VHT Ceramic header paint on firearms.

[LoonWulf]

Last week I was buying some autoparts, and I needed a high temp paint to cover the welds on my exhaust (last hunting trip I literally broke every exhaust hanger). I grabbed these and noticed they had spray and bake instructions for use off vehicle.
My Browning buckmark has needed a make over for the last 20years, so it got to be the first test subject.

I did no surface prep besides removing all the old spray paint that was on it and degreasing. I didn't even rough up the surface any.

I did the barrel late last week, following the instructions on the cans for both primer and paint.
The only deviation I made was to bake the second time at 350 for a half hour, twice. I'm not sure where temper can be damaged so I didn't go up to the 600 degrees they recommend. If anyone knows how high is safe I'll run it up to that temp.

I didn't get around to taking apart the pistol (it still had my 10" barrel on it) till today so the slide didn't get done till this afternoon. In the meantime the barrel has been banging around my bench while I worked on other projects, and I knocked it off when I was taking down the TV. No damage to the finish, but the edge where it hit the concrete got a slight dent.
This suggest to me that it's not completely hardened, that or it's softer than the other "ceramic" coatings I've used.
I did take the back edge of a case (it's what was handy lol) to the flat of the barrel to see if I could scratch it. I'm sure I could of course, but I applied more pressure than it takes to scratch thru spray paint, and the poorly applied cerakote on my muzzleloader, and it disrupted the matte finish but didn't scratch thru.

I did the slide this afternoon using a much lighter pair of coats, rather than the 3 the cans suggested. Same heat curing procedure. I reassembled the pistol after it cooled.

Well see how the whole thing holds up, I'm gonna toss it in the bucket with my muzzleloader stuff and take it with me when I go to the range next.

Oh I soaked the barrel in CLP when I finished it last week, which will melt spray paint no problem, and there appears to have been no effect. I soaked the whole gun tonight. I'll try some cleaning chemicals later this week.

So far it's a nice option for me, getting cerakote or any of the other "good" gun coating products out here is really expensive. I'm going to try a different color on my new savage build if this works out.

 

[troy fairweather]

Last week I was buying some autoparts, and I needed a high temp paint to cover the welds on my exhaust (last hunting trip I literally broke every exhaust hanger). I grabbed these and noticed they had spray and bake instructions for use off vehicle.
My Browning buckmark has needed a make over for the last 20years, so it got to be the first test subject.

I did no surface prep besides removing all the old spray paint that was on it and degreasing. I didn't even rough up the surface any.

I did the barrel late last week, following the instructions on the cans for both primer and paint.
The only diviation I made was to bake the second time at 350 for a half hour, twice. I'm not sure where temper can be damaged so I didn't go up to the 600 degrees they recommend. If anyone knows how high is safe I'll run it up to that temp.

I didn't get around to taking apart the pistol (it still had my 10" barrel on it) till today so the slide didn't get done till this afternoon. In the meantime the barrel has been banging around my bench while I worked on other projects, and I knocked it off when I was taking down the TV. No damage to the finish, but the edge where it hit the concrete got a slight dent.
This suggest to me that it's not completely hardend, that or it's softer than the other "ceramic" coatings I've used.
I did take the back edge of a case (it's what was handy lol) to the flat of the barrel to see if I could scratch it. I'm sure I could of course, but I applied more pressure than it takes to scratch thru spray paint, and the poorly applied cerakote on my muzzleloader, and it disrupted the matte finish but didn't scratch thru.

I did the slide this afternoon using a much lighter pair of coats, rather than the 3 the cans suggested. Same heat curing procedure. I reassembled the pistol after it cooled.
.
Well see how the whole thing holds up, I'm gonna toss it in the bucket with my muzzleloader stuff and take it with me when I go to the range next.

Oh I soaked the barrel in CLP when I finished it last week, which will melt spray paint no problem, and there appears to have been no effect. I soaked the whole gun tonight. I'll try some cleaning chemicals later this week.

So far it's a nice option for me, getting cerakote or any of the other "good" gun coating products out here is really expensive. I'm going to try a different color on my new savage build if this works out.

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looks good. id stay under 400 to stay safe different colors will be cool i have seen ford racing blue and hemi orange. i would try a test peace and use a torch real quick to see if it gets any harder them whats on the 22. im thinking of powder coating the floor plate on my ruger 77 the last owner must have propped it up on his tree stand railing or something scratches on it. and now today the safety rod just broke maybe ruger will replace it. remember with these kind of coating most time they fail from the coating being exposed its a good idea to brake all the sharp edges to prevent it from pealing.

 

[LoonWulf]

looks good. id stay under 400 to stay safe different colors will be cool i have seen ford racing blue and hemi orange. i would try a test peace and use a torch real quick to see if it gets any harder them whats on the 22. im thinking of powder coating the floor plate on my ruger 77 the last owner must have propped it up on his tree stand railing or something scratches on it. and now today the safety rod just broke maybe ruger will replace it. remember with these kind of coating most time they fail from the coating being exposed its a good idea to brake all the sharp edges to prevent it from pealing.

