Special coating/air brushing/metal finishing services

[turok_t]

Originally Posted by doc_pathfinders

ILLusion, even though i knew the materials in your post can i just congratulate you on that short-n-sweet post, anyone looking in the future will get a great answer, even if the OP didn't even aknowledge your carefully worded reply.

Just because I didnt quote or reply to his msg, doesn't mean I dont acknowledge his carefully worded reply. In fact, its because his reply was so "carefully worded" that I dont have any response or comments towards it. Just to let you know, I read his previous replies regarding sanding/oxidation to others' posts, and I always knew the consequences before I sanded, I just wanted to experiment. It was discussed in a thread a while ago.

[doc_pathfinders]

turok_t, chill my friend, I wasn't having a go at you for wanting to have a silver gun.. I know what it's like to write out a long and technically correct answer and to _seem_ ignored.

I'm very glad you read his answer, and sorry for coming aross too harshly.. also didn't want you to do anything that would really kill your gun (word for the wise, using some blueing treatments meant for steel on die-cast aluminium is the kiss of death, been there and done that)

[MikeMcNair]

not too sure if it has been mentioned but i recommend this:

[Slono]

Is that silver? I don't understand the colour that's on the can.

Originally Posted by MikeMcNair

not too sure if it has been mentioned but i recommend this:

[turok_t]

Originally Posted by MikeMcNair

not too sure if it has been mentioned but i recommend this:

I have this already and tried it, trust me, it doesnt look good and it dulls down the mirror finish

[Slono]

If you wanted to have your gun don a satin silver colour, not mirror finish, could that be easily done on non die-cast aluminum...say... 6061 grade? I'm thinking it would be easy because you're only sanding and painting over, and not worrying about it oxidizing.

The gun on the right is a perfect illustration of the finish I'm inquiring about:

BerandKim002.jpg

[Kos-Mos]

That is anodized. Most silver kits are that way already.

[ILLusion]

6061 is easy to get a matte finish. Bead blasting and anodization is the best way to do it.

The process that ILLusion Kinetics uses leaves a slightly brighter finish than your image:



The entire unit is oxidized to a matte finish, and the sides are then honed to give it that shine. It's possible to leave the entire slide in a matte finish if required. See the top portion of the slide as an example of the matte finish possible.


Kevin, let us know how that Duracoat finish works out. I'm interested in knowing how well it holds up.

[Kokanee]

Any autobody shop would be able to sandblast your parts for you.

[dogtoy]

seems like alot of trouble for a shiny slide ,..rather than trying to buff the metal
& somehow seal it , what about the silver ,/aluminum paints they use on model aircraft, Ive seen some of those that really look like metal , I dont know how it would wear , but then again it was painted in the first place right ? so there must be a durable paint process,...due to the type of metal in slides , its just seems like sooo much trouble to strip n shine....
Would it be cheaper just to buy a new gbb with a shiny slide?

[ILLusion]

Originally Posted by dogtoy

Would it be cheaper just to buy a new gbb with a shiny slide?

It probably won't be cheaper, at face value, but if you factor in time and materials spent trying to seal and maintain a polished part... it'll probably work out to be cheaper overall. :P

In any case, it would definitely be easier to just re-buy the part as a silver component!

[turok_t]

Originally Posted by dogtoy

seems like alot of trouble for a shiny slide ,..rather than trying to buff the metal
& somehow seal it , what about the silver ,/aluminum paints they use on model aircraft, Ive seen some of those that really look like metal , I dont know how it would wear , but then again it was painted in the first place right ? so there must be a durable paint process,...due to the type of metal in slides , its just seems like sooo much trouble to strip n shine....
Would it be cheaper just to buy a new gbb with a shiny slide?

Tried using silver/aluminum pain.. I tried testors and Tamiya both aerosol and through airbrush. The paint is very thin despite numerous coatings so it will wear out quickly for sure. Its slightly better with an aerosol. but still not durable enough to handle wear and tear. Usually model aircrafts arent handle as much as we handle our guns so it wouldnt work.

Hey Brian, my kit will be arriving next Tuesday, I will definitely report back to tell you my results.

[Kos-Mos]

There is a paint made by Alclad2.
http://www.alclad2.com/

It is a perfect chrome finish on any smooth surface.

But again, you need to seal it with something. I did chrome a plastic slide with that... it was just amazing. Need to clear-coat it after.

[turok_t]

So i finally finished the frame of my 5.1 with my Gloss Clear Duracoat.. Here's the entire process I did.

First, I sanded it with 600, 1000, 1500, and 2000 grid sandpaper and polished it with aluminum polish until i achieved a mirror finish. Even though a mirror finish isnt what I was aiming for, it is required since a clear coat would slightly dull the color to a chrome finish.





Next, the masking began. I didn't use masking tape because it would leave some sticky residue. Instead I used a rubber type of tape that is perfect for masking.





Prior to airbrushing, I used the Duracoat TruStrip to remove any oil and dirt. Then I began to airbrush. I didnt use the can of propellent, but instead, used my compressor since I was able to adjust the PSI from 10-100psi. I chose 30psi so the paint wouldnt spray thick.




I sprayed each side of the frame ensure that it was allowed to lie flat for curing. I gave it a few hours before I did the other side. After the first coat, you can tell that the paint left a textured surface which I didn't like. Some people might like it, but it didn't really match my slide. You can try to lightly sand the frame, but it left a dull white color which I didn't like. Here are some pics of the textured surface






So instead, I started from scratch again. I resanded the entire slide until it was a mirror finish again. Instead of airbrushing, I got a very soft brush and applied the clear coat instead. To my surprise, the results were much better and didn't leave a textured look. When I applied the paint, I DID NOT stroke the brush on the frame because I didn't want to leave stroke marks. Instead, I dabbed the paint on the frame and allowed the paint to spread. The results are much more desirable. I gave it 1-2 days for each side of the frame to cure before I painted the next side. I also used a lid to cover the painted surface so that dust or lint doesn't land on the paint. The drawback about this method is that after it dries, you can see some small air bubbles, which I had no control over. When you first apply the paint, there are no bubbles, they only appear after. If there were lots of bubbles, i had to redo the entire surface. It all depends on your luck.





Just a note, I DID NOT paint my slide, I only sanded it to give it a nice brush look CNC surface. Next, I cleaned my slide to remove all dirt and grease from the crevices and engravings using a toothbrush and some Q-tips..




Finally, here is how the frame looks with the slide. You can see there are some black stuff at the corners of the frame, it was because I wasn't able to reach in to those small areas and sand it. However, most of the corners wont be visible since the grip will be covering over it. Here are some pics with the hand controls











I've tried many paints, from Krylon, to testors to Tamiya paint, and the Duracoat is the best compared to the 3. The paint is VERY sticky and it leaves a very tough hard surface. Sometimes sanding wont even remove the paint, you would have to use a flat head screw driver to peel it off. I had to paint and restrip several times to learn the properties of the paint, its curing time, and find the best method of application. It took alot of experimentation and time, but it was worth it. I still have 1/2 a bottle left which is more than enough for a few more frames (depending on how many coats you put). Overall, the paint is good, but it is not perfect. Obviously, the frame looks much better if its just sanded without the coat, but then it will oxidize. By applying this paint, hopefully, it will not oxidize, but you might see a few air bubbles here and there depending on your luck and the type of brush you use. So its a compromise that you need to make. This is my take based on my experience with this paint. The key when using this paint is PATIENCE and PREPARATION. If you dont have them, you will surely mess up, and your results will be undesirable.

I will post up some more pics when my gun is done, which should be shortly..

[StrikeFreedom]

Good job mate. Looking forward to the final product.