Painting the Automag Centerfeed Raw Mainbodies

[Frontballa2k5]

So I was thinking of buying one of the Automag Centerfeed Raw Mainbodies that they have for sale on the AGD site, and had some idieas to paint it. My question is, how would you go about painting the raw body, would I just spray a primer on it followed by whatever color I choose? If so, what are some good brand names and types of primers and paint I should use?

Thanks in advance.

[sslecyk03]

So I was thinking of buying one of the Automag Centerfeed Raw Mainbodies that they have for sale on the AGD site, and had some idieas to paint it. My question is, how would you go about painting the raw body, would I just spray a primer on it followed by whatever color I choose? If so, what are some good brand names and types of primers and paint I should use?

Thanks in advance.

Krylon has a line called x-metals that produces a finish that looks darn near close to an ano. You need to buy their "converter"which is basically a primer and then they have about 5 or 6 different ano colors. Turns out pretty nice actually.

[Frizzle Fry]

Krylon has a line called x-metals that produces a finish that looks darn near close to an ano. You need to buy their "converter"which is basically a primer and then they have about 5 or 6 different ano colors. Turns out pretty nice actually.

Xmetals looks good, but I've found that it doesn't work well unless you polish the body first, or use a factory polished body... The bead blasted finish (I'm guessing that's what gives AM/MM bodies textures) makes the Xmetal finish look funky, and not in a good way. I've only used it on two markers, and the first one I had to strip and start over (after polishing). That said, it looks amazing. It's the same stuff used on those shiny kids bicycles you see at Kmart.

Another option from Krylon is the Fusion series, which I've found lasts longest on SS and pot metal (like Tippmanns or model guns) and is easiest to use. It can't give an extremely high sheen finish, but it does incredible dust and gloss with very little work or prep. It's also good for almost all common metals and plastics so you can use the same color for accent parts without worrying about wear.

[Justus]

Wait... so are there actually advocates of using a rattle can spraypaint on a classic/minimag body? I thought that was an Automag sin or something.

[hill160881]

Its all surface prep and application. Rattle cans produce a high quality finish if used right, and allowed to TOTALLY dry before handling.

So yes i am a fan of the rattle can.

[Spider-TW]

You won't hurt the bead blasted finish on a stainless mag body. It is deep. If you've polished one by hand, you've seen how deep the pits go.

You can always strip it with most anything, just not weak sulfuric acid. I often forget I painted one long ago, there's no paint left at all, even though it was left painted for years.

Painting ano'ed aluminum properly is beyond my patience though.

[Justus]

So would you polish it before painting if using Krylon Fusion?

[Frizzle Fry]

I thought that was an Automag sin or something.

Aluminum and SS are two very difficult metals to paint. When done right with the right supplies they both can result in a beautiful and durable finish, but when done wrong it tends to be a hideous nightmare. Unfortunately most people tend to do it wrong, or do it right with the wrong supplies, hence the usual outcry from the AO community.

[Spider-TW]

So would you polish it before painting if using Krylon Fusion?

If you want a glossy finish yes.

The blasted finish holds paint really well, but contributes to a matte paint finish. It can look faded instead of scratched or chipped, because you only rub the top of the paint off and not the paint in the pits.

I don't think a half polish would be as good as a full polish and then a light rough-up sanding to hold a gloss coat.

[Justus]

If you want a glossy finish yes.

The blasted finish holds paint really well, but contributes to a matte paint finish. It can look faded instead of scratched or chipped, because you only rub the top of the paint off and not the paint in the pits.

I don't think a half polish would be as good as a full polish and then a light rough-up sanding to hold a gloss coat.

So... don't polish if I want a matte black finish, then. I was thinking of using Krylon Camo Fusion - Ultra Flat Black.

[Justus]

Alright, revisiting this issue...

I want a black finish on my Minimag project. It currently has the stock gray finish on it, and the AM/MM rail is somewhat dinged. After doing some looking around, I'd like to use Duracoat or Gun-Kote on the project. I'm planning to have the body sandblasted to start.

Primary question: Should I also have the rail sandblasted and finish it in the same manner?

Any thoughts?