Protective Finish over engraving/colorfill?? Best Options???

fzaffuto55

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May 31, 2017
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Ok so I need some advice here goes...I am looking for the best solution in terms of a clear coat to spray over my engravings. Some of my engravings are color filled and I am trying to see what the best clear coat is I can apply over it. Some options I can think of is duracoat clear, cerakote clear and Gun Kote clear. I read some mixed reviews on all them just wondering if anyone has any experience with any of these? Thanks
 

jerrywh

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I did a lot of experiments lately for this exact problem. I researched every product i could find on the internet and consulted a lot of the top engravers . i also asked on this forum but nobody had a solution for my particular problem. Therefor I started buying different products and trying them out. I wanted a clear matte finish that would not wash off with any type of solvent and would stand up to some fair amount of abrasion because I intended to brown over it and use a carding brush. In consulting the guys on the Gun broker forum I found a modern gun finish that was perfect. It is Cerakote. They have the stuff and it works great. You can follow the instructions and buy a sample amount. They have many different finishes. I put Cerakote over an inked fine line engraving it looks great and it stays on. I can't recommend it enough. The company is very customer friendly.

https://www.cerakoteguncoatings.com..._term=cerakote gun coatings&utm_content=Brand
 
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fzaffuto55

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thank you so much for your response this is a huge help for me, I was zeroing in on the cerakote clear due to there great reputation. as far as surface prep goes does it have to be blasted before applying it? example if I have a stainless 1911 slide and I engrave it and do some colorfill/gold inlay can I spray the cerakote clear right over without any kind of abrasive blasting?
 

jerrywh

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Cerakote does not have to be blasted. That is one big advantage for using it. There is no way you can sand blast a fine engraving and preserve it. The metal must be cleaned with a special cleaner previous to the application. Cerakote has all the ingredients and complete instructions on their website. Don't substitute use their stuff. It works great. It must cure for four days after application.
 

dlilazteca

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Laredo, Texas
Jerry,

Was on a mission notnto long ago and he found what works for him, i was on a similar mission and i used GunKote it has worked great for me thus far, gunkote has several clears to choose from, just call them up there also very helpful, tour next endeavor will be what type of gun to use, they all dont spray the same, aramatozation, is that a word? Haha dont remember but there is a difference, like with anyother thing, do your homework, if you decide to go with a airbrush like i did, buy a good one with a trigger as if you were shooting a gun, more control vs the conventional ones, but of course i only work on small items. Hopenthis helps

Sent from my SM-N920T using Tapatalk
 

gail.m

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jerrywh, which Ceracoat product did you use in order to preserve the inking on your engraving. From a quick glimpse at their website there are several clear coats. Also which solvent did you use to prep your inked work?
Thanks, Gail
 

jerrywh

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jerrywh, which Ceracoat product did you use in order to preserve the inking on your engraving. From a quick glimpse at their website there are several clear coats. Also which solvent did you use to prep your inked work?
Thanks, Gail
Gail.
This may be important to your application. For inking the engraving I use Etchers ink and I let it dry for about 8 or ten days. It dries slow. then I washed the section with acetone and then denatured alcohol, They did not take off the etchers ink. If it does the ink isn't dry enough. The according to the application guide on the Ceakote site I flushed it with Tert Butyl Acetate cleaning prep. They have it available. I did not need the Oven cure on what I do . I don't know your situation. Probably not just for engraving. It is not a cheap deal for a small engraving but it pays well for
me. you can't get less than a gallon of the tert-butyl-acetate. The T.B.A. is rather nasty but apparently not very toxic or dangerous. The Safety sheet is available. I used 161 matte ceramic clear 1 wet coat. Air dry for 4 days. Nothing I could find would wash it off including paint remover and ethyl methyl ketone. Some of the other products wiped off with my finger.
 

Dan W

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Yuma, Arizona
I asked a good friend of mine who is a jeweler that maintains all of the local sheriffs badges. A very tough environment. He recommended automotive clear coat from any of the standard auto parts stores. He said that it works great and it's real challenge to remove when it comes time to work on a badge. I have used that type of clear coat for a while now, no complaints.
Dan
 

jerrywh

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I asked a good friend of mine who is a jeweler that maintains all of the local sheriffs badges. A very tough environment. He recommended automotive clear coat from any of the standard auto parts stores. He said that it works great and it's real challenge to remove when it comes time to work on a badge. I have used that type of clear coat for a while now, no complaints.
Dan
Dan. I painted cars for about 20 years I had a body shop and full repair. The stuff now is polyurethane two part. It has a catalyst. At least that is what they were using when I quit. There were several different kinds a that time. One was for aircraft. That was the tough one. The only problem was you couldn't buy less than a gallon and it cost way almst $200.00 for the ingredients. What are the details on the stuff you use??
 

gail.m

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jerrywh, thanks for your reply. It looks like interesting stuff.
It would have taken quite a bit of time to figure out the options without you sharing.
Much appreciated, Gail
 

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