Best finishes?

[2savage4you]

Hey guys. what is the best finish to get ? Bluing, parkerizing, gunkote, duracoat or metacol? i want a black satin like finish. I want it to last for a long while to. in humid weather and what do these finishes cost approximately? i wanna do two l1a1's eventually when i get them finished and put back together again. I know they all have there good and bads, What do you long timers preffer? What im trying to say is help me make up my mind on which one to go with. Thanks.


2sav

[Jerod]

Sav,
Hey man ...Your stock set is going out Tuesday AM . I put some extra goodies in the box for you. On finishes it depends if you want to do it yourself or send the work out . Mark @ ARS is top notch . His Metacol over parkerizing is very nice looking and super durable. If you want to do it yourself , Gunkote semi-gloss over zinc parkerizing is the best of the breed of " Buy it off the shelf finishes." I have wasted alot of $$$ over the years to find this out. Trust me. Gunkote is very thin and you must apply several coats but is very hard and durable. Durcoat has great Pics and a huge advertising budget, but you can do that with a 1000% mark-up on Sherman Williams products ! Duracoat is very thick and should not be used on the inside of weapons and may cause fitting problems. Its also a two part epoxy and its a pain in the ass to mix. You have to use up what you mix or it will harden in hours and is a huge waste. The hardner you mix with the "Paint" will give you a different sheen and color every time you mix it. They say you can "Pack the weapon the next day" . Thats a load of BS . Even if you bake it in the oven , its still soft and takes up to two weeks to harden/cure . It holds up OK but you can do better with ARS or gunkote. Good Luck, Jerod

[2savage4you]

Hey , Jerod thanks for the info on the stock. And again thanks for the info on the finish. The two you have mentioned are the one's ive been seriously considering. Mark has one of my uppers right now and then he will get the other when the first is done . i think i will have him do both the l1a1's in metacol satin black, but first need to check prices$ remember i got five kids so i might have to do one at a time:wink: As far as the ak goe's i want to play with the gunkote it will fit in the oven no problem, but will have to do it when the wifes at work:biggrin: Should i have the ak parked before gunkote? or just have it blasted:? Thanks again, Steve.



2sav

[W.E.G.]

So, I guess the "rubbed-down-to-bare-metal" option has been ruled out?

[2savage4you]

Doe's that require K.Y jelly :biggrin:

[SmokeEater2]

The only finish mentioned that I don't have on one of my rifles is the Metacol,Though I have heard its tough and all the FALs I've seen wearing it were nice. ARS does outstanding work.
Another option is the Envirotech finish that Investmentgrade Firearms applies. I've got this on several FALs and a G 3 and none of them show any wear and rust just don't happen,even in the humidity here in AR.

[gunplumber]

+1 on KG Gunkote for the do-it yourselfer. Call Joe Fazzio and ask for it 30% solid, then thin as needed. I find his finishes too thin.

I am kindof partial to METACOL if you want to send it out.

Its my finish because I like it, not "I like it because its my finish"

If something better was available, I'd be using it

[2savage4you]

Originally posted by SmokeEater2
The only finish mentioned that I don't have on one of my rifles is the Metacol,Though I have heard its tough and all the FALs I've seen wearing it were nice. ARS does outstanding work.
Another option is the Envirotech finish that Investmentgrade Firearms applies. I've got this on several FALs and a G 3 and none of them show any wear and rust just don't happen,even in the humidity here in AR.



Wow i just checked it out. They got really good prices. but i think im gonna go with G.P's metacol for the l1"s might take some time but it will get done:biggrin: As far as the gunkote im gonna get the aerisol can no mixing, use the tce for cleaning and then spray it on then bake. This sound about right? Besides its just the ak, if i muck it up well. Gunplumber here it comes:uhoh: Thanks for the help guys, Anybody else?

2sav

[gunplumber]

spray cans suck.

Doesn't matter how good the stuff in the can is, they still suck.

[2savage4you]

Well then there it is. Maybe i should send it to you and just save the time and $$ of experimenting? What is the going rate for a ak in metacol with three 30 rnd mags:? This might give me a better idea of what is more cost efficient. Thanks.


2sav

[gunplumber]

small air compressor - $200?

auto touchup spray guns $25- $35 harbor freight.

air dryers $50

(the airbrush thing is nice for intracate camo patterns, but a small automotive spray gun works better for regular work.)

I charge $235 for rifles, which includes 3 mags.

[2savage4you]

Originally posted by gunplumber
small air compressor - $200?

auto touchup spray guns $25- $35 harbor freight.

air dryers $50

(the airbrush thing is nice for intracate camo patterns, but a small automotive spray gun works better for regular work.)

I charge $235 for rifles, which includes 3 mags.


Ok i got the air compresser and with having five kids i got plenty hair dryers. But i really dont have a safe place to spray them except for a shed. So i think for $235 it would be wise to send them out Of course i will have to finish them first. Thanks for the heads up on what im looking at. Steve.


2sav