Sunkorite

[Brian Dick]

I've been offering the Parkerizing and Suncorite 259 painting service for 15 years or so. Of course, I don't work for free and it is a time consuming process. Unfortunately, my supply of paint is small and I've been told that it's getting much more difficult to acquire so I may not be offering the service for much longer.

Information

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[tbonesmith]

Has anyone got some technical data on suncorite 259? Ie information describing it that would allow me to describe it to an industrial coatings and paint specialist so he could give me what best approximates it, or mix me a batch of something close in appearance and properties.
Also is it thinned with xylene or something else?

P.S. I noticed that Suncorite 528 is available, anyone aware of how this compares?

[Brian Dick]

You might be able to get it from Henkel who make it in the UK. Google them and give it a try.

[Peter Laidler]

In the nicest way, don't bother as they won't sell you any!

[ireload2]

Epoxy polyamide paint is far superior to the original Suncorite crapola. It is both much tougher and chemical resistant. Just be sure that you know how to apply it right the first time or have a tank of MEK ready to remove it while it is still uncured.
The US Fed Std color of lusterless black is 37038, semi-gloss is 27038 and I bet you would not believe that gloss is 17038.

You can bend your barrel if you are careless and sloppy with a bead blaster.

[Brian Dick]

The proof is in the pudding. I've bead blasted epoxy finishes off of weapons many times before. The most recent a Bren Mk.1 body in which I replaced a gas cylinder and then refinished to MoD specification last Fall. Pics are posted on the Bren forum for those who are interested. Much to my surprise after hearing for years how great these epoxy paint finishes are, the stuff came off so much easier than Suncorite that there's not much else left to say. It certainly told me something though. I've also noticed that if you have to put intense heat on the metal like I did to remove the old cylinder that the epoxy finishes simply burn away. You can heat a Suncorite finish to red hot with a torch, let it cool and then just wipe it off with an oily rag and guess what? the paint isn't even discolored. That tells me something too. There's a reason why that old Suncorite "crapola" has been used since 1944 and is still used to this day on MoD weapons. 'Nuff said.

[ireload2]

Brian,
Maybe you think you have bead blasted an epoxy finish off but probably not an epoxy polyamide. There is a good reason Sunkorite is an obsolete finish and that is because it is nowhere as tough as newer materials. The stuff crusts up and degrades with time and exposure to chemicals. The epoxy polyamide is much more chemical resistant. This based on more than a decade of work in a military contractor's shop using the various urethanes and epoxies specified for military hardware.
If you like to shoot your rifle until it smokes just use barbecue black or black exhaust manifold paint and bake it on. Either one is better than nothing.

[Brian Dick]

I didn't realize it was an obsolete finish. Thanks for the education.

[Peter Laidler]

Don't rise to the bait Brian and anyone else tempted to answer his nonsense. Sunkorite is exactly as you say it is. We've been using it on our weapons, non stop, since 1945 and it's lasted the course. So much so, that we still use it today. Do you think we haven't tried and trialled any other finishes between times. Of course we have and none has been better thah trusty old sunkorite.

And I'll tell you something else. All of our blank firing adaptors are subject to the same treatment but painted in a yellow sunkorite and they get to bright yellow temperature (and that's hotter than your barbecue too!) and remain intact - not forever of course - so they go back through the system every year or so. But it proves the point about the durability of sunkorite.

I was on some trials in the 60's regarding the yellow sunkorite paint on BFA's and we decided that the BEST option was BFA's made of brass where they'd remain yellow forever provided that they were scoured with pan cleaners after every exercise. The next best was yellow sunkorite. Does that tell you something.

[tbonesmith]

Suncorite 528 appears to be available here in Australia . Is it similar, or does it just sound a bit similar?