Finished a rifle with Duracoat

[Dave King]

If you recall I recently took to refinishing some rifles. I did the Gun-Kote thing to a few and now I've tried Duracoat.

I like Duracoat better I believe, as least as far as application ease. I swapped some of my "junk" for a finishing kit and some OD Green finish and had a go at it. The "kit" was a EZ finish kit complete with an airbrush. I swapped for an extra can of propellant (air I think) so I'd have an extra.

The prep was easy and I opted to aluminum oxide blast the little Ruger 77/44 All-Weather first but Duracoat states its not required for the finish to stick. I also sprayed things off with the de-greaser for good luck and had a go at it!

The air brush was great for application as compared to the "rattle can" I used with the Gun-Kote so the air brush is the only option now for me.

I sat outside and painted on a calm but sunny day so the parts were warm before application and dried pretty quick post paint. I let the parts bask in the sun for a few hours and then moved them inside for the overnight cure. Next day I put the little rifle back together and it looks great... I'll get a picture soon!

Only things I can across were the airbrush uses a small paint jar and mixing the 12:1 paint to hardener was a little tricky as I didn't have a handy eye dropper to meter out such small quantities. (The instructions state to use measuring spoons.... Safety Tip Here::: Don't use your wife's measuring spoons for paint, this is a bad idea no question about it!) I wisely opted to use an old medicine dropper but it took some scrounging to find one and there were several long moments eyeing up those easy to find measuring spoons. The spray can of degreaser goes pretty quick and I needed to get a nylon parts brush to flick away some big chunks of grease in the threads. I would have liked to just spray away the grease but it'd take more than one can of degreaser.

The Duracoat is about "run" proof and I didn't get any (I had one with the Gun-Kote) but this may be due to using an air brush moreso than the product.

 

[257speed]

Dave, I 've been doing duracoat for a while now and agree it is a great finish. Consider building a hot box, mine is very simple and uses heat lamps to achieve 100deg. You dont want to go above that though. The hot box speeds cure time a great deal. Also, buy a big can of TCE from brownelss for degreasing. Much cheaper (allows you to use more w/out feeling bad) and dries without residue or film. If you use the duracoat camo templates, you'll find they leave a gummy residue when removed. Mineral spirits will take this off without harming the duracoat, even within a couple hours of spraying. Good luck, Jerry

 

[royinidaho]

It is said that experience is good as long as it is someone else's.

Thanks for yours, Dave.

Now I am definitely leaning towards duracoat when I graduate to the real stuff.

I've been dinking with an Aztec airbrush since Christmas. And am currently enrolled in drawing/art classes so I can learn to do something with it besides flat paint jobs.

 

[gonehuntingagain]

Here is a tip for paint measuring:

Go to the Veterinarian's office and see if you can get some syringes. the ones that I got are the kind that are a 2 piece version where the needle is a separate item that snaps on the tip of the syringe (since you don't need the needles). They come in different sizes and measure in cc's, so mixing for an airbrush suddenly becomes easier. They don't last too long though, the rubber inside isn't tolerant to paint thinner, so the rubber will swell and stick.

 

[Dave King]

I have syringes but was worried about the rubber on the plunger contaminating the hardener. I'll give them a try in the future. I get the syringes from the animal care section of the Tractor Supply store. (Lots of valuable stuff in that section, needles, syringes, shots for the dog -(save a trip to the vet), antibiotics for the critters, scalpels and blades (taxidermy and field caping the nose, eyes and ears).

257speed

You mention not to go above 100 degrees... What problems is any does it cause? I notice that LCW shows fast-cure oven temps over 100. What's your experience and what's best?

 

[Dave King]

Pictures

Big Pictures!

 

[royinidaho]

Can't imagine a place in MD with supplies as you describe. We have Cal Ranch Store, which is similar to your tractor supply.

Blackfoot's only "Men's Store." /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Went to the vet today, got some syringes along with a $200+ bill for my "free" lab. How in the heck does an 80# 9mo old puppy get pancreas problems: /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Am impressed with your dura coat job. Looks top cabin.

I'll be doing an action w/their stainless steel color one of these first days. Also will be building my own curing oven. Intend to use an electrical element out of an old heater + thermostat and I suppose a Smoke Alarm knowing my initial attempts an anything /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[James Jones]

Hey Dave , have you tried doing any "scuff test" with the finish yet to see how durable it is? it looks like a realy nice job.

 

[Dave King]

Roy

The smoke alarm addition sounds like most of my attempts at things. When I get to puttering my wife tries to stay pretty alert and breaks out the bandages and tape, our fire extinquisher is in the dinning room (middle of the house).

Tractor Supply is a neat store and unusual for around here (as you surmised). Lot's of strickly men's stuff (masculine family component here), chains, high grade bolts, fuel tanks, fencing equipment (electric fence!!!), trailers, vet supplies, Carhartt sales, horse gear, welders!!, torches!!! (fire is always good for a family panic attack!), hitches, plows, torches (I like torches!).


JDJones

I really don't need to perform a specific "scuff test", my entire life has been one of those and if I have a rifle along it suffers the same fate. The finish seems pretty hard, no scratches on the bolt surfaces yet and I've hard it out shooting a few times. I'll wait for the five weeks full cure time then give it a proper working over.


The Duracoat was easy to use so I shouldn't get much credit, all I did was stay inside the lines.

 

[Dave King]

That "skateboard tape" on the rifle is actually 3M stair tread tape. I put that stuff on nearly all my rifles, I like the feel of it for indexing my hand when shooting. It also makes the rifle hang on to me as I hang on to it (don't put it on the cheek piece (that'd be a scuff test)). I started using it about 5 years back when doing some tactical competitions, ice, water, mud, snow, sweat make a rifle slippery, that rough tape helps a lot.

 

[royinidaho]

[ QUOTE ]
That "skateboard tape" on the rifle is ... for indexing my hand when shooting.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ah! so that's the term for the "feel" that keeps your hand in the same position for each shot. That's why I build my palm swells and thumbholes 'just so'. Also helps with keeping elbow positioned consistently.

Wonder how close that store is to buffalobob? No better place than one like that for gizmo parts. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[Dave King]

Roy

buffalobob is down the road a way, about 30 miles I'd say. I'll bet he has a favorite store over his way too but I'm thinking he's a "dumpster diver" at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center or David Taylor Model Basin, Naval Surface Warfare Center or something such.... Hummm... neutron nebulizer... naaa, carbon dioxide LASER... nope, hafnium neutron flux rods... nnaaaa, ball of orange shotline string... aaahhh cooil!

 

[Buffalobob]

Crime scenes are the best place to get your gear. Policemen always leave their car doors open and sticking way out in traffic so you just have your kid reach out the window as you creep by and get whatever you need. The crime scene plastic tape is really good stuff for wind flags. If you know where you are going ot be hunting you can tie it onto the limb of a tree before the season and get the range to it and on opening day you instantly know range and windspeed.

At one yard sale the people wanted $25.00 for a camera tripod. Two weeks later I found a better one for $1.00.

The other trick is in my neighborhood Monday morning is trash pickup day so Sunday just before dark you just drive around through all the alleys looking at the stuff and get what ever you need for free.

 

[Buffalobob]

Been doing a little painting myself and am finished with the painting part. I wish I had something to go in it though. I also understand that the bears didn't get Richard so things are looking up for this Fall.