Update on Glossy Gunkote Post - Email from Brownells

[Markasaurus]

I posted this a few days ago, warning people and complaining how the Matte black Gunkote (rattle can) came out GLOSSY!

https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=83774

I complained to Brownells in an email and here is their reply today:

Marc,

Don’t give up on us yet. The Matt Black is supposed to be truly matte black. The most recent batch of some 700 cans was formulated incorrectly and the matting agent was left out of the batch. I am sending a Cc of this to our customer service desk to make sure you get a replacement can at no charge to you. The good news also is that Gun Kote can be recoated before or after baking with follow-up coats of Gun Kote, so you don’t need to do anything but recoat and bake the matte on top of the previous color. In your case there is nothing wrong with the black on the gun at this time either.

Thanks for your patience


Monty Crain
Gunsmith Support Supervisor

they left out the matte agent of the paint? :angry:
Well at least i am getting another can for free...sure hope it is REALLY flat this time. The gun is already half stripped because i'm waiting on a can of alumahyde. should i send it back and just wait for the gunkote? Or should i keep both? The AK is the only gun that needs refinishing.

[m4brian]

I'd use the gunkote. It WILL bond quite well to the lower coat. I've gunkoted a CZ 75 and a Makarov. It is GOOD stuff bu requires blasting with Al Oxide for a prep and baking, but its great stuff.

I WILL bond to the bottom coat.

Please follow up - I may use Alumahyde on my SAR-1, because I don't want to have to bake.

[bp7178]

I posted this a few days ago, warning people and complaining how the Matte black Gunkote (rattle can) came out GLOSSY!

https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=83774

I complained to Brownells in an email and here is their reply today:

Marc,

Don’t give up on us yet. The Matt Black is supposed to be truly matte black. The most recent batch of some 700 cans was formulated incorrectly and the matting agent was left out of the batch. I am sending a Cc of this to our customer service desk to make sure you get a replacement can at no charge to you. The good news also is that Gun Kote can be recoated before or after baking with follow-up coats of Gun Kote, so you don’t need to do anything but recoat and bake the matte on top of the previous color. In your case there is nothing wrong with the black on the gun at this time either.

Thanks for your patience


Monty Crain
Gunsmith Support Supervisor

they left out the matte agent of the paint? :angry:
Well at least i am getting another can for free...sure hope it is REALLY flat this time. The gun is already half stripped because i'm waiting on a can of alumahyde. should i send it back and just wait for the gunkote? Or should i keep both? The AK is the only gun that needs refinishing.

Well shit.

When did you guy yours? I purchased mine about 2 months ago and it came out glossy. But, I just re bead blasted my SS barrel and I'm just running with that now...

[Stickman]

Get the surface nice and hot, then spray right away, and even the glossy version turns out pretty flat.

[Failure2Stop]

I would probably just keep the Aluma-Hyde II on hand, but I am a notorious hoarder of gun crap.
I wouldn't think you would have trouble moving it on the EE either, but you would probably have to eat the shipping cost.
Most frugal approach would be to just send the Aluma-Hyde back to Brownells and use the free product they are shipping you in compensation.

[Markasaurus]

Well shit.

When did you guy yours? I purchased mine about 2 months ago and it came out glossy. But, I just re bead blasted my SS barrel and I'm just running with that now...

I biught it about the same time you did, maybe 5 or 6 weeks ago. Rattle can from brownell's. Maybe your can was from the same bad batch?

[ra2bach]

do both of these require heating/baking?

how durable are they with/without?

[Markasaurus]

Gunkote requires baking at 300 to 305 degrees f for one hour. Alumahyde 2 requires no baking, is more solvent resistant then alumahyde, but needs a 2 week cure time. Some people have said they baked alumahyde 2 anyway, for 200 degrees f for 3 or 5 hours to cut the cure time.

Gunkote is supposed to be tougher and more solvent resistant then alumahyde. You could also choose the brownell's "baking laquer" that is pretty close to gunkote, and a lot cheaper ($12 a can. Vs. $32 for gunkote).

[Stickman]

Baking lacquer is not close to GunKote in terms of durability in my experiences.

[bp7178]

I biught it about the same time you did, maybe 5 or 6 weeks ago. Rattle can from brownell's. Maybe your can was from the same bad batch?

I'm guessing so. I may have to email them if for nothing else but to get a free can out of it.

[Markasaurus]

I'd use the gunkote. It WILL bond quite well to the lower coat. I've gunkoted a CZ 75 and a Makarov. It is GOOD stuff bu requires blasting with Al Oxide for a prep and baking, but its great stuff.

I WILL bond to the bottom coat.

Please follow up - I may use Alumahyde on my SAR-1, because I don't want to have to bake.

I just finished the gun, i used the gunkote on everything but the receiver cover and the magazines. It did come out as satin finish in some areas, like the barrel. I found if you use a household scotch brite pad (no alunimum in the pad!) and a little water, you can buff out most of the shine. But go lightly with the pad and don't over do it.
Re your alumahyde question, this pic shows the receiver cover (painted in alumahyde II and baked at 200 degrees F for 5 hours) and the gunkoted rest-of gun (baked at 300 degrees for 1 hour 10 minutes).
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j169/marc780/GUNKOTE-WASR017-CENSORED.jpg

Note that the receiver cover came out a uniform flat black, what i wanted, the gun kote flat in some areas, glossy in others (NOT what i wanted but close enough).
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j169/marc780/GUNKOTE-WASR006.jpg

Barrel and gas tube came out too dang shiny. Probably going to either rub it with the wet scotchbrite or just live with it. I'm happy with how the finish came out even if it is a little glossy, since i know how to fix that if and when i want to.
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j169/marc780/GUNKOTE-WASR018.jpg

the below photo shows: Magazine and receiver cover after gunkote, but BEFORE covering THAT with alumahyde II. Also shows original finish on the factory receiver - it was parked i am guessing.
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j169/marc780/AKaKNOWMATTE-2001.jpg

The parts i used Alumahyde II on came out well. but it is not supposed to be as durable or solvent resistant as gunkote. I did some googling and found If you use alumahyde II you will have a better, harder finish if you can bake the parts at (no more then) 200 degrees F for 5 or 6 hours.
I concluded you MUST have a real oven thermometer (mine cost $4 at CVS) to bake on a finish. The thermometer showed my oven was actually 100 degrees HOTTER then the oven dial said it was!

After baking both gunkote and alumahyde, i found they did not stink very much like some people are worried about, just a little bit of a smell mostly inside the oven, that simply vanished after a while. And the smell did not linger inside the oven afterwards. I.e. you probably won't ruin your oven by baking gun parts and your wife won't be nagging you about it (unless you tell her what you did, in which case you're on your own buddy lol)

After i gunkoted i rubbed acetone on a rag on the shiny parts to try and make them flat. It made very little impression on the gunkote and only a slight amount of black showed up on the rag (surface flash maybe?) and after the first black came off no more did, even after rubbing it with some more acetone. I'm not sure you can do this with an alumahyde treated part and not have the finish come off.