Has anyone used the air dry dura-coat finish? Thought I might give it a try. I was going to have a guy paint a couple of my rifles and he jacked the price up on me in a weeks time and I thought, if he can do it, I should be able to. He told me $140 each and when I took my rifles to him, he said $175 each. So here we are!! I don't have an oven and wifey says NOOOOO! So I thought I would try the air cured paint.
Dura Coat ???
- Thread starter pyscodog
- Start date
aftCG
New member
All Duracoat is "air dry". It's a two part formula.
super clean surfaces are a must, as is accurate mixing. I use an electronic scale to measure and it improved durability in a big way.
Cheap airbrushes are frustrating, so plan on getting into it as a hobby. Oh and if you screw up, Zipstrip removes Duracoat
super clean surfaces are a must, as is accurate mixing. I use an electronic scale to measure and it improved durability in a big way.
Cheap airbrushes are frustrating, so plan on getting into it as a hobby. Oh and if you screw up, Zipstrip removes Duracoat
Duracoat is a great product. As was said before.....clean, clean, clean.
I wear latex gloves and either use their cleaner or paint thinner. Brake cleaner will help to get into cracks you might miss with a rag.
Use foam earplugs to plug the barrel and tape off anything you don't want to paint.
I used a $20 Harbor Freight airbrush for mine and it did fine.
Go to your drug store and ask them for the syringe that is used to give kids medicine. They have measurements and you can use them to measure your two parts of epoxy.
Dura coat customer service is first class and UTube has some good examples to watch. Good luck....cause you will be addicted to painting guns!
I wear latex gloves and either use their cleaner or paint thinner. Brake cleaner will help to get into cracks you might miss with a rag.
Use foam earplugs to plug the barrel and tape off anything you don't want to paint.
I used a $20 Harbor Freight airbrush for mine and it did fine.
Go to your drug store and ask them for the syringe that is used to give kids medicine. They have measurements and you can use them to measure your two parts of epoxy.
Dura coat customer service is first class and UTube has some good examples to watch. Good luck....cause you will be addicted to painting guns!
nastynatesfish
Active member
They do make a bake on durakote too. The air dry is really easy to use.
Terry N.
New member
Look into a cheap 'detail' or touch-up' spray gun, as they're much better for doing large areas than an airbrush is. The ~$30 ones at Harbor Freight, Home Depot, or wherever are just fine for this application.
If you plan to paint indoors, invest in a respirator. They're not terribly expensive, and your lungs will thank you. Some sort of exhaust fan will make your wife happier, too.
If you plan to paint indoors, invest in a respirator. They're not terribly expensive, and your lungs will thank you. Some sort of exhaust fan will make your wife happier, too.
aftCG
New member
Oh yes, fresh air is a MUST. This stuff will kill you.
My comment about air brushes should have come with a qualifier. I started with a harbor freight unit too, along with their airbrush compressor.
Me and my buddy have done several paint jobs using them but quality of the finished job is NOT 100%. Since you'd like to do this once and not have it suck, I've found it pays to buy a top feed (thought I'd hate it, but it rocks).
I also said something else not exactly true and this is supporting your statement about it being "air dry". That would imply that it dries, but in reality is "cures" via a chemical process. I'm sure it would actually kick off under water if I had to prove a point.
Cerakote is an oven cure paint (also catalyzed IIRC). I've never used it, but have considered doing a hand gun slide or two.
I wouldn't think you'd need an FFL to do paint jobs for people, especially if you are doing face to face exchanges. But I'm not a lawyer or a cop, so do your own research there.
Duracoat comes with specific instructions on how long to wait between layers (an hour I think) and have all layers done before 7 days.
You can handle it in an hour and I've even reassembled guns because I wasn't patient enough, but the paint is still very "green" for a number of days.
Here are two of my most recent paint jobs:
It's addicting.
My comment about air brushes should have come with a qualifier. I started with a harbor freight unit too, along with their airbrush compressor.
