Not sure where else to put this. So if a Mod wants to move I won't feel bad.

I am trying to help my LGS out. The owners had a falling out and one of them left. The guy still there has a much better business sense but the one who left was the guy who did their Cerakoting.

To put it mildly the setup is a mess. The room is an old bathroom in the warehouse section of the building with a small vent fan and some lights installed.

No HVAC hookups, no real airflow. And all the Cerakote has been stored on shelves in that room.

Most of it is expired I am sure but there is a LOT of it, and I am hoping it can be salvaged.

So her are my thoughts.

First for the Cerakote:

  • Cerakote should be filtered using fine mesh paint filters to remove any impurities from sitting so long. I know they say it expires however paint doesn't really expire. What you really get is the pigment settling and the VOCs evaporating.
  • Replace all hardener since this can go bad.
  • Use small Marbles in each bottle to help mix. This is a common sense thing but they have not been doing it.
  • Test all current bottles for color correctness
  • From this point forward store all Cerakote in refrigerator


Am I missing anything here? Anything else we can do to salvage it?


Now for the paint booth:

  • Set up crossflow air system. Ducted airflow would be preferred but other alternatives are possible using I know. I was thinking some high powered fans bringing in fresh air and another exhausting the air to the outside.
  • Install ductwork connected to current HVAC system. If that isn't possible we could alternatively use portable or window style AC unit to control temp and humidity. Currently the humidity is a real issue along with the heat.
  • Make sure room has Positive air pressure. I assume this is as important as it would be for other types of painting.
  • Set up seperate area for parts to hang without concern of overspray and particulates getting on them.



Once again is there anything I am missing here? These are good people and helping them is important to me so I want to make sure we get it right.