finish prep for spray-on finishes

[Bill in KY]

Hello all .. aside from degreasing really well, what steps do you need to go through to prep blued surfaces for the teflon-moly spray-and-bake finishes? Brownells suggests abrasive blasting the part(s) - is that really required?

[John Traveler]

Bill in KY,

Providing a "roughened up" surface makes the sprayed on coat adhere better, but it is not absolutely essential.  That's why Brownells suggests particle blasting in preparing the surface for maximum durability.

I have a 30-year old FN49 military rifle I refinished using Gun-Kote spray and it still looks good.  No chipping or flaking anywhere.  The only surface prep was to remove the old FN ordnance enamel by boiiling in lye solution.

A thorough degreasing opens up the pores of the metal and increases adhesion.  Do that properly and your spray-n-bake finish should hold up just fine.

[DonT]

This brings up a couple of other questions I have had for some time about the bake on finish.

1. with a 24 to 30" rifle barrel then add the length of the action, aren't these too long to go into most ovens?  I would think if you hung it in at an angle the portion closest the burner (gas) or heating element (electric) would get much hotter that the rest of the part.

2. Is there any odor when baking and if so how long does it last after you done and does it linger in the oven for a few more heatings.  This is more a self survival question if the little woman ever found out I was baking "gun parts souffles" in HER oven :wink:
Thanks,,
DonT

[MI VHNTR]

I went with the DuraCoat finish since it does not require baking, although it can be baked if desired. It dries chemically and fully cures in 3-6 weeks time. You can use the firearm in just a few days, if it is needed though. It does have a nasty smell so I spray my firearms in the garage when noone is around. It's been a very durable finish to this point. MI VHNTR