Duracoat surface preparation

[BSA1]

I have a CZ82 in typical condition. On one side of the slide the finish has rubbed done to bare metal so I would like to refinish it. My questions are;

1. What is the best way to prep the surface? Some of the instructions state to use 600 sandpaper. Does that mean using it wet?

2. How far do I sand? Do I sand the entire side down to bare metal? On the rest of gun that has factory finish left is just roughing the surface a little good enough?

3. How far do I need to detail strip the gun? The gun is more complex than I want to tackle.

I did a search but couldn't find the answers.

 

[N.Schafer]

The best surface is fresh parkerizing. The second best would be sand blasted. Roughing it up with sand paper can work if that's all you have.

Disassemble as far as possible. Remove all the old finish and any pits or scratches. Sand blast or rough up. Clean with a degreaser a few times. Warm the parts up. Spray and let cure.

 

[MtnCreek]

Duracoat told me the best prep is media blasting w/ aluminum oxide followed by brake parts cleaner. I asked them about parking and they said that would improve durability of the finish. Parking prep is the same.

Edit: I said durability, but if I remember correctly, I think Duracoat used the word ‘adhesion’ or some other word; basically it will stick better

 

[dagger dog]

You can buy a cheap siphon gun type sandblaster fron Campbell Hausfeild for under 20 bucks, a bag of play sand from the local hardware store.

You can mask the roll markings and inside the slide to keep the bearing surfaces smooth.
Make sure to keep the DuraCoat off areas that are dimensionally critical, slide rails, barrel bushings, etc.

Thin as per the instructions and use multiple thin coats, especially if you are using the disposable aerosol sprayers, a cheap Harbor Freight air brush is worth the extra $$ if you plan on doing more than 1 firearm.

 

[Twmaster]

As with any finishing operation surface prep is paramount. What Lauer recommends for the best results is to media blast the parts with aluminum oxide and then parkerize steel parts. Wash all oils off with solvent like brake parts cleaner.

It is important that all old blueing be removed. All rust be removed, pits sanded smooth etc if you want a nice finish.

Do not touch the areas to be Duracoated prior to application of the finish. Follow the instructions on the packaging for application.

As for stripping... Yup you need the gun completely apart. The grit from any sanding/blasting will get into every nook and corner.

I've seen a lot of half-assed DC jobs. Few well done.

 

[Legion489]

Well Duracoat is just paint, the same brand you buy at the paint store (I'd have to look the brand up as I can't think of the brand off hand, it's common here) so prep is the same as any painted surface.

 

[BSA1]

Judging from the reponses it sounds like Duracoat is not a d-i-y project.

 

[Ken70]

It's DIY if you're tooled up. Air compressor, blast cabinet, spray gun, etc. Somebody living in an apartment, probably not.