DURACOAT the ultimate tuff paint!

[WarCowboy]

New to the forums and Rockcrawlers for that matter, so hello everyone.
I have been looking around and noticed a huge amount of hard-body custom work vs other types of RC cars.
Also noting that many built cages with metal and so on, I decided to share with you all a painting solution that might be the best thing for you crawler guys.

The paint is called Duracoat.
Its a two part paint that is far superior to spray and automotive paints out there intended for use as a weapon coating/paint.
I have much experience using it, as I do a lot of custom work with real guns, airsoft and paintball included.
The stuff is simply amazing tough and is almost impossible to wear out, through, or off.
It can be bought cheaply as one of the best parts for its performance value.

It is applied with an airbrush as a very thin layer, yet is very easy to work with like many other paints.
It can be baked on metal parts or left to dry like anything else on any surface.
Naturally on things like chrome or slick alloys, you will want to rough it up a bit before application with a fine sand paper, just enough to give the surface "tooth" to grab and hold the paint.

There many color choices out now, and if you want something in-particular that isn't offered, its just as easy to mix as ordinary paint to get the desired color.

Just to exemplify the durability of this stuff, consider this.
Its is way stronger than powder-coating and as good as hard coat anodizing.
Its used on machine guns that can reach a couple thousand degrees at the barrels, will indefinitely seal all working parts and has been tested in salt water for very long periods of time proving once its on its not coming off and will protect everything. The only way to remove it is with a sand blaster.
There has also been a new additive that is now in the paint that puts a type of synthetic such as silicone in the mix to help self lubricate moving parts, much as delrin plastics are made.
There are many other cool things such as phosphorus impregnated paint that glows in the dark for years, pearls and now a couple metallics.

Just seems to me like some of you guys might find this stuff very beneficial considering all the sliding and grinding in this genre of RC, and just to better protect your gear.

Anyhow here are a couple of pics of things I have painted with the stuff and a link to the site where it can be had.

http://www.lauerweaponry.com/

[Stormin2u]

This looks like just what we need for our none lexan painting needs thanks for posting this up. I'm interested in giving it a try.

[sliding_josh]

Nice guns! im mos def look into this!

[WarCowboy]

Glad you guys found it interesting. You won't be disappointed with the results I promise you that.
As for a side note, when you do get the paint, it will come with a small bottle of hardener you have to mix in.
The optimal ratio is 12-1 for a semi gloss look.
But if you are after flats, you can mix less in for a 14-1 mix.
For gloss you'll want a 10-1.
They also sell a clearcoat in both matte and gloss. Its recommended especially if you want a multicolor pattern, as it helps to seam the paint together and give it a one layer appearance even better than without. But remember as I said, it goes on super thin and that is why it is another reason its so tough.

Can't wait to see what you guys do with this stuff! Be sure to post pics.

[yoda316]

lol i was just gonna post if anyone has used it on rc before and then i saw this post
I think im going to try it on my hilux while im painting up my 10/22

[WarCowboy]

Yep, I am really surprised that no one has ever done this to be honest.
My cousin has an old tamya jeep with a hard body, I think I will do something with it as soon as he digs is out.
I have a significant advantage with complex patterns, as I happen to run a vinyl sticker business on the side and make use of a roland Camm-1 24" cutter/plotter.
With the use of corel 11, I can design and pattern out anything under the sun making painting mask a snap with the use of light tach vinyl for cutting out mask for complex patterns such as digital, ect.
The two ghosted tiger stripe guns in the pics above is all freehand, but the top multicam P90 I used the cutter for the mask.
I feel there might be a market for such things if offered cheap enough.

[toy4crawlin]

Thanks for sharing the info Warcowboy

Be worth it if ya paint a lot, not sure if 4oz is enough . So if you need more paint do ya need to buy what exactly ?

[SlickRockSpider]

So this paint will with stand a couple thousand degrees. I am just giving you sh*t. I will have to take a look at at the colors.