Good points there, I can do a test piece and take it all the way to 600 and see what that does. I also hadn't though to break sharp edges, that's another really good idea.

I've been a fan of spray painting, pretty much everything, for a long time. I don't expect any finish to last forever out here, so it's nice to have an option to redo it or replace it cheaply and easily.
My major complaints about the gun related finishes, is that they cost a pile to replace every few years. My muzzleloader, which was cerkoted rusted within a couple months of it's first shot. That was probably due inpart to a poorly done prep job, part to the climate, and part to being used with black powder. Still tho I've seen every type of finish fail in a matter of years.

 

[troy fairweather]

Good points there, I can do a test piece and take it all the way to 600 and see what that does. I also hadn't though to break sharp edges, that's another really good idea.

I've been a fan of spray painting, pretty much everything, for a long time. I don't expect any finish to last forever out here, so it's nice to have an option to redo it or replace it cheaply and easily.

some guys dont likr it when guns are painted but if the finish is crap i dont mind. its hard to get a real good blue job anymore for cheap. this winter i think im going to make a rust bluing cabinet and a steam chamber to convert the rust to blue oxide. maybe make a buck or two doing some stuff. im thing one day to powder coat ether one of my old painted marlins with od green or some color close.

 

[LoonWulf]

Yeah, I do small scale hot salt "bluing" but I don't have burners large enough to heat my rifle size tank anymore. It's black not blue anyway lol.

I tried doing rust bluing, but I could never get the knack of getting an even coating. Gave that up for the hot salts...I need to do another batch of reloading dies....

I had a few paintball guns powder coated, cost for good work there has gone up of late also. I remember having one gun done two tone for 60 bucks, same work now would be well over 100.

 

[troy fairweather]

a kid i went to school with does pc for his business. i fixed a gun for him for nothing maybe he can hook me up. i have use of some bluing tanks. i need to look up the cost of some salts dont think u can get the god stuff anymore here in ny. he has some extra parts and burners maybe i can get one for you ill ask him next time im over there.

 

[LoonWulf]

a kid i went to school with does pc for his business. i fixed a gun for him for nothing maybe he can hook me up. i have use of some bluing tanks. i need to look up the cost of some salts dont think u can get the god stuff anymore here in ny. he has some extra parts and burners maybe i can get one for you ill ask him next time im over there.

Might as well hit him up, nothing wrong with asking lol.
yeah im just using ag grade KNO3, since its cheap. With good prep work it produces a nice black finish, but nothing like top quality commercial bluing. From what ive been told Brownells solution is good, and supposedly lasts a while.
I played around with using some of the other formulations i found on the nterwebs, but the KNO3 does what I need it to with less eyeballing. I got heckled a bit when i ordered a 25kilo bag of NaOH, told the counter guys i was making candles, and bluing guns, that got some odd looks.

No worries on the burner, I dont have a space (or even a real reason) to set my tank up again right now.

 

[boom boom]

Like the color that came out, is the finish rough or smooth to the touch. It looks a bit like gray parkerizing but not sure if the surface is that rough.

 

[LoonWulf]

Like the color that came out, is the finish rough or smooth to the touch. It looks a bit like gray parkerizing but not sure if the surface is that rough.

Its not as rough as the parkerizing I've seen, it's also shinier. It looks alot like the shiny bead blasted stainless some companies do.

Actually the slide with it's two coats done from farther away is pretty close to the texture of park. You could probably duplicate the color by using the flat gray instead of the "aluminum" I'm using. The primer actually looks a lot like the dark gray/green parkerizing my dad had on his 06.

 

[boom boom]

Thanks for sharing your technique and pix. I am also interested in the primer as something that resembles parkerizing can be useful to have in the toolkit.

 

[LoonWulf]

Thanks for sharing your technique and pix. I am also interested in the primer as something that resembles parkerizing can be useful to have in the toolkit.

I'll get some pictures of just the primer later today.
I'm probably gonna go see what other colors they have to try. Might try the engine paint to, there is a shiny one I think may be part of an upcoming project if it will hold up well enough.

 

[troy fairweather]

I'll get some pictures of just the primer later today.
I'm probably gonna go see what other colors they have to try. Might try the engine paint to, there is a shiny one I think may be part of an upcoming project if it will hold up well enough.

i did some nice paint obs with the BBQ paint it is rated for higher heat then most heater paint. i comes out like the wwll grands finish. rustolium has a copper bronze color id like to try be like the browning hells canyon.

 

[LoonWulf]

I haven't used BBQ paint in a while, I didn't know it came in any colors besides gloss black lol.
That sounds like the color I was looking at, in the autoparts store. I'm trying to figgured out what color to paint the stock to make the scheme work. I'm not good enough at doing camo to duplicate the pattern on the HC Xbolt.

Might just do a desert storm colored spray and pray.

