The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > The Skunkworks > The Smithy

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old October 7, 2010, 05:35 AM   #1
E.T.
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 25, 2001
Location: Belgium (Antwerp area)
Posts: 131
Overseas shipping of baking enamel aerosol

As I live in Europe and I consider refinishing the frame of my 26 years old Walther P5, I'm desperately looking for a company which supplies and ships spray cans of baking enamel overseas.

Most American companies - like Brownells - don't ship overseas because of the hazardous nature of the spray cans, but quite some time ago I came to know about at least one company which does. It offered a rather limited choice (only satin black ?) but I can't remember the company's name or its website anymore.

Having the gun refinished by a gun smith here in Europe is not an option because there simply are no gun smiths willing to refinish an aluminum frame (I might as well buy a new frame) and shipping the frame to an American refinisher isn't that practical either because of the legal restrictions regarding export/import of gun parts.

Hope I get some feedback :
E.T. is offline  
Old October 7, 2010, 08:18 AM   #2
ogree
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 18, 2005
Location: Idaho
Posts: 151
Doesn't any company over there do hard anodizing ?
That would offer better wear resistance than any of the spray on finishes and is what most manufacturers apply to aluminum frames.
Hard anodizing is also applied to many products made of aluminum not associated with firearms so I would think it would be rather easy to find a plating company that would refinish your frame.

There are also instruction here and there online that tell you how to do it at home if you want.

Last edited by ogree; October 7, 2010 at 08:24 AM.
ogree is offline  
Old October 7, 2010, 08:53 AM   #3
E.T.
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 25, 2001
Location: Belgium (Antwerp area)
Posts: 131
There are indeed companies specialized in hard anodizing but you have to consider the fact that over here gun owners are somehow regarded as criminals. I live in Belgium and about 4 years ago a young fool walked through Antwerp downtown with a large caliber lever action gun, killing a young black nanny and the little (white) girl she was looking after, as well as severely wounding a Turkish young women, before he was shot by the Federal Police (he survived). The rampage was inspired by political and racist motivations but for us shooters it resulted in a dramatic review of the then actual gun laws and the public opinion - backed up by so called moral politicians - turned against everything that involves fire arms. The situation is that bad that I can hardly talk about my hobby with my friends or family. They know I'm a shooter and that's about it. The only persons who ever saw my guns are my wife, my two daughters and my fellow shooting club members. Neither my father, nor my father in law or brothers (in law) ever saw my guns. It's a kind of "don't ask, don't tell" situation. Although I have all the required Belgian and European fire arm permits, sports shooting licences, psycho-medical attestations, written approval of my family members and no criminal records whatsoever, I'm pretty sure that not a single company would allow me to present a gun part for refinishing. The only way to have a gun taken care of in a professional way is through a gun smith but as I already mentioned, aluminum refinishing is not their thing. My only option is to do it myself or to buy a new frame. Sad but true!
E.T. is offline  
Old October 7, 2010, 06:50 PM   #4
ogree
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 18, 2005
Location: Idaho
Posts: 151
That sucks.
Although I have never done it here are a few links that I have stumbled across about anodizing at home.

http://www.warpig.com/paintball/technical/anodize.shtml

http://www.focuser.com/anodize.html

http://www.wcc.net/~jkmccoy/shop/anodiz.htm

Maybe if it works out for you, you could make some extra money anodizing stuff for your shooting buddies.

Good luck.
ogree is offline  
Old October 7, 2010, 07:11 PM   #5
James K
Member In Memoriam
 
Join Date: March 17, 1999
Posts: 24,383
Most of the time, those products sold by Brownells and others as gun finishes are called that when marketed to the gun trade. But the very same products are sold by the makers for refinishing other products, like automobile parts. Do some Googling (if your police don't monitor your computer or your country doesn't block access to unapproved sites) for oven cure metal finishes, high temperature paint, bake-on finishes, and the like in English (or French or Flemish or German or whatever) and see about a local distributor or retail store. I am pretty sure you will find what you are looking for, just by another name.

No one could object to your refinishing your barbeque grill or gas range.

Jim

Last edited by James K; October 7, 2010 at 07:26 PM.
James K is offline  
Old October 7, 2010, 07:23 PM   #6
Scorch
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 13, 2006
Location: Washington state
Posts: 15,248
Or you could just contact Walther and ask them where to send it for refinishing. I imagine they have a comprehensive list of vendors available. Regardless of public opinion.
__________________
Never try to educate someone who resists knowledge at all costs.
But what do I know?
Summit Arms Services
Scorch is offline  
Old October 11, 2010, 05:51 PM   #7
George R
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 17, 2004
Location: Boca Raton, FL
Posts: 151
Bake on finishes

You don't have to buy gun finishes in aerosol cans. DuraCoat, a tough air dry finish, I believe is Sherwin Williams Polane paint, and you may be able to find it in Belgium. You can apply it with a small automotive paint spray gun.
Another alternative is to buy KG Gun Kote, a true gun finish from Brownell's and also apply it with an auto spray gun.. Go to www,tenring.com for Alex Hamilton's excellent website for gun kote. He's the distributor for the trade and markets it under the TR Gun Kote name. PM me if you need more information.
George R is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 12:21 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.04811 seconds with 10 queries