So, I opened a small home-based cerakote business in the Midwest as a side gig. This video is spot on. 90 percent of the people around here (quad cities Iowa) have never even heard of cerakote. So, building a client list is difficult if they don't even know what the product is. Do your research and remember, hope for the best, prepare for the worst.
We honestly started this channel to give me a way to get more work done. I used to spend a lot of time on the phone answering questions, and it was cutting into my production time. I figured I'd do a few videos to cover the basics, and could direct people there, and chat on the phone with them in the evenings when we were closed. The channel blew up in a way I never anticipated, and now about 60% of our business is mail-in. RUclips doubled our business within about a year and a half. I seriously don't know why more people don't do it.
I decided to get into Cerakote because I wanted to do my own stuff. Not necessarily just guns. I coat a lot of Jeep parts and other miscellaneous stuff. It was much cheaper to do it myself than pay someone else for everything I wanted done.
Talk about hitting the nail on the head. I like the "be your own boss" instead of having 1 or 2 bosses. When you're a cerakoter every person that walks threw the door is your boss. It doesn't happen often but when it does its hard to remember that these people are your advertising. You have to make 20 people super happy to get as much good advertising as 1 person that's not happy to give bad advertisement.
That's why we tell people that come to our training "Be as good as you think you are." Getting dragged on social media from one bad experience can ruin a business.
I couldn’t say it better John, I have been doing Cerakote about two years now. There’s a lot thangs that you need and practice practice practice & trial and ear whin I started by not shaking the product enough and so on and so forth. I have called you a cupule of times for your advice and you have helped me out and sat me straight thank you. I go to Branson CeraKote for all of my stencil needs A1 service in quality thank you. Stan B
A lot of excellent points. Came here hoping not to hear anything to turn me off from pursuing this and was relieved. I was a little surprised about needing an FFL to work on gun parts, but it makes sense, just didn’t think about it. Thanks for all the insight!
Glad to help. An FFL is only needed for the serialized parts, but honestly no one is going to want the entire AR done minus the lower. After doing this going on ten years, I can tell you the benefits of having an FFL far outweigh any inconvenience it may bring. Get the 07, not the 01.
The side gig after work hours is so true, I have lost count the amount of days I have come home at 11-12 at night trying to finish up orders. I will say the days when people come in with something simple like an AR Chassis or a Glock frame and only want one color in something you have in stock is just so refreshing, and easy money.
Another great vid from one of the few "NO BULLSHITT" guys! I fell into the ILL DO IT FOR MY OWN STUFF! Yes Harbor freight for the win! And hours of watching your vids. I've actually impressed myself numerous times, on my guns and friends stuff. I'm retired, and could I do this for income? NO! I've owned and sold 6 businesses and know what the overhead values are! It's just a lot of fun for me! Thanks for all the info you are generous enough to share.
When people come in my shop, precision machine, one off parts, repairs, etc. they look at the machines and comment on the investment, I take them over and start pulling open drawers and rattling off costs of instruments, tooling, work holding, tool holding, welding, and god knows what else. People under estimate the consumables and cost of what you have to own to do that two hour job and then give you the “that much” response when you stayed up till 0300 after doing what you already had promised that day to get them working again.
1.) It's taken me two years to build a small customer base. 2.) Most large distributors want you to have a separate shop or storefront/brick and mortar and $20,000 minimum income from your business before they will give you an account. 3.) Never ever assume you know what the customer wants without asking them. Ask me how I know. 4.) Time - about one dollar per minute on average to start has worked for me. 5.) I've coated all my guns (some twice) but was more for acquiring experience. bonus.) Being my own boss is GREAT but.... you must be a really good problem solver. Problems will arise and YOU must be the one to solve them. The learning curve on the business end is a challenge. Book keeping, ordering consumables, fixing the blast cabinet, why isn't my gun spraying evenly, I lost a small gun part, oven relays went bad, building a website, learning laser and stencil programs and learning the equipment Great video, and thanks for the training.
Solid advice and information thanks. Regarding tip six I would agree, you're always answerable to someone, the bank, government etc, and most importantly, your customers if you want to stay afloat.
When I got promoted at work, my work week went from 60hr per week to a 40hr work week, cool right? however, after 17yrs of 60hr days I found myself with too much down time so I decided to take up a hobby. Powder coating seemed fun and it is, the Cerakote just seemed like an easy add on. Anyway I was coating tools, and anything else my friends and family had, then word got to a guy and he asked if I’d coat a couple parts for him, he came back the next week with a box of parts and the week after it was a trailer full. Anyway that was two years ago and last month quit my job because I made more coating part time than I did working 40yrs. He’s spot on, everything he said I did, not deliberately just trying to make the job easier. Over the last two years I reinvested in better blast equipment, compression, lighting and ventilation. Another thing he didn’t directly mention was the learning curve, I made all my mistakes before I ever charged anyone, and you will make mistakes.
