Fieldcraft FDE Cerakote surprise

[saryan]

I ordered some FDE Cerakote. Painted my rifle and it looked fine. The next day I put the parts in the oven and they came out much darker than they went in. I am not really new to Cerakote and have painted a lot with duracoat. This is my first time with this color. The exact color is H265K. It doesn't look bad its just not what I was expecting. I really don't want to re do it but eventually might as I tend to do that. Any suggestions as to what might have happened?

Finish was blasted on the Larue mount but not the other parts. They were black anodized.
Mix ratio was 24:1

And yes, my barrel is not in there. I have a 12.5" Noveske planned for this as soon as I get the nod from the ATF.

After Baking

 

[Chiller]

Re: FDE Cerakote suprise

like how close that is to the RAZOR in color.

 

[saryan]

Re: FDE Cerakote suprise

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Chiller</div><div class="ubbcode-body">like how close that is to the RAZOR in color. </div></div>
In person its slightly lighter. Kinda odd but it will do. I have a glock slide I am about to re do and I am curious how it will turn out.

 

[teknikallysekure]

Re: FDE Cerakote suprise

I can see how confusing that would be, but from the pictures here it looks awesome man.

 

[Sumpter Steve]

Re: FDE Cerakote suprise

Thanks for the info. I got an OBR inbound that I've been thinking of coating in FDE but now I may reconsider.

 

[teknikallysekure]

Re: FDE Cerakote suprise

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Sumpter Steve</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Thanks for the info. I got an OBR inbound that I've been thinking of coating in FDE but now I may reconsider. </div></div>

Hey man if you need help evaluating that thing you just let me know

 

[ARP]

Re: FDE Cerakote suprise

did you leave blue tape on the parts when you cooked it and at what temp did you cook it and for how long and why did you wait overnight to begin the baking process

 

[rwest309]

Re: FDE Cerakote suprise

I would count that as a very pleasant surprise. I love how it turned out. Looks fantastic dark like that.

Damn nice. I wish my Noveske FDE Recce was dark like that.

I wouldnt change a thing.

 

[Chiller]

Re: FDE Cerakote suprise

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Steve_Aryan</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Chiller</div><div class="ubbcode-body">like how close that is to the RAZOR in color. </div></div>
In person its slightly lighter. Kinda odd but it will do. I have a glock slide I am about to re do and I am curious how it will turn out. </div></div>

Would love to hear the final results.

 

[Chiller]

Re: FDE Cerakote suprise

have several items I would like in "that color"

 

[rwest309]

Re: FDE Cerakote suprise

looks a whole lot like their desert bronze to my eyes.

 

[Booty]

Re: FDE Cerakote suprise

It looks like it got got burnt in the oven. What temp did you cure it at?

Brandon

 

[Captain Moroni]

Re: FDE Cerakote suprise

I really like that color. +1 to everyone's questions on the process. I would love that color on my MK12 mod0 build.

 

[NTK]

Re: FDE Cerakote surprise

I like the finished results dont change it one bit.

 

[J.Boyette]

Re: FDE Cerakote surprise

I would keep it.

Its a GREAT color!!!

Add some camo spray paint over it and you will be rocking a killer rifle.

John

 

[jeffersonv]

Re: FDE Cerakote surprise

Looks good to me.
Maybe could use a little pin striping?

 

[daveog]

Re: FDE Cerakote surprise

Looks like you've created a new Cerakote technique, looks nice!

 

[saryan]

Re: FDE Cerakote surprise

No blue tape was left on it.
Cured at specified directions. I think it was 250 for 2 hours but that info is at work.
I waited overnight to cure it because my oven isn't one that allows me to hang parts in it. It has to be hard enough to set in the oven on a rack.

Sorry for the delay I had not checked this thread in a while. Thanks for the compliments.

 

[netranger6]

Re: FDE Cerakote surprise

Yeah man, looks good. Dark enough to absorb most light transmission and blend well into the environment.

 

[gathumper]

Re: FDE Cerakote surprise

I think it looks great, hopefully you don't have to duplicate the color onto other parts. Other than that, I would keep that bad puppy the way it is.

 

[TallShot]

Re: FDE Cerakote surprise

That is just the right kinda brown I've been lookng for.......

 

[Sportin Wood]

Re: FDE Cerakote surprise

Well, at least it doesn't look like shit.....

 

[Saito]

Re: FDE Cerakote surprise

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Steve_Aryan</div><div class="ubbcode-body">No blue tape was left on it.
Cured at specified directions. I think it was 250 for 2 hours but that info is at work.
I waited overnight to cure it because my oven isn't one that allows me to hang parts in it. It has to be hard enough to set in the oven on a rack.

Sorry for the delay I had not checked this thread in a while. Thanks for the compliments. </div></div>

I'd say the overnight wait plus not blasting the finish below may be what caused that drastic of a change? I only waited 5-10 min before chucking my parts in the oven.

 

[Furtaker_.223]

Re: FDE Cerakote surprise

I too like how close it is to your optic color. Kinda odd though why it did what it did.

 

[Ratbert]

Re: FDE Cerakote surprise

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: J.Boyette</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I would keep it.

Its a GREAT color!!!

Add some camo spray paint over it and you will be rocking a killer rifle.

John</div></div>

That is definitely a great base color for some spray can camo.