 

[troy fairweather]

id like to do my a bolt like the hc for some reason i really like its looks. its about 11 bucks a can

 

[LoonWulf]

I really like the HC too. I think the camo stock really makes the look.

 

[troy fairweather]

ya they look awesome. i think they use the bronze cerocoat. looks like they now have in in some different options from browning. i like the xbolt dont know to much about i like the button for the bolt lock and love the 4 screw bases real nice idea. if i was on the market for a new browning it will be the hc

 

[LoonWulf]

Like the color that came out, is the finish rough or smooth to the touch. It looks a bit like gray parkerizing but not sure if the surface is that rough.

I forgot to post this earlier, here's what the primer looks like.

In the light it's a lighter gray than I thought. Might be close to what your looking for boom boom.

If you spray from 12-15" or so it also produces a rougher finish, didn't seem to loose any durability tho. I'm willing to bet the VHT flat gray paint is about the same color as well.

 

[boom boom]

Thanks LoonWulf, it appears pretty close to the gray parkerizing color (before it was soaked in cosmolene that is). Might work well with a clearcoat over it as protectant on small parts.

I am kinda thinking about building some dummy display WWII firearms like Sten guns, etc. with a dummy receiver and parts kits in the future that would not be subject to rough handling. Don't really need to go through the rabbit hole of making any SMG's that work. I hate the idea of spray and pray and would be wincing with every mag dump thinking about the cost.

 

[MachIVshooter]

I like the finish the VHT produces, and it's definitely temperature resistant, but not at all durable. I tried it on some cans. Scratches easily, and harsh chemicals like brake cleaner remove it as easily as acrylic paints.

For painting guns with rattle can, I think you're better off with high temp engine paint. It won't handle suppressor temps, but the rest of the gun will never reach 500°F, and it's definitely a tougher enamel with better chemical resistance.

 

[shoobe01]

I'd do more prep as I'd expect it to come off over time otherwise regardless of paint.

I have totally used appliance epoxy in the long long ago. Too shiny for my tastes but DAMNED strong finish. If I could figure out a way to dull evenly without damage (I tried) it would be my go to. Hadn't thought of some of these other paints, so may have to try as it looks good and makes sense. Hmmm...

And, a friend has a powder coating operation. Been thinking of using that sometime. But the electrode needs get odd and small parts will be semi-impossible.

 

[troy fairweather]

I'd do more prep as I'd expect it to come off over time otherwise regardless of paint.

I have totally used appliance epoxy in the long long ago. Too shiny for my tastes but DAMNED strong finish. If I could figure out a way to dull evenly without damage (I tried) it would be my go to. Hadn't thought of some of these other paints, so may have to try as it looks good and makes sense. Hmmm...

And, a friend has a powder coating operation. Been thinking of using that sometime. But the electrode needs get odd and small parts will be semi-impossible.

They have flat clear coat think u can get it in a paint can now

 

[LoonWulf]

I like the finish the VHT produces, and it's definitely temperature resistant, but not at all durable. I tried it on some cans. Scratches easily, and harsh chemicals like brake cleaner remove it as easily as acrylic paints.

For painting guns with rattle can, I think you're better off with high temp engine paint. It won't handle suppressor temps, but the rest of the gun will never reach 500°F, and it's definitely a tougher enamel with better chemical resistance.

I haven't beaten on either of my recent projects enough to have seen the durability issue, good to know. The chemical resistance isn't super important to me for regular stuff. I rarely blast my guns with brake cleaner, or other stuff like that, AFTER they have been coated unless I'm trying to get if off lol. CLP and foaming bore cleaner are about the worst of it, and it handles those fine so far.
Im not concerned with temperature stability in this particular application, tho I bought it for my exhaust where I was. So I'll try the engine enamel next. Eventually I'll actually cough up the cash to order enough cerakote, to make the 100 dollar shipping worthwhile.

I'd do more prep as I'd expect it to come off over time otherwise regardless of paint.

I have totally used appliance epoxy in the long long ago. Too shiny for my tastes but DAMNED strong finish. If I could figure out a way to dull evenly without damage (I tried) it would be my go to. Hadn't thought of some of these other paints, so may have to try as it looks good and makes sense. Hmmm...

And, a friend has a powder coating operation. Been thinking of using that sometime. But the electrode needs get odd and small parts will be semi-impossible.

I usually media blast parts to be coated or blued, but I wanted to see if this stuff would work on a unprepared surface (which would be awsome!).

The powder coating guy I used here managed to do a pretty good job on some surprisingly small parts, but the thickness of the powder coat was a bit much for the little internal parts. I ended up stripping those all down again.

The epoxy paint is one thing I've used quite a bit of in work related stuff, but not on my own projects. Your right that stuff is really bloody tough. There are a few different formulations from what I understand, and some do produce a less glossy finish. Tho again I'm no expert.
Actually I just looked and VHT list some satin epoxy paints....gonna have to see if anyone carries those here.