I have been painting big trucks for a while (volvo 18 wheelers). The paint we use is different from normal auto paint, flows different, dries different. I have done some cerakote and KG stuff over the years...lays very similar actually. I have been thinking about getting into this for a while. I already have my own paint booth, oven, dip tank, etc.. Going to give it a shot. Thank you for your advice!
As an entrepreneur and having owned a moving company, a painting company, a Verizon Wireless, a process serving business and a polyurethane foam insulation company, I would ask why look at the negative and try to discourage people to start the business? Without the drive and desire to be self employed, I would never have made a seven figure income. Encourage, counsel, explain risks and be positive. It will treat you and others much better, I promise. To those of you watching this, don't be discouraged. I am going to start a ceracoat business regardless of his warnings. You never know unless you try. I've been in the coating industry for 27 yrs and have loved it. He's running his business and so can you.
This video is covering a lot of mistaken reasons why people get into Cerakote. We aren't trying to discourage anyone. We have a few hundred videos instructing people on how to correctly apply Cerakote, and have run an on-site applicator course in our shop for several years. Our class last week was for a shop located 50 miles from us. What we were trying to do is put the venture into context. "If you think starting a Cerakote shop is going to be.....", then be careful getting into it. We talk to around 100 people a week either on the phone, email, or through comments and messages on our various social media platforms. Unfortunately, there are a couple a week that we discourage from getting into the industry for a variety of reasons. There is a ton of bad info out there, especially on FB that gives people false expectations, and sometimes they need someone who has been doing it for a long time to point out a few things that they may not have thought of.
I have been in 5 years and I am still just barely making more than paying the rent with great reviews. LOL! Massachusetts is "life on hard mode"! If I wasn't also a competent gunsmith I would have failed. I do same day cerakote probably only place in the world that does that. It is not cheaper...
I'm doin it because the guy who does mine was and still is a stand alone coater. But he had to take another job due to the Ceracoat wasn't doin enough. And the gun work I do and have to wait longer for him to get my stuff finished. So I'm doin it myself and don't have to wait. I understand it will take lots of time to build a base and any money from the coating I will invest into a better blaster and oven...right now what I've got is working great. But for how long can I sustain at this level before needing better equip. Time will tell...
I sorta have one to add but it’s more of what would you say if a person goes into it just as a hobby? Yes it’s expensive but most hobbies are. Lol besides being that the government is so intrusive of FFL holders in WV I wouldn’t want to go that route. Still wanting to go thru your class. Hopefully soon. Thanks for all your help you’ve giving me.
I really appreciate all your videos and advice/instructions. One thing I haven't been able to find answer is Bondo or JB weld. I am looking into Cerakoting a few motorcycle parts and was wondering what can be used to fill nicks, blemishes and even giant wear marks that Cerakote will adhere to?
We use Durafil. The downside is that if you are going to spray a bake on coating over it, it has to air cure for 4 weeks. We have two guns in the shop right now that have had Durafill applied, and they are just hanging around. Thanks for watching. :)
@@BransonCerakote will look into it! That is terribly long to wait...but worth it for some of these repairs. Thanks a ton for all the input you put into the community!
@@carpmanfishhead7063 Glad to help. We just let the customer know up front how long it will take. Durafil is the only repair compound recommended by Cerakote.
@@BransonCerakote Why would the Durafil have to air dry for four weeks? It is bakeable to speed curing time and I believe can also have the curing additive added?
@@troyeberling2432 I have no idea. We were having issues with it, and I specifically stopped at the Durafil booth to talk to them. I was told you can bake it for an hour or so to dry it out, but that it needs 30 days to be completely hard. We still had issues with it, and no longer offer it as a service in our shop.
Aside from an FFL in order to cerakote firearms, what sort of licenses were you required to get because you're handling, using, and disposing of various chemicals? What processes/costs are you required to undergo for disposing of them? What requirements do you have for say, filtration for spraying, etc?
Cerakote is VOC compliant, so there's nothing there unless your local government has something. The only Hazmat you normally have is acetone, but we don't soak in it, so there's no disposal. The little we use evaporates (we degrease in Simple Green). Our booth has a filter bank that catches the overspray, and we just trash them when we are done with them. You will need whatever local, county, and state business licenses they require. You'll probably want to form an LLC, before you apply or you have to start the whole process over later. You need to get an EIN from the IRS.
@@BransonCerakote Thanks, that's very helpful. I'm retired and looking to possibly start into it as a hobby/side thing. I know, it breaks one of your 5 rules, but I'm more interested for my own use with the possibility to offset costs a little, not looking to make a big business. Not concerned about making a profit so much. I have a huge barn, so I have a facility. I can build my own oven and already have blasting equipment.
I'd add be aware Cerakote can weaken or degrade over time. 🙁 A Cerakote application shop in central FL explained that to me in 2022. I was looking into Carbon Grey, Elite coating for my Glock 22 slide. They "claimed" to test, check the Cerakote prior to using it but the Carbon Grey coating is sub standard. ⬇️ The shop did offer a lifetime warranty. But, as noted ask if the color choice is new, fresh.
