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Refinishing alloys?

Grayfox

Grayfox

Professional
I recently bought a Hy Hunter Frontier Six Shooter (actually made by J.P. Sauer and Sons) in .22 LR caliber. These were imported in the 1960s. I paid $30 for it.
Its actually a decent gun and shoots pretty well. However, the finish is badly worn and the poor thing looks like poop.
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I want to refinish it. Unfortunately most of it is made from some sort of what I believe to be aluminum alloy.
The cylinder, hammer and internals are steel. That I can deal with. The barrel is a steel sleeve with an alloy shroud.
I tried touching it up a bit with Birchwood Casey Aluminum Black. Results were less than good. It comes out spotty and uneven.
Understand that I don't want to spend much money on this gun and I would rather do it myself. So any commercial refinish is out of the question.
Any suggestions?
 
I had an old shotgun barrel I wanted to refinish CHEAP. I bought a can of some kind of BBQ Grille paint, semigloss black. It went on great, looked great, and has held up for over 20 years now. Automotive engine paint or exhaust manifold paint might do as good a job. Sure worth a try for a project of this kind. ;)
 
Scevaph said:
Likely Zamak which is a zinc, Copper, Magnesium and Aluminum. Paint / cerakote if your best option.
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Yah, sounds like that could very well be it. I'd wipe it down with lacquer thinner or rubbing alcohol to degrease it, scuff the surface up with fine ScotchBrite pads, degrease it again, and spray it.

Cerrakote sounds okay but I don't know anything about it. Last time I checked it out (which was when it first appeared, what, in the '90s?) it was fairly expensive and had to be applied with an airbrush or similar, and I think it had to be baked to cure. Is it available in rattlecans now? At reasonable price? Available locally? Does it air-cure at room temperature? Grill or engine paints should be available locally at a very reasonable cost, and don't have to be baked. ;)
 
Grayfox said:
I considered that, but it would cost more than the gun is worth.
I might look into the paint idea.
I hadn't considered it might be Zamak. I'm not sure if they were using that 60 years ago. But its definitely a consideration.
Still seeking alternatives. :rolleyes:
I think I'll give Brownell's a hollar tomorrow and see what they recommend.
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I can't speak to the gun industry but they were using Zamak for guitar and bass bridges and other parts 60 years ago. And Gillette was using it for safety razors a hell of a lot longer than 60 years ago. Speaking of which, a very durable finish for Zamak is brass plating.
 
Plating would get expensive. A good cheap answer would be BBQ Grill paint as it or another hi temp paint would hold up pretty well. Flat Black would be a good choice and a spray can would not cost much.
 
Duracoat is a cheaper and easier although not as durable option to cerakote. I duracoated a black synthetic butt stock that had faded to a grayish white and it has held up great for years now. It’s basically just a super tough spray paint.
 
Scevaph said:
Plating would get expensive. A good cheap answer would be BBQ Grill paint as it or another hi temp paint would hold up pretty well. Flat Black would be a good choice and a spray can would not cost much.
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835mag said:
Duracoat is a cheaper and easier although not as durable option to cerakote. I duracoated a black synthetic butt stock that had faded to a grayish white and it has held up great for years now. It’s basically just a super tough spray paint.
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Both of these are probably correct.

I would add that brass plating, if you are doing it yourself, isn't all that expensive. Assuming of course someone actually wanted a brass plated gun.
 
Get the Cerakote H series - DYI oven bake stuff
Not expensive
Lots of color choices
Cerakote link has the colors- scroll down to the H series.
The ebay link actually has a drip down box for the colors

$36-$45 on Amazon or Ebay for 4oz bottle

Cerakote Coatings & Cerakote Swatch Samples | Shop All Products

See our complete collection of Cerakote Coating products. Shop by product series, unique coating attributes or application types.
www.cerakote.com www.cerakote.com


www.ebay.com

CERAKOTE® OVEN CURE - H-Series Performance Coatings -Part B Included | eBay

CERAKOTE® Performance Coatings - Series, Cure, Size
www.ebay.com
 
Scevaph said:
Plating would get expensive. A good cheap answer would be BBQ Grill paint as it or another hi temp paint would hold up pretty well. Flat Black would be a good choice and a spray can would not cost much.
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Agree on every point except the flat black. Flat black will show scuffs and scratches almost immediately. Much better would be a semigloss black, if you can find it. That's what the stuff I used was. ;)
 
