Duracoat thickness question?

[engineer40]

Hey everyone.

I'm planning my first digital camo project on a firearm. I've seen some cerakote digital camo jobs that were amazing. It looked like all colors were the same depth.

I haven't seen a Duracoat camo job in person but from images online it appears most have very distinct layers. It looks to go on much thicker than Cerakote. Almost like spray paint thick.

Were these examples I was looking at just bad examples or someone not finishing or spraying correct? Or is this generally the case with multiple overlapping layers of Duracoat?

Thanks!


PS - Any opinion on where to buy digital stencils?

 

[engineer40]

So some more info real quick...

The main reason I'm looking at Duracoat instead of Cerakote is because I've read many places that the air cured Cerakote goes on much too glossy. I'd like my project to have a matte finish.

I'm not opposed to oven curing the parts that can be and using that kind of Cerakote where you can control the hardener and hence, the gloss.

I want the project to have a consistent sheen though.

Thanks!

 

[Edd]

I would expect Duracoat to be spray paint thick because it is paint.

 

[Str8shooterTX]

I have used both. I prefer cerakote. It is stronger and better in all aspects. Duracoat is/does go on thicker. I also have not found that cerakote is any glossier then duracoat. It all depends on color and cure time. The newer it is the glossier it will be.
For convenience I prefer the air dry as it is almost as durable as the oven cure.

 

[Hired Gun]

The air dry is just as matte as the H series at about 18 to 1. I can't make it gloss if I tried. My problem with air dry is it starts to set up in the gun and is far harder to clean up than the H series. H series won't set up without heat giving me plenty of time to rinse my gun clean. Air dry has much stronger fumes where the H series is almost odorless.

Duracoat is just expensive paint. Cerakote is true ground up ceramic suspended in epoxy.

 

[MTBULLET]

finished a re do on older "beat to s##t" rem 700 reciever and bolt nose 10 days ago.
used the duracoat "remington 870" blue/black. very pleased with finish and duarability
adds about 1 mil to over all "thickness" and an extremely durable finish so far. went thru rifle build over the week end (barrel fit/chamber/etc. and stock fitting) and no down side so far.

 

[Dosh]

40, like MTBULLET I recently refurbished a 1903A3 for a friend which was in sad shape. Took the barrel/action and various other parts to a guy that does Duracoat. I have no experience with Duracoat so I watched him abrasive blast it and spray it with 7 light coats of the same blue/black. He said the thickness would not affect the mechanics, but WILL wear with use. It was friend's father's and will be a wall hanger. It looks very good and for $60 my friend was very pleased. Perhaps the unevenness was caused by the stencils or sometimes photography isn't portrayed well.

 

[engineer40]

Thanks for everyone's responses!

I did quite a bit more reading about this. I'm fairly convinced the "thick" looking Duracoat jobs I've seen were mostly because the person tried to paint completely in a couple coats and call it good.... Instead of more thin coats with ample cure time in between.

In my life, whenever I have been in a hurry painting anything, it turns out looking like crap. Even if it's a blank white wall in a rental house.

I feel like I probably just happened to see a couple bad examples of DIY Duracoat jobs.

Thanks again!

 

[Hired Gun]

I guess you will find out first hand for yourself. Sorry we weren't more clear. I didn't answer your question at all.

If it's not too late Cerakote is professional product for people who demand the best. It goes on .0005" to .001" thick. It great for firearms with tight tolerances. Being made of ceramic beads it is impervious to most chemicals and acids and is very resistant to damage. You have to damage the base metal to mark it. We use it inside and out on most firearms. It's the factory finish on many firearms built today.

Duracoat is a DIY product like paint so it's available in many colors and is easy to apply with only a fraction of the durability. It goes on .001" to .008" thick and gets glossier the thicker it is applied. It is not suitable for moving parts. It's chips easily and is subject to many chemicals. It's just a tic more durable than simple bluing and not much better at corrosion resistance. Simple Rust-Oleum is probably better.