DuraCoat - matt black is too shiny

[johncanfield]

Finally I finished my .30 cal suppressor (I started in February) after many stops and starts. I was going to either going to use Cerakote or DuraCoat for a coating but decided I didn't want to jump through all of the prep hoops that Ceakote requires. So I bought the DuraCoat starter kit from Brownells in matt black and used an airbrush to apply.

I had read somewhere that if you want a duller finish use less hardener but I was hesitant to use less hardener. Anyway, the finish did turn out quite nicely and I'm very pleased except for the shiny finish, I call it the equivalent of a semi-gloss you would find in a rattle can of black paint. I need to dull it up and I read where somebody used a Scotchbrite pad or steel wool for that purpose. Any other ideas? Would wiping it with sort of a solvent work?

[uthornsfan]

Before I finished reading your post my first thought was Steel Wool. You can start with 0000 and work up in abrasiveness.

Duracoat is specifically designed to resist solvents so I dont think that route will help you out.

[johncanfield]

I got brave and tried a Scotchbrite pad on an endcap but that was way too rough. 0000 steel wool was just the ticket, didn't take hard rubbing to knock the gloss off but DuraCoat says the coating isn't fully cured for five or six weeks. Thanks

[WTR]

A light bead blasting may give you your desired finish. Personal, I would bead blast to the bare metal then Parkerize it.

[johncanfield]

My abrasive blaster isn't working which is another reason I didn't go the Cerakote route. The DuraCoat will be fine for now, when it starts to look lousy, I'll probably Cerakote it.

[RogueUSMC]

bake for about 20 min at about 125 and it will jumpstart the cure...

[johncanfield]

bake for about 20 min at about 125 and it will jumpstart the cure...

That's what I thought (and was going to do) but according to DuraCoat it would make no difference. Their DuraBake coating does need to bake in the oven for a cure.