 

[buds444]

Re: FDE Cerakote surprise

Was there any reason the color changed so much after baking? I'm curious to find out what exactly happened and if there was any resolution.

 

[gvanhyning]

Re: FDE Cerakote surprise

The mix ratio for the hardener is on the extreme low end. I've always mixed at 18:1 and had excellent results. I have never had a need to go 24:1 and on a couple of occasions when someone wanted a glossy blued finish I have gone 12:1. Could be partially due to the mix ratio.

 

[navajo1018]

Re: FDE Cerakote surprise

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: gvanhyning</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The mix ratio for the hardener is on the extreme low end. I've always mixed at 18:1 and had excellent results. I have never had a need to go 24:1 and on a couple of occasions when someone wanted a glossy blued finish I have gone 12:1. Could be partially due to the mix ratio. </div></div>

+1

Also, I have used fde cerakote several times but never had results like that. I would say they sent you the wrong color but the first pics before you baked it is the color my parts have always turned out as. I wonder if it is because you waited overnight to put them in the oven

 

[saryan]

Re: FDE Cerakote surprise

So I sprayed two glock slides and then the front part of the rail I posted pictures of. I baked the slide in the oven at work. The two glock slides went home with two different guys and they baked them. My rail touch up is a perfect match. The two glock slides are way light. They look like the pre bake picture. So the culprit is the oven. I'm going to put s oven thermometer in there to see if it's that.

 

[USGUNWORKS]

Re: FDE Cerakote surprise

could be a little too hot? Ive had that happen to me before, but only on sections of the parts that were too close to the heating element. also could be moisture or contaminant in your air line. either way, the ar looks good!

 

[elephantrider]

Re: FDE Cerakote surprise

Looking at the "virtual gun coater" on the NIC website, yours doesn't seem too far off from what NIC shows. A lot of FDE paint jobs do come out like the lighter color, but youf finished product looks close to what NIC shows. Could it also be a differrence in the base material? Aluminum vs. Steel?

 

[NET65]

Re: FDE Cerakote surprise

I just did an Mk18 in FDE cerakote aircure and had the opposite effect. Turned out lighter than desert sand. Bead blasted and acetone soaked the parts before painting, and followed the directions to a Tee. The paint in the cerakote jar looked correct but dried way too light.

 

[Ol Rob]

Re: FDE Cerakote surprise

I have used the FDE and got that dark color on a few pieces by cooking it 100 degrees hotter. First one was my own gun by accident. I have done others by request for that color. 450 degrees. It has had no ill affects I can see on my gun. Not a safe queen.
Rob

 

[bowstryder]

Re: FDE Cerakote surprise

Did you blast the coated surfaces first? We use aluminum oxide to completely clean and "rough" the metal (not rough at all to the touch). I was only asking about the "base" black might have had a small part to play. but if your oven is off, it worked out if you ask me!

 

[Redcreek1]

Re: FDE Cerakote surprise

Here is brown done in Cerakote H-Series properly and not by accident...

Controls are in FDE for reference.

 

[sr15match]

Re: FDE Cerakote surprise

Looks a lot like Patriot Brown. I like it.

 

[Redcreek1]

Re: FDE Cerakote surprise

You're correct.

Its H-Series Patriot Brown with FDE controls.

 

[HPLLC]

Re: FDE Cerakote surprise

Cerakote is a tenaciously tough finish, but not being able to predict the resulting color isn't a good quality for a coating to have.

Sounds like one product, 4 different colors from reading this thread. Good thing you baked all your parts at the same time.

 

[Anvil]

Re: FDE Cerakote surprise

I would say it got burnt in the oven. This has happened to me before. It could have been to close to the heating element or left in to long or two high of a temp. I do think it looks good the color it turned out.

 

[Redcreek1]

Re: FDE Cerakote surprise

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Griffin Armament</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Cerakote is a tenaciously tough finish, but not being able to predict the resulting color isn't a good quality for a coating to have.

Sounds like one product, 4 different colors from reading this thread. Good thing you baked all your parts at the same time.
</div></div>

If you do it right, it always comes out the same. You can adjust sheen with your mix, but the colors dont change. However, if you bake at too high a temp, or too close to burners, or not in a proper curing oven, you can damage the color pigments.

The gun I did was in Patriot Brown and its supposed to be that color, no accident.

The object of my post was to show you could get that shade of brown without burning FDE in the oven...

 

[rebelmatt79]

Re: FDE Cerakote surprise

I had my 12.5 N6 done in FDE and it matched the tango down grips perfectly but a bit lighter than the Magpul stock. Yours looks more like patriot brown, I like it!

The sight has been corrected!

 

[Rhys]

Re: FDE Cerakote surprise

Any of the Cerakote colors will start to develop a darker brown tint at about 375-400 degrees. Did you just figure the 350 by the dial on your oven, or by an actual thermometer? I found my oven to be off by about 25 degrees in the house.

 

[saryan]

Re: FDE Cerakote surprise

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: bowstryder</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Did you blast the coated surfaces first? We use aluminum oxide to completely clean and "rough" the metal (not rough at all to the touch). I was only asking about the "base" black might have had a small part to play. but if your oven is off, it worked out if you ask me! </div></div>
No I didn't blast anything except for the Larue mount.