According to their website this stuff is amazing!

Either I spend ~$25 here, or $180 for the local 'smith to blue my weapon. Opinions?

http://www.houtsenterprises.net/

Yes, I have done many of my rifles and love the stuff. I find it to be very durable!! It has stood up everything Alaska has thrown at it and they still look like new. Too many colors to choose from.

Thanks for the reply! Good hear it is quality stuff.

How well does it work on the moving parts/internals? I am concerned about clearance issues.

Yes, I sell Duracoat; no, I don't like it. It's paint, clear and simple, paint. Paint is good on houses, cars, and even airplanes, but generally I don't like paint on guns.

It will show wear if on areas that rub against other parts. Since you don't cure it in the over, it's important to let it cure for as long as possible befpre using it. I usually let my guns cure for 2-3 months, but that was in Alaska.It would probably cure faster if left in the warm sun.

You should parkerize the gun first then duracoat, I have used gallons of duracoat and I like it as paint or epoxy paint. Its durable but not miracle paint, it will scratch chip, wear just not as easy as standard paint. Dr lou is right about time if you dont touch it for 2-3 months it seems to really be tuff, speed the process by baking at 120 degrees for hour or 2, doesnt beat just waiting a month or two, but who can do that. Iam going to start using Cerokote to see if there is any difference.

I been using it for about 7 years and never had a chip or scratch with normal handling, hunting or shooting. You will need to rough up the metal with alum-oxide in a sandblast cabinet and degrease with their degreaser or acetone. LET IT CURE FOR AT LEAST THREE DAYS.Longer the better.Also don't spray too thick.Lauer did have a Dvd to show how.I like the product mainly because I don't have to wait for some dude to get around to it when he feels like it.

quote:

Originally posted by Toomany Tools:
Yes, I sell Duracoat; no, I don't like it. It's paint, clear and simple, paint. Paint is good on houses, cars, and even airplanes, but generally I don't like paint on guns.

Hi John, which do you prefer out of the two, bare stainless or painted? I went through this last year and ended up with paint. I feel the same as you, but figured this was the less of two evils

Terry

Have used Duracoat in the past and it is OK if cured well as mentioned. I did switch to a paint offered in hobby shops for engine powered model airplanes/boats, etc. that works equally well if not better. It is sold as 21st Century Model Paint and is solvent, fuel resistant, etc. and gives a very durable finish. Various colors, mil. OD, Earth, Tan, Flat black, gray, etc. As always, clean all surfaces of oil, wax, etc. and spray on thin layers, usually takes three to reach final finish. Be aware that I would definitely use in well ventilated area for it is quite strong and odor remains for hours, but does go away.

quote:

Originally posted by BIJOUCREEK:
You should parkerize the gun first then duracoat, I have used gallons of duracoat and I like it as paint or epoxy paint. Its durable but not miracle paint, it will scratch chip, wear just not as easy as standard paint. Dr lou is right about time if you dont touch it for 2-3 months it seems to really be tuff, speed the process by baking at 120 degrees for hour or 2, doesnt beat just waiting a month or two, but who can do that. Iam going to start using Cerokote to see if there is any difference.

Where do you get stuff Parkerized these days?
I have been contemplating an '03 Springfield sporter being parkerized rather than blued or coated. I really love parkerizing if it turns out with that greenish hue to it.

quote:

Originally posted by Snellstrom:

quote:

Originally posted by BIJOUCREEK:
You should parkerize the gun first then duracoat, I have used gallons of duracoat and I like it as paint or epoxy paint. Its durable but not miracle paint, it will scratch chip, wear just not as easy as standard paint. Dr lou is right about time if you dont touch it for 2-3 months it seems to really be tuff, speed the process by baking at 120 degrees for hour or 2, doesnt beat just waiting a month or two, but who can do that. Iam going to start using Cerokote to see if there is any difference.

Where do you get stuff Parkerized these days?
I have been contemplating an '03 Springfield sporter being parkerized rather than blued or coated. I really love parkerizing if it turns out with that greenish hue to it.

Brownells sells everything for parking.
Don

quote:

Originally posted by TC1:

quote:

Originally posted by Toomany Tools:
Yes, I sell Duracoat; no, I don't like it. It's paint, clear and simple, paint. Paint is good on houses, cars, and even airplanes, but generally I don't like paint on guns.

Hi John, which do you prefer out of the two, bare stainless or painted? I went through this last year and ended up with paint. I feel the same as you, but figured this was the less of two evils

Terry

Hi, Terry, I much prefer stainless uncoated to any painted finish. Stainless is real easy to spruce up if it gets rub marks and small scratches.

quote:

Where do you get stuff Parkerized these days?
I have been contemplating an '03 Springfield sporter being parkerized rather than blued or coated. I really love parkerizing if it turns out with that greenish hue to it.

That greenish hue is old school cosmoline cured .There are other chemicals which will color steel

nearly any color during or after Parkerizing .

