I've been toying with the idea of getting my Colt refinished and someone recently suggested I cerakote it. To be honest, I don't know much if anything at all, about it. What are the pro's and con's about this finish. Does it last long enough to be a good investment? Is it removable?

 

I bought this gun used so I don't care to get a little silly with it and customize it.

I used Duracoat (I hear Cerakote is a little better) and it lasted just fine on my AR barrel. Resists cleaning solvents and reasonable amounts of heat. Strips with Home Depot paint stripper.

 

Precaution are to be good at spray painting, and you can't paint close toleranced parts. And it smells terrible.

There is a thread about it on THR

 

 

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=683849

 

"Is Cerakote Dangerous?"

I had a rifle refinished with cerakote once. Keep in mind there are two cerakote products. One is the DIY air-cure type, the other is a professional bake-on finish. I had it done professionally and baked on. It was incredibly durable, the surface was very, very smooth and you could tell by the way grease/oil slid along it. It also looked very nice and uniform in color and texture.

 

There is also Aluma-Hyde, I'd look into that as well for DIY. It's incredibly finnicky and I'd suggest not using ANYthing that comes out of a spray can at this time of the year as the temperature makes for an inferior time. Unless of course you are working in a heated indoor environment.

I wouldnt do it myself. that wouldn't come out very nice.

There is a thread about it on THR

 

 

http://www.thehighro...ad.php?t=683849

 

"Is Cerakote Dangerous?"

 

Thanks but I'm not really worried about it being dangerous. Plus I wont be doing it myself. I'm more asking if its durable and worth the investment

The cerakote oven cure is a nice finish and pretty durable.

 

Surface prep matters a lot regardless of finish.

I dont care for it on pistols because I find it a bit thick and it has no lubricity. However I do like it on rifles, especially the non IR reflective kind . As for durability I find it better than duracoat but not as good as Norrells.

sorry to thread jack but what about powder coating? i have a friend that does this for a living...

Too thick would be my guess.

I dont care for it on pistols because I find it a bit thick and it has no lubricity. However I do like it on rifles, especially the non IR reflective kind . As for durability I find it better than duracoat but not as good as Norrells.

 

How does that affect the operation of the pistol? Will it just cause more friction between slide and frame?

I tested this finish on my project 1911 and 228 and love how they came out. I bought the bake-on version. It's very easy and forgiving to apply. I used an airbrush with a hi-flow nozzle. Yes, the smell is not cool and it's quite messy to clean up, but cheap and worth it. With my alien blood sweat, I just devour blued finishes. Constantly oiling and wiping down was a pain. I also didn't like the oily residue on my hands. With Cerakote, I just leave it dry. No more oily hands. In the beginning, tight fitted parts will be very tight depending how thick you coat your parts. Everything will break in after a session or two and will function normally. I've started the wear test in my kydex holster, but finish is still holding strong. Clean up is a breeze and fouling just wipes off. I think Cerakote is it's own lubricant so even running rails dry to test.

 

As with most finishes, preparations is the most important part. I media blasted my parts, parkerized it, then Cerakoted it. Trying to give the coating as much bite as possible to stay on. My two advice would be wear a mask or respirator and make several light to medium coats instead of few heavy coats. Make sure the coating is completely dry before baking. Little bubbles will occur in the finish if baked too soon. Only solution to fix it is take off the finish and start over from bare metal. You can't spray on top of a cured finish and rebake. I asked Cerakote customer support.

I've been thinking about getting my new glock duracoated or cerkoated as well. Now the million dollar question is where in NJ can I get this done professionally? Both duracoat and cerakote don't have any certified coaters in NJ or anywhere nearby in PA and I really don't want to do it myself.

I've been thinking about getting my new glock duracoated or cerkoated as well. Now the million dollar question is where in NJ can I get this done professionally? Both duracoat and cerakote don't have any certified coaters in NJ or anywhere nearby in PA and I really don't want to do it myself.

 

If you're in central or north Jersey, there's Easton Firearms Refinishing. I plan on giving them a shot when I get my AR together.

Cerakote's per day price on their class for cert is STEEP! Steep enough that in my mind, if your not going to go full bore into coating, its not worth the price.

 

 

If you're in central or north Jersey, there's Easton Firearms Refinishing. I plan on giving them a shot when I get my AR together.

 

Do you know anyone who has used them or just thinking about giving them a shot?

Do you know anyone who has used them or just thinking about giving them a shot?

 

Not personally, no. Once I get my AR completed I plan on having it Cerakoted and I'll report back on it, but I'm thinking that's 4 months from now.

I may beat you to it. I think I'm gonna have them do my 1911 in OD or 2 tone first, depending on pricing, then maybe my new shotty, and AR. I actually like the digi camo look with the optic and all.

Stay clear of Backwoods custom coatings in whiting NJ. I sent a slide in to them to have a cerakote finish done. They had it for 6 weeks and then sent me back a slide for a totally different gun. I told the guy and he refunded my money, but never sent my slide back. Doesn't even answer my emails and won't tell me what's going on. I would stay clear of this guy.