seals in the scope?

 

[coues103]

Re: Scope refinishing questions

nothing the brake parts cleaner evaporates so quickly it does not get a chance to hurt any seals

 

[normbal]

Re: Scope refinishing questions

First time working with cerakote; HVLP at about 15 psi, used frog tape and electrical tape for masking. It'll get banged up and scratched sooner or later so it's good enough for now.

 

[normbal]

Re: Scope refinishing questions

those were indoors. these aren't:

I sandblasted the covers and finished with the same cerakote. It holds up well to a thumbnail. I tried Krylon Fusion but it doesn't stick at all and came off without much trouble, a little lacquer thinner and a paper towel did the trick.

Interesting bits: DPMS says they use a proprietary version of a teflon finish in coyote tan they say is close to duracoat which doesn't work for scopes I'm told. In certain light, my wife (the paint and shade expert in the family, I can pretty much tell aviation red green amber all the rest is irrelevant), says the scope and upper is very close. The magpul buttstock and trigger guard are more of FDE shading, but you know, if it EVER comes to my using this at a distance it'll be covered up with lots of rag and brush anyway and who's going to know?

Still waiting on the can (AAC 762-SDN-6).