Evan

[SlickRockSpider]

Hey

I looked on the web site and there is a lot of colors . One that even goes to 1800f. Very cool

Evan

[WarCowboy]

Maybe a couple thousand was a little bit exaggerated, but 1800 is plenty enough I would think for RC. haha
Anyhow, 4oz is actually goes a very long way with this stuff. It can coat an entire rifle stock and all parts.
It goes on thin like a mentioned above, but coats very well, so you really don't need a lot of coats to get the right look.

[Nickle]

Dang, this is just the stuff I'm looking for my two tube chassis. This kit looks like a good deal. I've been chipping and touching up the matte black spray paint like crazy. Are you using an etching primer before paint application or just spraying it on the lightly roughed metal?

WarCowboy, I gotta ask, are you affiliated with Lauer Custom Weaponry or Dura Coat, or do you just have a lot of experience using their product? You seem to be pretty knowledgeable with their stuff.

[WarCowboy]

While I have done several jobs for people in paintball and the real weapon dept, I am in no way affiliated with LCW or Duracoat. Just have had major success with their product and believe in it fully after working with it.
I love to help people within things I also enjoy, and I'm a perfectionist in just about everything I do, so when I see something that works well and gives me great results, I feel inclined to share my experiences.
I do have many hours working with this stuff and everything "they" say about it is true. Its simple, to the point and works like their claims present. Nothing else past ceramic paints equals or surpasses the stuff, nor is any easier to apply.
If you have an airbrush, a basic knowledge of how to use one and the duracoat desired, just about anyone can do it.
Of coarse one needs to experiment with mixing in the hardener ratios to get the right flats and glosses, however that is pretty simple to achieve as well.
I will heed warning when using thinners however. I have tried a few and none of them works as well for clean up as the duracoat specific brand, so I highly suggest purchasing a quantity of the stuff to save you some head ache.
You will want to be sure to clean your setups well immediately after spraying, or just as anything else, it's permanent!
IE. I cleaned up in my kitchen sink about 3 years ago. The stuff is still there to this day because I didn't see the splatter and nothing has taken it off no matter how much I have scrubbed it.
Being a long time RC guy, I have painted many RC cars in my time.
With that being said, I have always sacrificed scale realism to lexan bodies you paint on the inside, due mostly to the fact you can easily get a good job without blemish, and its protected under the shell. Many times I pondered how I wished there was a way to have your cake and eat it to with the hard shells, but until I knew of duracoat, regular paints just simply cannot hold up to the abuse endured in RC.
So its awesome for me to be one of the first if not the first to bring this technology to the people in the world of RC's attention.

[viper6171]

love the stuff so far i used it on my rifle and it is seriously tough stuff .

one other side note make sure you use it in a well ventilated area it is kinda potent

[WarCowboy]

Yeah I forgot about that part^
It is very potent in fumes... I made the mistake of blocking off a small room in my house and running a vent fan against the window. It wasn't enough even with all the precaution to stop the stuff from smelling up the whole place for a day or two.
Use a mask if your confined, it will strait knock you out if you try and tough it.

[mudman1]

Well, I finally got around to trying Duracoat so I figured I'd dig up this old thread. This stuff is as advertised. It is the hardest paint I've ever used. It's at least as hard as powdercoat and covers well. I'll definately use it again on my next chassis.

[ax10]

Hello! How would this paint work on aluminum lower links? Would it stand up to grinding over rocks for a comp or two? I do understand that there would be touching up quite often.

[mudman1]

The rocks will actually remove aluminum so I'd bet it'll remove the paint as well. It should stand up as well as powdercoat but its still eventually going to wear. I just painted yesterday and when I tried to pick a small piece of dust off the cured surface there's no way it's coming off without using a file.

[Stormin2u]

Looks good mudman1, keep us updated on how it works out for you.

[squirrel886]

.......yes, Duracoat works, and I too highly recommend it!

[scatterbrains]

If its a metal piece you can also look into cerakote too