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duracoat hvlp suggestions

I had some scope rings and small parts painted with duracoat. Unfortunately I had chosen the wrong color. Now my parts need to be repainted and I'm going to do it my self. So I need suggestions on what to look for in choosing and airbrush. I'm not looking g to brake the bank but plan to do other parts in the future. So not junk and not top of the line. Also can I spray over duracoat with more duracoat. Thanks
 
I used an inexpensive airbrush and mine turned out fine. Find a big cardboard box to practice in a bit and to adjust your brush before you shoot the metal...that being said, I have a lot of experience painting with spray guns.

Surface prep is everything...if you want a good adhesion of the paint, you need to scuff the surface to a dull finish if you really want it to stick. If you have the option, a bead blast finish would be best. Be sure to wipe with the right solvent before you shoot to remove any oil you may have transferred from your hands.

If you decide to do it yourself, be sure to have good ventalation and a respirator...Duracoat is not good for you to inhale...


MQ1
 
What model and brand of air brush do you use..if you have access to that info..also I have no way to bead blast..will steel wool work..it sucks because the guy that did it had such a nice finish on my parts..it is a mat finish does it still need scuffed up?
 
For your purpose an inexpensive plastic hobby air brush that utilizes canned propellant should work fine. Your local Wal-Mart would get you a nice one W/O paying Hobby store prices. Yes, you can spray over a previous finish. Just use common sense to free surface of contaminants and oils. I use a particle mask when spraying. Buy enough Duracoat to allow for practice before spraying actual piece as per MQ1. Buy two cans of propellant to get started.
 
Bobcat,

To be frank, I don't know the brand of the airbrush...I borrowed it from a friend. If I recall correctly, I could have bought a similar one for about $60.

MQ1
 
If you think you might have a lifetime of this hobby ahead of you, and you live in a house and have the space for equipment, you might consider biting the bullet and just buy a full size 20-25 gallon upright compressor from Sears or Home Depot and be done with it for the next 20 years! You can buy them with wheels and neatly prop them up against your garage wall. Once you have a full resevoir of air to work with, you will be amazed how many uses in this hobby you can find with it.

I have never used those small air brushes with flimsy black or blue vinal hoses that look like they will kink and coil, and pull out of their fittings. Vinal hoses and disposable air cans look like a lot of aggravation to me. This is an example of what I'd never want to jack with;
http://www.harborfreight.com/airbrush-kit-47791.html

I'm using a Badger air brush with a 10' flexable cloth/nylon coverd hose that has lasted me 15 years already and is still going strong. This is the sought of better hose I'm referring to; http://www.harborfreight.com/10-ft-braided-nylon-airbrush-hose-69578.html

If you buy a decent quality airbrush, a real hose will come with it.

I just finished completing a custom stock with this $13.00 spray gun. It also has the nozzle size that Duracoat recommends.

http://www.harborfreight.com/adjustable-detail-spray-gun-92126.html

If you buy this $33 spray gun, between the two spray guns you can paint just about any hobby project and be able to swap out the same pressure regulator on both guns. I used this gun to apply fleck/spider webbing to my rifle stock
http://www.harborfreight.com/20-oz-high-volume-low-pressure-gravity-feed-spray-gun-69705.html

Last but not least, buy yourself a sand blaster gun on Ebay for under $20 and plug it into your new compressor. I have used this gun to put beautiful satin finishes on barrels, trigger guards, etc. You can also use it to strip off Duracoat, bluing, and rust verey easily.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Portable-Air-Sand-Blaster-Blast-Gun-Sandblasting-Hand-Tools-Sand-Blast-1-0L-Cup-/111284048880?pt=Sanders_Sandblasters&hash=item19e90bd3f0

BTW, If you plan on just repainting the rings and never doing another project again, then just disregard this post.

;D
 
That was just want I wanted to know..and im a finish carpenter so I have a couple emglo air compressor.. Painting is no problem for those babies. Specifically what type of air brush..I want something good for around 80-100$ ..I have plenty of duracoat projects..
 
A particle (dust) mask is totally inadequate for spraying Duracoat. You may as well use nothing. Buy a respirator with the correct filters! They can be had for $35-50 at Home depot or Lowes. DC is a 2-part epoxy paint, and a dust mask will NOT stop it from coating your lungs.
 
Totally agree that you need a proper respirator. You can use an air brush but I can tell you that I went to a mini gravity feed gun from Harbor Freight that works 10x better than an airbrush. If you really want an airbrush I'll sell you one cheap. This set up works equally well with creracote. Cheap mini gun but works great.
 

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