DIY Cerakote Application: Complete Guide to Coating Your Firearms and Gear

DIY create application: complete guide to coat your firearms and gear

Create has revolutionized the way gun owners, knife enthusiasts, and gear collectors protect and customize their prized possessions. This ceramic base coating offer superior durability, corrosion resistance, and endless color options. While professional application services exist, many enthusiasts are discovered they can achieve impressive results at home with the right knowledge, equipment, and techniques.

This comprehensive guide walk you through everything you need to know about apply create yourself, from understand what it’s to master the application process.

What’s create?

Create is a polymer ceramic composite coating that provide superior protection against abrasion, corrosion, chemicals, and impact. Unlike traditional paint or blueing, cecreateonds at the molecular level with right prepare metal, polymer, and other surfaces. The result is a thin ( 0.(1 ” to” 002 ” ) y” implausibly durable finish that won’t will chip, will crack, or will peel under normal use.

The coating come in three main varieties:

• 
  H series
  
  Air cure formula ideal for firearms and require heat cure
• 
  C series
  
  Design for high temperature applications like exhaust systems
• 
  Elite series
  
  The virtually advanced formulation with enhanced durability and color options

For most DIY applications, the h series is the virtually appropriate choice.

Benefits of DIY create application

Before diving into the process, consider the advantages of apply create yourself:

• 
  Cost savings
  
  Professional create jobs can cost $ $200500 + per firearm
• 
  Customization control
  
  Complete freedom over colors, patterns, and designs
• 
  Skill development
  
  Learn a valuable skill that can be applied to multiple projects
• 
  Satisfaction
  
  The pride of complete a professional quality finish yourself

Essential equipment and supplies

Successful DIY create application require proper equipment. While the initial investment may seem substantial, itit isapidlypaysy for itself if you plan to coat multiple items.

Basic equipment:

• 
  Airbrush or help spray gun
  
  IATA eclipse or similar quality airbrush (( $150300 )
  )
• 
  Air compressor
  
  Minimum 1hp with moisture trap ($$150$300 ))
• 
  Oven
  
  Dedicated toaster oven or kitchen oven (ne’er use for food again )( (5$5050 )
  )
• 
  Sandblaster
  
  Bench or cabinet style for surface preparation ($$100$300 ))
• 
  Degreased
  
  Acetone or dedicated create dedegreased (1$150 )
  )
• 
  Media blast medium
  
  Aluminum oxide (80 120 grit )( (2$200 )
  )

Safety equipment:

• 
  Respirator
  
  Nosh approve with organic vapor cartridges (( $3050 )
  )
• 
  Chemical resistant gloves
  
  Nitrile or similar ($$10$20 ))
• 
  Safety glasses
  
  Full seal recommend ($$10$30 ))
• 
  Comfortably ventilate workspace
  
  Spray booth or outdoor area

Create products:

• 
  Create h series coating
  
  Available in 2 oz, 4 oz, or 8 oz bottles ($$25$75 ))
• 
  Create thin
  
  For proper viscosity adjustment ($$15$25 ))
• 
  Create dedegreased
  
  Particularly formulate for proper surface prep ($$15$25 ))

Preparation: the key to success

Proper preparation is the about critical aspect of a successful create application. Most failures can be trace spine to inadequate surface preparation.

Step 1: disassembly

Whole disassemble your firearm or item to its individual components. Take photos during dismantling to aid in prefabrication afterward. Solely coat external parts that don’t affect function. Ne’er coat:

• Internal fire control components
• Barrel bores
• Chamber areas
• Lock lugs
• Springs

Use mask tape and plugs to protect thread areas, bear surfaces, and other areas that shouldn’t receive coating.

Step 2: remove exist finishes

All exist finishes must be altogether removed beforecreatee application:

• For anodized aluminum sandblast with aluminum oxide media
• For blued steel chemical strippers or sandblast
• For paint surfaces chemical strippers follow by sandblast
• For polymer / plastic light sandblast or scuff with 320 grit sandpaper

Step 3: surface preparation

After remove old finishes:

1. Sandblast all metal surfaces with 100 120 grit aluminum oxide at 80 90 psi
2. Ensure complete, regular coverage with a uniform matte appearance
3. For polymers, use lower pressure (40 60 psi )to avoid damage
4. Clean all blast media from parts use compressed air

Step 4: degreasing

This critical step remove all oils, fingerprints, and contaminants:

Source: pinterest.com

1. Wear clean nitrile gloves for all handle after this point
2. Submerge parts in acetone or create dedegreased
3. Scrub with a clean, lint free cloth
4. Allow parts to air dry whole
5. Avoid touch clean surfaces with bare hands

Mixing and application techniques

With preparation complete, you’re ready to mix and apply the create coating.

