Bare metal parts, cermaic paint or what?

[anguilla1980]

I have several small parts and fasteners I would like to color change from bare metal to black. They are bare stainless steel and some aluminum (nothing chrome). Specifically things like adjustment rods, heads of fasteners, brackets, etc.

I don't wish to go the powder coating route due to issues I've had in the past. I have, however, had great luck with ceramic coated parts. But the guy I've used in the past locally has gone out of business.

Is there a way to do these at home and have a good solid finish? What do you guys suggest in terms of surface prep and paint?

I would guess a scuffed surface, use a metal prep (have a bunch of POR-15 metal prep), then perhaps an aerosol self-etching primer (I have cans of Dupli-Color automotive on hand, sprays olive green), then finish with a ceramic aerosol? How about Dupli-Color engine enamel with ceramic black? I have some of that too already.

Thanks!

[jlcustomz]

Still haven't personally used, but cerakote has their air dry stuff. the mc160 clear is a single component mix. Gun people swear by cerakote air dry colors.
It has to be filtered very good & sprayed very thin & get a good amount of dry time. Need a real respirator for the tert-butyl -acetate solvent in it. Best to have high quality touch up gun.

My best advise for rattle cans is never ever even look at one. Leave self etching alone also. Duplicolor engine ceramic black looked good for a while ( over self etch) & proceeded to fail.
Ground effects in pic was a test for those 2 products in rattle can years ago, supposed to have been temporary. Buffed just like the real paint, but couldn't handle occasional weather. The etch primer gave first.

[anguilla1980]

I have Cerakote on a few of my Glocks, it's great. But as I mentioned, my guy locally is out of business now. I really don't want to ship the parts off and wait all that time and deal with shipping.