Quote:
Originally Posted by Stan Hillis
I'm glad to hear of your initial trial with the gel. I bought four different colors from them a few months ago to try, but haven't gotten around to it yet. Farming got in the way.
I got the same two you did plus a couple of burnt copper ones, as I recall. Haven't even opened them yet as I'm afraid the shelf life might begin to half-life when i do.
Sure would like to see some pics of the gel results when you get the time.
There is a flat finish (no gloss) clear coat available. I used some on my duck boat a few years ago. Might want to check with Steel F/X to see what they recommend for durability.
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I didn't take any pictures of my test piece. I can do another. The results are as randomly distributed as you want it to be. It looked great until I rattle-can-clear coated it. then it looked like it was underwater. A professional clear coat would go on a lot thinner and likely work.
Steel FX's site confirms what everyone knows (and I easily found out on my test piece)...rattle can clear coat is pretty crap for this job. In my reading, most report good results with an airbrush and a 2 part automotive clear coat. I have good airbrush, but no automative paints on hand.
I am thinking that an even better option is to. use the clear version of Norrell's molyresin
https://www.norrells.com. I have used a couple of their grey/gray-black shades to do some faux govt. ar-15 lowers to match surplus A2 uppers that were in various shades of the original gray/gray-black/greenish-grey anodizing. After spraying on your degreased part, you bake it (I think 300F was the spec? for an hour?). It does require some underlying texture to hold - in my case the lowers were bead blasted before hard-coat anodized (jet black). The residual texture on top of the anodizing was plenty for the Norrells. Just have to degrease really well - (which I use a brownells 909 in a tin pan on a hot plate to do.) Like now, I tried the Norrells on a test piece first as an experiment. only a very thin coat is necessary. With an airbrush and no dilution, I think I measured barely 1-2thous. dimmensional difference before and after. After it cooled down overnight, I hit it every solvent I had in the shop - including some very nasty caustic stripper. Their advertising is truthful. nothing touched it (I think they have a $10,000 prize for anyone who can chemically remove it). I then rubbed in a layer of grease (rig I think), and beat it with a hammer a many times to simulate normal drops, dings and, well, hitting it with a hammer. It scuffed with only the most severe glancing blows, but didn't crack or wear. I've been very happy with the stuff. It's a little expensive, and I don't have any clear on hand.
If my re-checkering job comes out worthy, and my stock repairs fully disappear to where wood out-pretty's my bluing job, I may go back to the gels and and the proper clear coat. Right now, durability is more important to me than looks, and I'm trying hard not to put too much lipstick on this pig.