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Experiment sealing raw steel slide


scottlep

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I recently built a new Open gun for Steel Challenge. It is based off a commander length slide, barrel, etc. The gun shoots great and is nice and light for Steel Challenge. So far I have put about 3000 rounds through the gun with zero issues. The slide is carbon steel which I tri-topped and lightened down to about 10 ounces. After I had machined the slide I sanded out the machining marks with 80 grit emory paper. I really liked the brushed finish it gave the slide. I have shot it this way for about 3 months now, but in the Pennsylvania humidity it is starting to rust, especially where I grab the slide to rack it. I started looking around at options to seal the raw steel. Since I build hot rods too, I looked at what Eastwood had. I found their product named Exo-Armour. It is a high temp clear coat meant to seal raw steel, aluminum, etc. According to Eastwood it can handle up to 2000 degrees and has great abrasion and chemical resistance. Since Eastwood is located close to me I stopped by to check it out. They had a sample piece of raw steel that had been coated. I liked that it didn't leave the steel with a sticky feeling, more of a smooth coating like the clear coat on a car. So i figured I would give it a try. So this morning I hit the slide again with the emory cloth to clean up the rust, then hit it was a very thin coat of the Exo-Armor as recommended. I only did the outside of the slide since the inside is usually oiled and shouldn't rust anyway. The slide is currently drying in the oven at 150 degrees and can probably go back together tonight. I just figured I would share and I will report back how it lasts, etc. If it works out I might try it on a few other pieces, like the STI frame I just used to build my Limited Steel Challenge gun.

Here is a picture from before I coated the slide. The Exo-Armour goes on clear and hasn't seemed to yellow or dull the slide. I will post more pics later of the finished slide after it dries.

post-43369-0-78414000-1466519287_thumb.j

Edited by scottlep
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The Exo-Armour kit was about $60 from Eastwood. I only mixed a tiny bit (6cc of part A and 2cc of part B ) to do the slide and comp. I definitely mixed up way too much and some will go to waste, but there is still alot left that is not mixed. So it should prove to be economical if the finish lasts as well as they advertise.

Edited by scottlep
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I tritopped my open gun as well and just hit it with 400 grit sandpaper to give it the brushed stainless look. I just hit mine with an oiled cloth after each match and I use a racker so I pretty much do not have to touch the slide. I live in Alabama with mucho humidity and no rust at all.

That being said I look forward to your test results in your follow up posts.

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Edited by MrPostman
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Here is the slide after the clear coat dried. I just put the gun back together and will shoot it and report back how the coating holds up.

The only issue so far is that a tiny bit of the clear pooled up in the corners of the slide serrations (see bottom pic), but nothing too bad. I would just have to be a bit more careful next time. A tiny bit of this clear goes a very long way.

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post-43369-0-38246300-1466528265_thumb.j

post-43369-0-34557000-1466528285_thumb.j

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The pooling was probably my fault ;) It only happened on one side and not the other

I saw the new single stage clear that Cerakote has. I talked to a local Cerakote place and they said they tried it and it leaves a sticky feeling clear. They also said that they wouldn't apply it over smooth or polished metal since the manufacturer says it is supposed to go over Cerakote base or raw material that has been glass beaded and has a texture.

The Eastwood stuff is made for polished wheel, intake manifold, etc. So I would think it will hold up well. I guess only time will tell.

http://www.eastwood.com/exoarmour.html

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I saw the new single stage clear that Cerakote has. I talked to a local Cerakote place and they said they tried it and it leaves a sticky feeling clear. They also said that they wouldn't apply it over smooth or polished metal since the manufacturer says it is supposed to go over Cerakote base or raw material that has been glass beaded and has a texture.

The Eastwood stuff is made for polished wheel, intake manifold, etc. So I would think it will hold up well. I guess only time will tell.

http://www.eastwood.com/exoarmour.html

They blast the surface with 120 grit aluminum oxide to rough up the surface before application. In your case it would probably work since the gun has been sanded with a courser grit than the 120.

Of course the stickiness if it stays that way after it completely cures may not be a bad thing, especially since you are still racking the slide with the serrations.

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Hello: Another option is to spray the gun down with CRC Heavy Silicon spray a couple of times after each cleaning. This will work if you keep doing it. I have done this on unfinished guns for years. I forgot to do my new open gun and it has rusted a little so I will bead blast it and clean it up again. Next it will go off to hard chrome. Thanks, Eric

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  • 2 weeks later...

Here's an update. So far I have probably put about 2000 rounds through the gun with the ExoArmour on it. No problems at all. In fact the dirt/soot wipes off the gun much easier than when it was raw steel. There is no discoloration or anything like that around the comp. So far I am happy with the product and will report back if I have any problems. The gun will go into the ultrasonic before I head out to WSSC, so I will report back if that causes any problems, but I am not sure why it would.

~Scott

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Look at cerakote micro clear

I already did, and as I mentioned above I spoke to a local Cerakote guy and he said he would not do the clear over polished metal since it is meant to be applied over Cerakote or a textured surface.

The Eastwood ExoArmour kits cost about $60 which is probably enough to coat more guns than I will ever build and is cheaper than having one Cerakote job done.

I am just sharing my experience so others might have another option.

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I used a 1" foam brush and only applied a very thin coat. Basically just dipped the tip of the brush into the clear, then dabbed off any excess onto a piece of cardboard. Looks fine except for the very tiny bit of pooling in the slide cuts as I mentioned above. I would probably use my airbrush next time for a better finish.

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If later on you need to refinish or touch it up, how can it be removed?

I'm looking at this for some non-gun related projects that will get a lot of abuse.

Thanks.

Not really sure to be honest. Media blasting perhaps or re-polish the slide with emory cloth like I did before finishing. When I have a chance I will contact Eastwood to find out.

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In the past I was putting a clear coat over carbon steel slides, the finish would wear through on the cocking serrations or from the holster and it would rust there. Also it would start to go under the finish and rust. It would be ok to do if the finish won't be opened up to the bare metal.

Rich

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