#alumahyde2

[odellstudios]

I think the pics make it look a little lighter but I shot the barrel and new Matrix rail with Alumahyde Magpul FDE. It is just a little lighter in person, I think the light (and the fact that it’s not plastic or textured like plastic) makes it appear lighter too. However, I’m pretty happy with it. Needs a little more cure time and then the fun part, sighting in my new SWFA 10x42 SS.

[christiangrest]

Aluma-Hyde II… Best Consumer Grade Firearm Finish?

Let’s have some talk about Alum Hyde II from the folks over at Brownells. Aluma-Hyde II is basically a spray on coating that can be used for a variety of surfaces such as aluminum, steel, polymer etc… Unlike some of your other firearm coatings, it has the ability to be sprayed on without the need for any fancy tooling. Cerekote which is undoubtedly the most common commercial grade coating requires a spray booth, spray gun and a way to hang and bake the finish in. Certain tools and equipment like a blasting cabinet can be helpful for prepping a surface for just about any type of coating, but it’s certainly not necessary for Alum Hyde II in order for it to bond to a surface. The surface just has to be clean and degreased to allow the Aluma Hyde II finish to properly cure. And also the right amount of curing time based on the environmental conditions such as temperature as well as humidity. You can of course speed cure Alum Hyde II in an oven, but it’s truly not necessary and a slow air cure is actually preferred in my experience.

So what all can you do with Aluma Hyde II? It’s a solid coating that has thew ability to be used in other than a single stage application process. If you’d like to get super fancy and use things like stencils, you can do it! Stencils allowing a camouflage type of design is certainly possible as I’ve been successful in applying camouflage patterns using Brownells Alum Hyde II on numerous occasions. It is a bit tricky however depending upon what camouflage pattern you intend to use. The number of colors can also present a bit of an issue depending on how heavy you spray them on the prepped surface of the firearm. Out of all of my Alum Hyde II projects, trying to replicate a German Flecktarn camouflage finish using stencils and multiple colors was probably the hardest one I’ve attempted and honestly didn’t turn out nearly as good as I had hoped. Due to trying to use 4-5 colors and get a solid even coat on each one, the layers stacked fairly deep so there are more edges than I would have preferred. In any case, it does look pretty good from afar and the fact that I did this was quite self satisfying to say the least. One thing that can help to minimize this issue is to know down each coat just a tad before applying the next color to the coating. Bronze or steel wool does a decent job at this. Another idea is to use as minimal coating as possible but this can lead to a color that looks under sprayed, so pay attention to that.

So even though I’m still learning how to best use Alum Hyde II, I absolutely love it for those home built projects. The last one I did was on a stock for a Howa carbon fiber action from Brownells and it turned out excellent. I’m still on the hunt for what my next project will be. Good thing is Brownells currently has free shipping on Aluma Hyde II that can help get that next Aluma Hyde II project off the ground. What are you waiting for?

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[christiangrest]

My Aluma-Hyde Projects…Worth It?

I think that most people who have followed me for the last 5+ years most likely know how much of a fan I am of the Brownells Aluma-Hyde II firearms finish. Is it perfect? Well nothing truly is, but is it better than just a spray paint finish? I certainly think so. Aluma-Hyde II from Brownells truly bridges the gap between a rattle can finish and that of a baked on finish such as Duracoat or Cerakote. I would say that Cerakote is the industry standard for custom firearm finishes among many other purposes.

My very first dive into Aluma-Hyde was with a cheap Charles Daly AR-12 shotgun. I wanted to keep things simple with just a 2 color finish without the need for any stencils or the like. After degreasing, I applied the first finish and quickly applied the second finish and allowed the recommended air cure time of 2 weeks. Yes 2 weeks! You can speed cure in an oven at a low temp like 200-250 degrees, but at the time I didn’t have an oven large enough and I wanted to spray the entire firearm after taping up the important parts.

What I learned after that I applied to a Brownells BRN-180 in .300 Blackout. This time I wanted stencils and picked a set of multicam stencils and went with some earth tones. I also decided to pick up an extra large toaster oven specifically for speed curing anything that I could fit. This has been one of my favorite jobs and has held up very well over the years.

The following job was for my brother on his Aero Precision EP-9 build from Brownells. I did a multi color using digital camo stencils. This turned out great even though the digital camo stencils are quite frustrating to deal with. Using only a couple of colors, this was one heck of a nice job overall.

The next time I worked on another BRN-180, this time a .223 variant. I wanted to do it in German Flecktarn with similar coloring. This proved to be one of the hardest Aluma-Hyde finishes I’ve ever worked on and honestly the least favorite overall. What I learned is that too many colors can make the finish build up too much and you’ll end up with very obvious steps between the different colors. Looking back, some knocking down of each color between coats might have helped it to turn out much better otherwise. Something I’ll use going forward.

The last Aluma-Hyde project I worked on was for my Carbon Fiber stock for my Howa 1500. Since I wanted to leave some of the carbon fiber showing, I taped it up and used multicam stencils with only a couple of colors. This job turned out awesome even though I had to allow an air cure for this one.

