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The "Cheaper" Duracoat Experiment.

6K views 62 replies 20 participants last post by  7.62x39 
#1 · (Edited)
First off I'd like to issue this warning: DO NOT ATTEMPT TO USE THE "CHEAPER" DURACOAT IF YOU CANNOT FOLLOW SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS. You'll need a large airspace, respirator, long sleeve shirt, pants, and eye protection. The chemicals in "Cheaper" Duracoat are no laughing matter. Saving money isn't worth the brain damage if you can't follow safety instructions.

That being said, I just spent $1.82 refinishing a 10 round magazine and had more than enough mixed coating to do a 40 round magazine. This was just a test run and how was I supposed to know 3 table spoons of paint would last that long?

What is "Cheaper" Duracoat? While sniffing chemicals and getting high, I was huffing duracoat and realized I had smelled it before. I went to the local high-on at the Sherwin-Williams dealer and he said "That's Polane S Plus Polyurethane Enamel". (I'm just kidding about the huffing part. I decided to spice up my post a little bit).

How is it "Cheaper" Duracoat?
Polane S Plus Polyurethane Enamel is chemical resistant and the black color can resist temperatures up to 500 deg F (That's SW's stated value, obviously there's a factor of safety in there).

You still haven't mentioned the cheaper part!: Duracoat in its cheapest form is $320 for 128 fl-oz of Duracoat and hardener. 128 fl-oz of Polane S Plus Polyurethane + Catalyst + thinner + tax was $155. (NOTE: I mean cheapest "per unit of volume. You can buy duracoat in smaller containers)

(to be continued)
 
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#2 ·
Tip #1: Before you bother to start anything: get into your work clothes, get your respirator on and stir the Polane S Plus. You're going to be there for a while so make sure you're in a comfortable position. Scrape the bottom of the can with your paint stick to get all the dye into the mix.

If you don't stir is properly the Polane will come out clear(ish) and run like water.
 
#3 ·
Thanks-- I'll call on Mon, but do they sell smaller than 1 gal?

As you pointed out, that'd do 50 rifles.

Things I'm wondering: Do they pre mix colors? Can I get the colors seperately so I could add them. What colors available?

Self life?
 
#4 ·
They only sell it in one gallon unless you're "in" with the people working there. The guy said I could come back and get it in quart sizes in the future.

They have pre-mixed colors available immediately or can mix the colors for you. If they have a paint swatch for it (which they will) they can make that color. The place I went to had a week of backlog orders that they were working on.

Depending on the manager, they will split it up into 4 quarts for you and color each seperately.

The shelf life claims to be 6 months to a year.
 
#6 ·
I used, and highly suggest only using, an air brush. Because of the cost of the stuff and the chemicals involved you don't want any wasted on overspray.
 
#7 ·
I've called several SW dealers in the Atlanta area & keep getting the runaround on where to actually get it. The "industrial" store I kept getting refered to just didn't answer the phone.

I though it was Polane High Solids rather than S Plus. Does anyone know the difference?
 
#8 ·
High Solids = HS = higher gloss. Other than that, they're the same.
 
#9 ·
Attached is the first test of the "Cheaper Duracoat"

All the imperfections you see are actually the zinc-phosphating used as a base to assist in bonding between the Polane and metal. My camera did quite a job on accentuating it.

The bottom dots are actually fudge-ups because I failed to stir the polane before mixing it with catalyst and the stuff came out clear and ran like water. I didn't do a good enough job of wiping it off before applying the good coat.
 

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#11 ·
And as long as you're going to do a lot of stuff (magazines and guns) it's worth it.
 
#13 ·
Most likely you can. I'll experiment as I do the rest of my magazines.
 
#15 ·
How does it hold up to solvents though? When I used commerical paints they either failed from durability or solvent resistance. The only exception was Rustoleum Textured, which was the most durable (except I wouldn't hit it against a metal corner like I did with the Polane)
 
#16 ·
So this Polane S Plus stuff will stand up to bore cleaner solvents? Sounds like a winner.

How about the metal prep? Did you blast or park or sand it or what. I'm looking for the best finish that doesn't require sand blasting (due to my current living quarters)


Corpsie said:
How does it hold up to solvents though? When I used commerical paints they either failed from durability or solvent resistance. The only exception was Rustoleum Textured, which was the most durable (except I wouldn't hit it against a metal corner like I did with the Polane)
 
#17 ·
Corpsie said:
How does it hold up to solvents though? When I used commerical paints they either failed from durability or solvent resistance. The only exception was Rustoleum Textured, which was the most durable (except I wouldn't hit it against a metal corner like I did with the Polane)
IRRC he said it was holding up to slovents. I will PM him this thread and have him explain it more. I'm seriously considering this for a build I have.
 
#18 ·
I reaslly only clean guns with Hoppe's 9, and thats all I clean with. So for me it works well.


I don't know of anyone that cleans a gun with acetone and thats bout the only thing I found that is able to tough it.


Two things:

1) its the krylon cammo stuff

2) I was getting the park look by heating the metal to 200d then spraying on then baking agin for 30-60 min.


So far the stuff seams tough as nails, and for a beater gun finish it holds up DAMN WELL.
 
#19 ·
jwv3 said:
So this Polane S Plus stuff will stand up to bore cleaner solvents? Sounds like a winner.

How about the metal prep? Did you blast or park or sand it or what. I'm looking for the best finish that doesn't require sand blasting (due to my current living quarters)
I either use a wire wheel to remove the bluing or I just use Oxisolv to remove the bluing. Either way I end up using the oxisolv to apply a layer of zinc phosphate on the metal as prep. That's it.
 
#21 ·
Sherwin Williams Industrial/Commercial finish places. They normal places don't carry the stuff.
 
#23 · (Edited by Moderator)
Polane is a good coating. I've painted hundreds of rifle stocks and 3 blazers and a CUCV with it. Its good for stuff that can't handle curing temperatures or won't fit in the oven for which GunKote type products are good. I also coated the gun tub on the Raptor Suburban/minigun project with it. It is a thicker coating, so mags would probably be ok, but I recommend against coating internals with it. SW has industrial stores for which a resale license is required and their home stores which usually only carry house paint.

With the UV catalyst (still fades in AZ sun), 2 gallons of #69 reducer and a gallon of paint, I can usually get it for just under $100. The sheen of black depends on the amount of reducer, as well as the amount of flattening agent. This green is the ARS "Messherschmit Me262 green/gray" that SW mixes for me. Completely disappears at night.

(well I guess this board isn't set up for editing link images after they have loaded)



 
#25 ·
woodmann said:
Corpsie,

How did you cure it? Bake or air dry, and details, please.
Air dry. The initial hardening takes like 4 hours. I'm not exactly sure how long because I did it at night. The rest of the curing takes a week, but you are able to handle it within the initial 4 hours of drying. Since I let it sit overnight, I can tell you that after 10 hours it's extremely hard. I hit it against my bench vise and it didn't chip. Hitting it against a surface that dented the metal, however, did cause that single point of impact to chip, but the chip didn't spread.
 
#26 ·
gunplumber said:
With the UV catalyst (still fades in AZ sun), 2 gallons of #69 reducer and a gallon of paint, I can usually get it for just under $100. The sheen of black depends on the amount of reducer,
Will more reducer cause it to be less shiny?
 
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