Cerakote or Anodized then Cerakote?

[TanklessPro]

I'm looking at buying a few sets of receivers that are already anodized. Is it better to buy already Cerakoted or buy anodized then have them Cerakoted? I know that the anodized would have to be roughed up before the are Cerakoted. Which is better?

 

[rcmodel]

IMO: It would be better it leave them Hard Anodized and not painted with softer Ceracoat paint.

'Roughing up' hard anodizing will just cut through the hard clear surface under the color.

rc

 

[TanklessPro]

IMO: It would be better it leave them Hard Anodized and not painted with softer Ceracoat paint.

'Roughing up' hard anodizing will just cut through the hard clear surface under the color.

rc

But Anodized only comes in black, I like the options of other colors.

 

[9mmepiphany]

You can have an alloy anodized any color you're willing to pay for. It is just a color they add to the process

 

[Destructo6]

But Anodized only comes in black, I like the options of other colors.

To add, ever look at paintball guns and all of the, sometimes odd, assortment of colors? All anodized.

 

[Arizona_Mike]

Type III hard anodizing only gives good cosmetic results in very dark colors and is generally only commercially available in black. Thinner Type II anodizing is available in many colors.

Mike

 

[jerkface11]

You can do typeiii in clear. You get a nice matte silver finish.

 

[Arizona_Mike]

You can do typeiii in clear. You get a nice matte silver finish.

Yes, good point. Clear is the absence of dye.

Mike

 

[MistWolf]

Type III Class 2 Anodizing is with dye. Type III Class 1 is without. Anodizing is better than Ceracoating alone. Ceracoating over the anodizing gives you one more layer of protection

 

[MCMXI]

I know that the anodized would have to be roughed up before the are Cerakoted.

Who says you have to rough it up? I've painted a bunch of Type III anodized parts with Cerakote for myself and others without keying the surface with excellent results . Cerakote seems to adhere well to the sealant.

 

[Downeast]

You can do typeiii in clear. You get a nice matte silver finish.

Ty III is never really "clear". When it is not dyed it is still influenced by the alloy, for example 2000 series Al is high in copper and tends towards a bronze tint due to this influence. It is true that anodize can be dyed almost any color, but hard coat will always have a darker shade than standard type II sulfuric anodize due as due to the significantly higher thickness, it starts out a much darker shade.

This company has a nice chart that shows typical shade by alloy when hard anodized and left undyed. It also shows the theoretical maximum achievable thicknesses.

http://www.anodic.com/general.htm

My personal experience is that the 2000 series are the hardest to anodize followed by the 7000 series.

 

[TanklessPro]

Who says you have to rough it up? I've painted a bunch of Type III anodized parts with Cerakote for myself and others without keying the surface with excellent results . Cerakote seems to adhere well to the sealant.

According to the cerakote training manual.....

Surface Prep:
Begin by plugging the bore at both the chamber and the muzzle end of the barrel prior to blasting. Grit blast the parts with #100 to #120 grit aluminum oxide or garnet sand at 80 to 100 psi. Strive for an even blast pattern over the surfaces of the parts. Lightly blast (30-40 psi) non-metal parts such as: wood, fiberglass, plastic or polymer. Hard an- odizing does not need to be removed if it withstands 3-5 seconds of blasting at normal blast pressure (80-100 psi) in one location without coming off the part.
TIP:
• If the part’s surface is still shiny after blasting, you haven’t blasted enough.
• If you use too coarse of grit, the microscopic valleys on the part’s surface will be too deep for the 1.0 mil (.001”) coating to completely fill while covering the correspond- ing “peaks” sufficiently to assure a satisfactory coating.
• Don’t use sand that has been pre- viously used to clean dirty, greasy or oily parts. Doing so will contami- nate your parts.
• When blasting hard anodizing or delicate substrates such as plastics, polymers, wood, fiberglass, be sure to be 8-10” away and lightly etch the part only to remove the sheen and to avoid an over aggressive blast profile.

http://www.cerakoteguncoatings.com/resource/application_and_training/

 

[the count]

Check out Nutnfancy's Duracoat video. It's pretty entertaining.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIUpl4gpW-k&noredirect=1

 

[BCRider]

Given that aluminium is nasty stuff for bonding to most coatings actually starting with a matt finish anodizing would likely be a great primer for a top coat without the need for any sort of sanding or blasting. But if the receivers are a gloss anodizing then it might not be that great.

 

[Horsemany]

Anodizing increases surface hardness and I'd never recommend blasting it off for that reason alone. Hard anodizing has enough tooth to topcoat after a simple degreaser.

 

[Tirod]

In commercial aluminum work - like storefront glass and doors - anodizing IS the primer and prep required for any top coat.

And, I suspect that if you check around, you will find that the uppers and lowers that have ceracoat were done over anodizing. The parts are cheaper to buy mass produced and the finish sticks regardless.

In use, nature has abrasives in most environments that always include elements that are diamond hard. In contact with any finish, they will scratch it down to the base material over time. Ceracoat over 7076 will go straight to bright aluminum, Ceracoat over hard anodizing stops there until it can penetrate the next layer. That gives a more durable finish than Ceracoat alone.

I just use a color matched fast dry auto paint with a matte clear and enjoy the developing patina as it finally wears down to the black. It would take two to three years of Basic Training to get thru that, I don't worry about it and sleep at night undisturbed.

 

[Fishbed77]

anodizing increases surface hardness and i'd never recommend blasting it off for that reason alone.

this. ^^^