KillerFord1977 said:
Get the Cerakote H series - DYI oven bake stuff
Not expensive
Lots of color choices
Cerakote link has the colors- scroll down to the H series.
The ebay link actually has a drip down box for the colors

$36-$45 on Amazon or Ebay for 4oz bottle

Cerakote Coatings & Cerakote Swatch Samples | Shop All Products

See our complete collection of Cerakote Coating products. Shop by product series, unique coating attributes or application types.
www.cerakote.com www.cerakote.com


www.ebay.com

CERAKOTE® OVEN CURE - H-Series Performance Coatings -Part B Included | eBay

CERAKOTE® Performance Coatings - Series, Cure, Size
www.ebay.com
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Now, see, that's a LOT of money to me--but then again, I'm so old I remember when a bottle of Testor PLA enamel was ten cents. :eek:

And it still requires an airbrush to apply. And still needs to be baked, right?

This is more what I'm talkin' about. No, it's not as durable as Cerakote, but it DOES last a good long time (mine's been on my shotgun barrel for over 20 years with no issues of any kind), doesn't require baking, and is hella more cost-effective for less-than-heirloom-quality guns. ;)

 
Thanks for the advice. After some more research, I believe I'll be going with Brownell's Aluma-Hyde II. Basically, just spray paint, but formulated for gun use and will stand up to cleaning solvents and such. Not very expensive and no bake.
BTW: For those who don't know, Brownell's does give C&R license holders a discount. ;)
 
Grayfox said:
Thanks for the advice. After some more research, I believe I'll be going with Brownell's Aluma-Hyde II. Basically, just spray paint, but formulated for gun use and will stand up to cleaning solvents and such. Not very expensive and no bake.
BTW: For those who don't know, Brownell's does give C&R license holders a discount. ;)
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Looks like a good choice. Price not horrible, comes in rattlecan (no airbrush), very durable (solvent-resistant), variety of colors available, air-dries, though it says it takes a week to fully cure. Post a pic of your finished project, and let us know how it worked for you! (y) ;)
 
Snake45 said:
Post a pic of your finished project, and let us know how it worked for you!
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I will. But it may be a while. Done messed around too late in the year and cold weather is moving in. Need it to be warm and well ventilated (outdoors) to paint. I sure ain't gonna spray this stuff in the house. :rolleyes:
 
Aluminum and aluminum alloys can be tricky. They generally require descaling and passivation. Descaling is the removal of any existing coatings. The trick is to find the correct solvents. The use of abrasives is not recommended. Always test on a small, out of the way, area first. Once the descaling is complete the passivation is relatively easy. Simply apply vinegar to the exposed descaled areas, allow it to sit for several minutes, then rinse well with deionized water and allow to air dry. Once dry to not touch the areas you want to paint/coat. I recommend securing some small aluminum test pieces and paint/coat them first. Good luck.
 
LarryT said:
Aluminum and aluminum alloys can be tricky. They generally require descaling and passivation. Descaling is the removal of any existing coatings. The trick is to find the correct solvents. The use of abrasives is not recommended. Always test on a small, out of the way, area first. Once the descaling is complete the passivation is relatively easy. Simply apply vinegar to the exposed descaled areas, allow it to sit for several minutes, then rinse well with deionized water and allow to air dry. Once dry to not touch the areas you want to paint/coat. I recommend securing some small aluminum test pieces and paint/coat them first. Good luck.
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Also, you don't want to use anything with sodium hydroxide (lye/caustic soda) in it on aluminum. The rotten-egg smell will let you know that your part is being destroyed. Don't ask me how I know this! :LOL:
 
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