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Application of Protective and Dry Film Coatings |
APPLICATION: Pretreatment:
Stainless Steel: Sandblast (all sandblasting should be done using aluminum oxide 120 to 180 mesh at 40 to 50 pounds of pressure.)
Alloy Steel: Sandblast and phosphate or sandblast only.
Aluminum: Alodine or anodize if possible, if not possible use lighter sandblast.
Nickel Or Chrome Plating: Sandblast (If plating peels it is bad plating.)
Parts are first stripped and cleaned of any oil or grease (use KG-3 Solvent Degreaser). After sandblasting repeat cleaning to remove all residue from surface and holes that may have trapped any aluminum or blast material.
Preheat parts to be coated to about 120 degrees F. (This reduces the risk of runs only). When handling parts, use a pair of clean white gloves to insure you do not leave any finger prints which will affect the bonding of the material to the metal. Using a good quality air gun or air brush, spray in light fog passes, 8 to 10 inches away from the part you are coating. Spray from four to five different directions to assure complete coverage. The ideal coating thickness is .0004 of an inch which should not cause any problems to close tolerance fits. If coating is not to your satisfaction at this time coatings can be removed with Acetone, Alcohol or MEK. To re-coat simply repeat the process. After allowing the coating to dry, place hang the part from a tray in an air circulating oven and bake for at least 1 hour at 325 degrees F. Bake time starts when parts reach the required temperature. If you bake longer or at higher temperatures coating will become harder and will have slight increase in wear life. However, a change in color will occur. Once the coating is cured the only way to remove it is to sandblast it off.
When using Gear Kote there is no need to worry about color change and a slight over baking will not harm it.
STEP by STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Equipment Needed: One Airbrush or small Devilbiss "EGHN-530" touch up spray gun or air brush. The badger 350 Model works well, a sandblast cabinet, Dupont Starblast XL media, 120 to 180 grit aluminum oxide for blasting agent, latex gloves, a baking source or a Homemade Oven with thermostat control, safety glasses, a fume filtering mask, and a supply of paper towels.
1. Shake can vigorously for about one minute and pour into the glass bottle or container provided with your spray gun. Screw the paint gun onto the bottle.NOTE: Most airbrushes are siphon feed with a vent hole on top. If you shake the bottle or tilt it past 30 degrees the liquid will leak out. If you spill any of the liquid you can clean it up with acetone solvent. (Solvents are flammable and should be used in a vented area with great caution.)
2. Disassemble the item to be Gun Koted completely. Pins and parts left in will bleed oil from the joints and ruin your finish.
3. Hang all parts from wires or insert dowel rods into parts with holes for easy handling after degreasing and for coating.
4. Remove all rust, scale, paint, bluing or any other finish on the surface. You can use a fine mesh, DuPont STARBLAST XL, 120 to 180 grit aluminum oxide blast, chemical etch, or as a last resort, 400 grit wet or dry sandpaper. (WEAR CLEAN COTTON OR LATEX GLOVES ) You can apply Gun Kote over phosphate (Parkerizing) finishes.
5. Clean and degrease all parts with a good solvent to remove all traces of grease and dirt. Remove residue with KG-3, Acetone or MEK available at you local hardware store, these are the best and safest degreaser we have found. Acetone works almost as well. (WEAR CLEAN LATEX GLOVES WHEN HANDLING SOLVENTS)
6. Plug all revolver cylinder holes and barrel bore plus any other opening where you do not want a built up finish. A cleaning patch makes a good plug.
7. Put parts into your oven hanging them and placing them in such a way that they do not touch each other.
8. Heat parts to approximately 120 degrees F. With gloves on, remove the part from the oven holding it by its wire, and spray the coating onto the part using fast, light passes until the entire surface is covered. When the spray contacts the warm metal, the solvent should evaporate immediately. APPLY AT LEAST TWO COATS AND PREFERABLY THREE ON HEAVILY USED PARTS. Coats can be applied after the part is placed back into the oven for about twenty seconds. A coating of .0004 is best on close tolerance parts.
CAUTION: Always spray in ventilated area. If your area is not ventilated, place a small fan close to where you will be spraying so harmful fumes will be drawn away from your area. Also be aware of any over-spray so it will not land on any item you do not wish to be ruined forever. Important (cleanup): After coating your parts, always and immediately, spray ACETONE or ALCOHOL or MEK through the sprayer to clean the nozzle.
9. Bake all parts at 300 to 325 degrees for one hour. As a last resort only, parts that are to long to fit into your oven can stick out while the other end bakes for 45 minutes and then be switched around and baked for an additional 20 minutes. Bake aluminum and magnesium parts at about 275 degrees F for one hour.
10. Remove all parts from the oven and reassemble the gun. If the coating is too thick in tight fitting places, you can reduce the surface by lightly buffing with "oooo" steel wool. (Be careful not to buff corners so metal is exposed.)
11. You can leave the remaining liquid in the glass jar of your airbrush or pour the remaining liquid back into the original container. STORE AT ROOM TEMPERATURE. Mark the level and if needed add MEK if the level has dropped below your mark when used again.
12. The best way to apply Gun Kote is with an air brush or a small touch up paint gun. There are many inexpensive brands available at quality art shops and paint stores. For the very finest, professional finish, use a Devilbiss model EIGHTY spray gun or a Pasche or Badger air brush. Industrial finishes on mass produced parts can be applied with an electrostatic spray gun such as sold by Devilbiss or RW Ransburg.
The best media we have found for sandblasting is 120 mesh virgin Aluminum Oxcide or "White Aluminum Oxcide." However, It is very expensive at $70.00 per 50 pound bag. Starblast blasting media is a loose blend of course and fine Staurolite sands, uniformly sized and have clean, rounded surfaces. The sands are chemically cleaned and washed to ensure they are free from dust and dirt. Starblast XL is equal to 70 to 90 mesh and contains less than 1% silica. Starblast XL can be reused more than five times before breakdown occurs. It retails for an amazing $10.50 per 100 pounds. It is beneficial for you to call the toll free number (1-800-441-9485) and find the dealer closest to you. Starblast XL is a new, safe, dust free, high use, electrically nonconductive blasting media. It is certified by the California Air Resources Board and is QPL approved on form MIL-A22262A-SH. Other Blasting media such as #30 Glass Bead I have heard also works well.
Thanks to Alex Hamilton of TenRing Precision for his expertise and step by step directions.
Information provided by the Folks at KG Product.
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Shop for Firearms and accessories
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