Parkerizing is an electrochemical method of protecting steel from corrosion and it also increases resistance to wear. That's electrochemical as in chemical reactions which take place in a solution at the interface of an electron conductor (a metal or a semiconductor) and an ionic conductor (the electrolyte), and which involve electron transfer between the electrode and the electrolyte or species in solution. It does not mean that electrodes and wires are involved at all!

Parkerizing is the creation of an iron-phosphate layer on the outer surface of the steel, producing a grey matte finish that protects from corrosion and increases wear resistance.

There are several related techniques, but generally they involve a phosphoric acid solution with key ingredients of zinc or manganese, with varying amounts of nitrates, chlorates, and copper, the solution being heated to 88-99°C, close to the boiling point. So, instead of the boiling lye of bluing, parkerizing uses boiling acid. Nasty at the opposite end of the pH scale.

Different metal salts in the solution produce different colors of non-reflective finish:
Zinc Light to medium grey
Manganese Light to dark grey, or black
Iron Dark grey to black

Phosphating can interact with a coating of cosmoline over a period of years to produce a light greenish-grey color. I know that this sounds like an odd thing to mention, but the elusive green tint is the Holy Grail of the Garand restoration community because it is what is seen in WWII-era M1 Garands that were subsequently stored packed in cosmoline.

FYI ; Sorry I don't do others . I'm not a gunsmith !.

I acquired the original formula from the Granddaughter of Clark W. Parke , along with notes and

subsequent experiments . Quite by accident several years ago .

I was very successful matching original WW1 WW11 and current black rifle parkerization process and

colors . I only did some of my stuff and a friends War weapons collection touch up and pieces to match .


Here's a sight to learn about different metal coating processes . Powder coating is also fairly durable !.

http://www.anatechusa.com/Meta...g_by_plasma_spraying

I have done a couple of rifles that I built and the stuff has done well, except for the crown. Muzzle blast seems to affect it there. Has anyone else seen that and what have you done differently? Maybe I did not allow long enough to cure properly before shooting?

I have used Duracoat on a Ruger#1 laminated stock. I did not care for the laminated look, used a dark gray on the but stock and forend. I let it cure for about 3 weeks. I seems very scratch and dent resistant. Also used it on an old M70 Westerner stock for a truck gun. It's holding up real well for the use it gets.

quote:

Originally posted by Not_Infringed:
Thanks for the reply! Good hear it is quality stuff.

How well does it work on the moving parts/internals? I am concerned about clearance issues.

I had a 788 duracoated as a pickup gun and by mistake, had the bolt duracoated also. I wish I had not done it as it made it stiff. I presume it decreased the clearance.

I do like the duracoat finish but will not have the bolt done again.

Durocoat, parkerizing, bluing, chrome/nickle plating, etc, are all ways to cover metal to exclude air and stop/reduce rusting....PERIOD...and what is the matter with paint...humans have been using it for thousands of years.

Which of the coatings you like depends on YOUR ideas of beauty...and they ALL have pros and cons, different levels of wearability and so forth.

I Alumicoated the last 4 rifles I built, in camo. Doing one of the bake on coating should make it more durable, but Alumicoat seems to get right down into the metal and it has to be almost ground off to remove it...and it is easy to touchup...just re-spray or use a small brush...besides painting is a he**ofalot cheaper and less time consuming than most of the other processes unless you do-it-yourself.

They are NOT a classic deep blued/perfectly wooded rifle, but I don't worry about scratching or screwing up a high dollar piece of "art" that should be viewed not screwed.

Look around at all the camo'ed shooters showing up on dealers shelves. Maybe in the old days there was only "one way" to do a rifle, but this is a new world with new tastes and new thought...

HAVE IT YOUR WAY...just like the commercial says.

Luck

quote:

Originally posted by Cliff Lyle:

quote:

Originally posted by Not_Infringed:
Thanks for the reply! Good hear it is quality stuff.

How well does it work on the moving parts/internals? I am concerned about clearance issues.

I had a 788 duracoated as a pickup gun and by mistake, had the bolt duracoated also. I wish I had not done it as it made it stiff. I presume it decreased the clearance.

I do like the duracoat finish but will not have the bolt done again.

Go to Wal-Mart and pick up a can of "Aircraft Stripper" from the automotive paint section. I haven't tried it yet but the stuff is supposed to remove or at least soften up Dura-coat. Do it outside though because it contains MEK.

So is it meant to be applied externally only? How does it handle internal parts of a 1911 .45 ACP?

A very thin coat on internal parts probably wouldn't affect clearances that much. But it would wear over time. I wouldn't recommend it. I have used the duracoat on several rifles to produce custom camo patterns. Like has been stated it is an epoxy based paint. I have not had any issue with it on my two varmint rigs and my coyote gun. The key is in the prep and allowing ample time to dry before picking the gun up and trying to reassemble. I'd also recommend at least 30-45 days curing time, 2 months is better.