Me and my buddy have done several paint jobs using them but quality of the finished job is NOT 100%. Since you'd like to do this once and not have it suck, I've found it pays to buy a top feed (thought I'd hate it, but it rocks).
I also said something else not exactly true and this is supporting your statement about it being "air dry". That would imply that it dries, but in reality is "cures" via a chemical process. I'm sure it would actually kick off under water if I had to prove a point.
Cerakote is an oven cure paint (also catalyzed IIRC). I've never used it, but have considered doing a hand gun slide or two.
I wouldn't think you'd need an FFL to do paint jobs for people, especially if you are doing face to face exchanges. But I'm not a lawyer or a cop, so do your own research there.
Duracoat comes with specific instructions on how long to wait between layers (an hour I think) and have all layers done before 7 days.
You can handle it in an hour and I've even reassembled guns because I wasn't patient enough, but the paint is still very "green" for a number of days.
Here are two of my most recent paint jobs:
It's addicting.
ARCOREY
New member
For my first one I bought their packaged kit with the cheap airbrush, templates, paint, mixing spoons, mask, hardener, ez-strip and DVD. It cost me as much as it did to have a hole gun done a single color by somebody else. Their job peeled and mine didn't. It is the thumbhole muzzleloader below in the French Army camo pattern. I did about 3.5 guns before I cleaned the airbrush to death and ran out of paint. I did re-supply my favorite base color of black once. I replaced the airbrush with a nice double action Paasche that I can't seem to get use to still. I use a small brad nailer air compressor to run my airbrush, the propellant didn't really work well for me. I believe paint is wasted less with the airbrush, it just takes a little longer to coat a gun. If you are doing it for a living, I can see the HVLP route being better. WEAR THE MASK OR VENTIATOR. This stuff makes Krylon seem like a scented candle. Make sure to vent with fans too if using indoors. I personally like doing a color per day when using the adhesive stencils. When I finish one, it sits in the corner for 30 days to harden. Just my self imposed rule. Here are a couple of mine so far. If you run into any questions, call Lauer Weaponry, very helpful folks.
varminter05
New member
I have dura coated I dont know how many rifles, and have 6 lying in my shop to do now. I use the Harbor Freight 9.99 throw away air brush kit. you get the gun and 5 canisters to mix and spray in.
It is a great product and if you have any questions the guys at dura-coat (lauer weaponry...lauerweaponry.com )will help you in anyway possible. They can custom mix if you give them a sample of the color you want.
If you want to speed the process up you can let it air dry till its not tacky to the touch and then put it in a vehicle with the windows rolled up and it speeds up the process...
It is a great product and if you have any questions the guys at dura-coat (lauer weaponry...lauerweaponry.com )will help you in anyway possible. They can custom mix if you give them a sample of the color you want.
If you want to speed the process up you can let it air dry till its not tacky to the touch and then put it in a vehicle with the windows rolled up and it speeds up the process...
jcs271
Well-known member
Originally Posted By: ARCOREYFor my first one I bought their packaged kit with the cheap airbrush, templates, paint, mixing spoons, mask, hardener, ez-strip and DVD. It cost me as much as it did to have a hole gun done a single color by somebody else. Their job peeled and mine didn't.
That is great work, that blue/grey stock almost looks like high quality laminate instead of just paint. Well Done!
That is great work, that blue/grey stock almost looks like high quality laminate instead of just paint. Well Done!
ARCOREY
New member
jcs271, I'd love to take credit for the wonderful layered coloring in the stock, but the credit belongs to Boyds. It is indeed a laminate. The blued metal on this rifle was shiney and prone to rust. It had rubbed out in places and I wanted a classic flat black finish. I did take the stock from a fully inletted rough sanded exterior to what you see if that gets me any points. I wanted a finish that doesn't show in a gun mounted light and that was durable needing little cleaning. This Duracoat job has fit the bill so far. Wipe them down with a wet cloth and keep going.