So what have I learned through all of my trials and error using Brownells Aluma-Hyde finish? Prep work is very important. Proper de-greasing of components and taping up absolutely every thing you don’t want the finish to come into contact with. Don’t lay the finish too heavy and knock off the edges if possible. Patience when removing any stencils as the stencils can be torn quite easily. In addition, patience when letting the Aluma-Hyde cure. Rushing the cure process can cause issues. When speed curing, the stencils can lift off. At the end of the day, an Aluma-Hyde project can be super fun and satisfying, but be sure to take your time.

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[christiangrest]

Aluma-Hyde 2…Making Something Special

It’s no secret that I’ve become a fan of Aluma-Hyde 2 from Brownells since I started using it a number of years ago. No it’s not perfect and takes a little bit of experience using the product, but you can truly create something very, very special right there at home. I had been itching to break out my rainbow of earth tones of Aluma-Hyde 2 for quite a while now since it had been a while since using it on something. I recently started my first project of 2025 which is a 6.5 PRC bolt action using a Howa barrelled action from Brownells. I ended up selecting a blemished carbon fiber stock from Stocky’s which afforded me that opportunity I had been waiting on to break out the Aluma-Hyde 2 stash from my work bench.

The new but blemished carbon fiber stock was in mostly great condition but there were some slight blemishes here and there which honestly is just fine for a hunting stock which is my intention. I looked the stock over and determined it could benefit from the Aluma-Hyde treatment mainly because the rifle with the carbon fiber barrel and carbon fiber stock just didn’t afford any contrast and looked really bland. I enjoy a good camo pattern anyways, so out came the Aluma-Hyde colors as well as some of the camouflage patterns I had stuffed away. The patterns I had available were flecktarn, digital and multicam. I’m a huge fan of almost anything in a multicam pattern, so that’s the direction I decided to go. I could’ve just did a basic striped pattern, but thought it would be cool to integrate the carbon fiber into the pattern, so that’s what I did with the multicam stencils. I covered up parts of the carbon fiber so that once I had applied the other colors, the carbon fiber would still be visible.

As for the other colors, I have the entire Aluma-Hyde palette which consists of a few different earth tones like earth brown, magpul FDE and OD green. I also have black, Parkerizing as well as a clear. I decided that the carbon fiber would look great with OD Green and the Magpul FDE. The Magpul FDE has a tad bit of gray in the color so as to not look overly tan. After prepping the stock by cleaning it with acetone, I carefully placed the multicam stencils. I like to have a nice sunny day to spray the multiple coast of Aluma-Hyde and had that opportunity. I use a couple of ladders to suspend the stock in between, then sprayed the OD green, waited for some drying, then laid the second set of stencils and sprayed the Magpul FDE. Before the finish dries too much I like to remove the stencils so that they don’t stick to the finish on the edges. Once I removed the stencils I followed up with a clear finish and allowed it to continue to dry the remainder of the day. Aluma-Hyde 2 does take up to a couple of weeks to fully air cure. You can speed cure in an oven, but I did not have an oven large enough to fit the stock.

The end result turned out just as I had imagined. The OD green and Magpul FDE contrast nicely along with the carbon fiber. The once bland looking rifle is now something truly special. Next time you’re wanting to create something special, don’t count out Brownells Aluma-Hyde as it’s a perfect opportunity for the home user to create something unique.

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[christiangrest]

When To Refinish or Leave Alone?

With a recent project, I’m having arguments with myself as to whether I should apply a new finish to the firearm or leave it alone. My method of refinishing a firearm or a firearm project has been dependent upon whether or not I wish to do the finish myself or pay a shop to do it. Brownells and their Aluma-Hyde II refinishing system has made it easier for the hobbyist like myself to embark upon a refinishing project on a firearm. The only limiting factor has been the color palette available. But if you’re like me and into military type of firearms, earth tones as well as OD green are available colors and these have been perfect for the majority of the projects I’ve had in mind. Whenever I’m looking for a different color combination or extravagant camouflage patterns, then I look to shops such as Weapon Works or more recently I’ll be using a smaller outfit I found out about that’s closer to home and a small business local to me.

Now onto the big question at hand…when should you refinish a firearm and when should you just leave it alone? This of course is a somewhat subjective question and answer and is largely dependent upon one’s world view in the realm of firearm collecting and customization. If I had an old Marlin lever rifle from the past 50 years that had rough metal and a very worn finish, most likely I would opt towards refinishing that rifle. Obviously a nice polishing and using a deep bluing would be an appropriate method to keep a classic rifle like that looking nice. Now a collector might look at me like I have 3 heads, thinking “you’re destroying that rifle’s history and collectability” when in reality, if the finish is very worn and the metal pitted, I’d much rather bring that rifle back to it’s former glory than let it continue to be neglected.