Mix the coating:

1. Shake the create bottle smartly for 5 minutes
2. Strain the coating through a fine mesh filter (190 micron or finer )
3. Add create thinner ifif youeed for proper viscosit(( typically 10 15 ))
4. Mix exhaustively and test spray pattern on paper

Spray technique:

Proper application technique ensure an even, professional finish:

1. Set air pressure between 25 35 psi for airbrushes or 10 15 psi for help guns
2. Hold the spray gun 6 8 inches from the surface
3. Apply in light, flush coats use 50 % overlap passes
4. Start spray before the part and continue past it for each pass
5. Apply 2 3 light coats quite than one heavy coat
6. Allow 15 20 minutes flash time between coats

The ideal coating thickness is 1 1.5 mile (0.001″ 0.0015 ” . The surface should appear uniformly wet but not have runs or sags. If runs occur, allow toflashingry, so cautiously sand with 800 grit sandpaper and reredcoat

Common application mistakes:

• 
  Spray excessively heavy
  
  Causes runs and poor adhesion
• 
  Insufficient preparation
  
  Results in peel and flake
• 
  Contamination
  
  Causes fish eyes and poor adhesion
• 
  Improper air pressure
  
  Create orange peel texture or dry spray

Curing process

Proper curing is essential for create to reach its full durability potential.

H series curing schedule:

1. Allow parts to flash dry for 15 20 minutes after final coat
2. Preheat oven to 250 ° f (121 ° c )
3. Place parts in oven on a clean rack or hang with wire
4. Cure for 2 hours at 250 ° f
5. Turn off oven and allow parts to cool course indoors (prevent thermal shock )

Alternative cure schedules include:

• 1 hour at 300 ° f (149 ° c )
• 45 minutes at 350 ° f (177 ° c )

For heat sensitive parts like polymers, use the lower temperature schedule. Invariably ensure proper ventilation during cure, as the process release fumes.

Advanced techniques

Once you have master basic application, consider these advanced techniques:

Stencils and patterns:

Create custom designs use:

• Vinyl stencils (cut with craft cutter )
• Adhesive stencils (commercial or homemade )
• Natural materials (leaves, mesh, etc. )for organic patterns

Apply base coat, allow to part cure (30 minutes at 150 ° f ) apply stencils, spray accent colors, remove stencils, so complete final cure.

Source: savageshooters.com

Color blending:

Create gradient effects by:

• Start with lighter color at one end
• Gradually introduce darker color
• Use control overlap to create smooth transition
• Apply clear create over blend colors for depth

Battle worn finish:

Create a distressed look by:

• Apply base coat (typically dark color )
• Part cure (30 minutes at 150 ° f )
• Apply resist medium (petroleum jelly or salt )
• Apply top coat (typically lighter color )
• Remove resist after final cure use solvent

Troubleshoot common issues

Yet with careful preparation, problems can occur. Here’s how to address common issues:

Peeling / flaking:

• 
  Cause
  
  inadequate surface preparation or contamination
• 
  Solution
  
  strip wholly, re blast, and ensure thorough degreasing

Orange peel texture:

• 
  Cause
  
  improper spray distance, pressure excessively high, or coat excessively thick
• 
  Solution
  
  sand with 800 1000 grit, reapply with adjusted technique

Fish eyes:

• 
  Cause
  
  oil or silicone contamination
• 
  Solution
  
  allow tcuring sand smooth, clean soundly, reapply

Runs or sags:

• 
  Cause
  
  excessively much coating apply at eeast
• 
  Solution
  
  allow tflashingdry, sand smooth with 800 grit, reapply lighter coats

Maintenance and care

Decent apply create is exceedingly durable but benefits from proper care:

• Allow 5 7 days after cure for complete hardening before heavy use
• Clean with standard gun cleaners or mild soap and water
• Avoid abrasive cleaners or aggressive solvents
• Touch up small chips or wear spots by cleaning, scuff, and reapply
• Expect 5 10 years of service from decently apply coating under normal use

Legal considerations

Before start your DIY create project, be aware of these legal considerations:

• Coat firearms for others may require a fFFLdepend on your jurisdiction
• Some colors and patterns (peculiarly camouflage )may have trademark protections
• Certain firearm markings must remain visible by law
• Invariably check local regulations regard firearm modifications

Final tips for success

To achieve professional quality results:

• Practice on scrap parts before coat valuable items
• Take your time with preparation it’s 90 % of a successful job
• Work in a clean, dust free environment
• Document your process for future reference
• Join online communities to learn from others’ experiences
• Consider start with single colors before attempt complex patterns

Conclusion

DIY create application is both an art and a science. With proper equipment, meticulous preparation, and careful technique, you can achieve professional quality results at home. The learning curve may be steep, but the satisfaction of create custom, durable finishes on your firearms and gear make the effort worthwhile.

Remember that each project is a learn experience. Document what work and what don’t, and don’t be afraid to experiment on less valuable items before tackle your prized possessions. With practice, you will develop the skills to will create sincerely unique, will personalize finishes that will offer both protection and visual appeal.