As far as more modern firearms, when would you want to refinish or apply a new finish? It really depends on what you’re after. Very recently, well last fall I wanted to do something special for my wife. I purchased a brand new Canik Rival pistol from Brownells then took it right over to Weapon Works for a custom purple/black multicam finish. There’s no other in the world quick like it and my wife was ecstatic to say the least. Flip a coin and what about a rifle with an anodized finish such as a coyote or FDE anodized finish? If you’re sole purpose is to apply a different finish, then might I suggest purchasing one in black, then have it refinished. My recent dilemma is with my Colt M16A4 clone project I’ve started on. At first I was dead set on doing a battleworn desert finish, but the more I work on this project, the less I’m inclined to change it.

One thing I will say in closing is don’t rush into a refinishing project on a firearm. Take your time and think out what you’re trying to accomplish. More often than not, once you’ve refinished a firearm, it’s impossible to reverse that finish. So whether you’re looking to refinish your firearm with Aluma-Hyde, cerekote or bluing, be sure to pick up the needed supplies from Brownells as they have you covered.

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[christiangrest]

Aluma-Hyde II…Firearm Finishing for the People.

I consider myself to be a moderately proficient individual when it comes to firearms, especially in the case of building, taking apart as well as troubleshooting. I am mostly self taught, but have just a tad bit of formal training. Now when it comes to the job of refinishing a firearm or applying a protective coating, I’ve merely scratched the surface of the possibilities. With many of my older mil-surp firearms, I’ve went through the task of stripping and re-finishing the various wood stocks, removing cosmoline and sanding said wood. Then applying a stain and then a correct oil or shellac to try and replicate the original looking wood furniture. The metal I typically would clean a bit, then oil as necessary.

A couple of years ago, I received a Charles Daly AR-12 shotgun that I decided I wanted to make an attempt at trying to paint it with a desert kind of camouflage theme. Nothing too crazy, but something just to get my feet wet. Initially I was going to go with a spray paint, but learned about Aluma-Hyde II finish from Brownells. It’s a firearm finish that’s applied from a spray can like a paint would be, but cures much harder. I won’t say that it’s as durable as Cerekote or Duracoat, but it also doesn’t require anything but prepping supplies and the can it comes in. To prep the surface before applying, anything not wanting to finish should be taped up and the entire surface degreased. Removing of anodized finish or bluing isn’t necessary. Aluma-Hyde II will bond to an already existing finish. You can take a Scotchbrite pad and scuff up the surface, but I have found it not to be necessary. I was shocked at how nice the AR-12 shotgun turned out. The only real issue I encountered was sometimes the nozzles would clog up, requiring a clean out. The only other negative is it takes an enormously long time to air cure…up to 2 weeks!

After having gotten my feet wet with my first project, I wanted to try using a stencil pattern to apply a camo finish using Aluma-Hyde II. I chose a woodland pattern from Branson Cerekote to paint my 10.5” BRN-180 pistol in .300 Blackout. This time, I also picked up an extra large toaster oven to oven cure the finish. My understanding with cerekote is to apply each color at a time with cure time in between. Aluma-Hyde II starts to cure after 30+ minutes allowing time to apply more colors/coats and add/remove stencils. I found this to be ideal, but you have to work fairly fast. My first project using stencils came out really nice and I was more than happy with the results.

Since those 2 projects, I’ve completed 2 additional projects using stencils and Aluma-Hyde II finish. I completed an Aero Precision EPC9 as well as another BRN-180 project. Aluma-Hyde II is truly an impressive firearm finish that is easy enough for a novice such as myself to apply and come out with a good looking outcome. Preparation of the surface is truly the key to a good outcome and try not to apply too many colors. 3-4 colors is really the maximum I would recommend since the finish is relatively thick in nature. Now I just wish Brownells would start to offer additional colors!

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[hank-strange]

🔥🔥🔥Project Complete ✅ Brownells BRN 22 Combo Barrel & Receiver P90 / 10-22 BullPup Kit from @hightowerarmory with Brownells Aluma-Hyde II OD Green, HOT LIKE FIRE 🔥🔥🔥 Video Out Soon 🇺🇸🦅 ・・・ 📸 @hankstrange ・・・ @brownellsinc @hankstrange @safetyharborfirearms #p901022 #alumahyde2 #odgreen #hankstrange #safetyharborfirearms #hightowerarmory #bullpupkits #wmmfpodcast #brownells #brn22 #madeinusa #ruger1022 (at Strange Donuts) https://www.instagram.com/p/BqOnF2QnHfN/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=cktn4wc8d9wh

[hank-strange]

🔥🔥🔥This Project is coming together nicely 👍🏾Walter Painted the P90 / 10-22 BullPup Kit from High Tower Armory with Brownells Aluma-Hyde II OD Green, looks better than we thought 🇺🇸🦅 ・・・ 🎥 @safetyharborfirearms ・・・ @brownellsinc @hankstrange #p901022 #alumahyde2 #odgreen #hankstrange #safetyharborfirearms #hightowerarmory #bullpupkits #wmmfpodcast #brownells (at Safety Harbor Firearms) https://www.instagram.com/p/BpYJpoHnaui/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1vdgjp9qmt5lk