Hey John, my name is Dave from D & J Firearms Specialist in Mesa, AZ and I have a couple questions for you if you don’t mine. I use 120 grit aluminum oxide and it works great and acetone for a degreaser. I was watching one of your videos and I heard you say something about using simple green for a degreaser and red garnet for sanding. My question is, dose both do a better job or just easier to work with. I use Gun Kote and I am very happy with the results of how my jobs are turning out. If you would like to give some advice to make the job prep better I would like to hear from you. Thank You and talk to you soon.
We use 100g Red Garnet. As long as the surface is sanded, it doesn't really matter. Going finer would result in the etch being too fine and the coating not adhering. Coarser would result in surface damage. We use the 100g Garnet because it's easy to get locally. The big advantage to the SG is it's way cheaper, and doesn't evaporate as quickly. At least around here, a gallon of acetone runs around $20, but 2.5 gallons of SG is $23. The only real difference is that you have to rinse the parts with hot water after pulling them out of SG. Glad to help!
So what range would you put on a beginner coater? We would want to be fair, as a beginner the skill level is not the same as it would be at your shop for instance.
When I started, I literally was doing friends and family for free as long as they got the paint and I got to keep what paint was left for other projects. Did that unit I was sure I could paint along side the best of em.
Honestly, if I went back to the beginning with what I know now, I'd be charging from the go. My coating and supplies don't cost any less than yours. Rent, electric, etc. Skill comes, but time is what they are paying you for. Want to get better? Mix double what you need for every project, and spray the overage on something, preferably with stencils. Tablesaw blades work really well. Dirt cheap at a yard sale or FB, hard metal, and easy to sand back down. Practice, practice, practice.
@@bobbyhale4599 Good deal. Being a competent applicator comes down to following the process (not the FB one, the real one), and practicing. Expertise comes with learning the equipment and the coating. The difference between competent and outstanding is the willingness to try anything. Experimenting and pushing the edge is what makes you stand out.
@@Mors2369 It happens. When we got in, it was around 9 months. I've heard they are much quicker now. Spray all kinds of stuff. Push yourself outside of what you already know how to do. Coat odd shapes, or things with weird angles. Coat materials you wouldn't normally do. There are a lot of things that the FB applicator union will tell you can't be coated, and you have to be willing to do it anyway. Pick up cheap crap at yard sales, and see if it survives the oven. I've been doing shoes for years, and I still get applicators looking at me like I'm some kind of alien.
The factory training doesn't make you an instant expert (neither does ours), however it does give you a good base to build on. They correct any and habits, and make sure you are spraying correctly. You also get some decent discounts being factory certified. However, the downside is the wait (2 years), and the fact that the training is really limited to the coating and application itself. We get people in fairly quickly, and give a pretty broad course as far as the same things they teach, but also HOW to operate a shop, especially in the beginning. We do tell everyone that comes through our class that they eventually need to go out to the factory, if for no other reason than the discounts.
I was medically retired at 40. I figured I'd do this 20 hours a week, make a little money to buy some more guns, something to do. 50+ hours a week, three businesses, and employees later, I'm working as hard as I ever have. Be careful, it sneaks up on you, lol.
Hi. What respirator do you need to use for protection from the fumes etc I have 3M 6001 but I am wondering if its not good enough . Also have you figured out what the clear solution is cerakote uses in the H series it seams o evaporate even with the cap put on very tight Thank you !
We use the 3M 6200, but any 3M mask that will accept the pink organic vapor filters is fine. The solvent used is proprietary. They won't tell you what it is. If it gets too thick to spray, just trash it. We keep ours in a fridge set to the warmest temp (about 55 degrees) and that seems to extend the shelf life to at least 18 months-2 years.
Correct. Cerakote offers about 18 different Elite color choices. Not everyone likes the same shade or color. I have pistols in Midnight, Cement, Carbon Grey.
I am thinking of starting to cerakote some of my enamel painted jewelry. I have had someone else do it for me, and it turns out beautifully. We are using the air cure clear cerakote. I am wondering why the clear cerakote cannot be brushed on by hand with a small paint brush? Since it is clear, it doesn't matter if it is perfectly even. Would it not cure properly? All of the pieces are metal, with a brushed finish under, then have enamel paint on top. Would love to know your thoughts! Thanks!
It won't look smooth if brushed on. If that doesn't matter, my best advice would be to give it a try. Worst case, grab an air brush, airbrush compressor, and an airbrush spray booth. The whole setup would probably cost less than $500.
I always thought coating P80’s and selling them at shows would be a good money maker. You could do a couple different designs with the same 2 or 3 colors and use them as a business card in your display until they sold. If you did it while coating a customers job, all the better.
Most of our display guns for gunshots are 80% chassis. We don't sell those. The advantage is that they are relatively cheap, and when they get a little worn from handling, they take sanding really well, and can be redone. We normally try to redo at least one between every show. The problem we try to talk people out of is buying a bunch of stuff to coat, and flip. More than likely, you're just going to tie up a bunch of money and the stuff is going to hang around for a long time.
One of the most helpful videos for getting started. Awesome advice and great points. It's definitely been tough getting started, tons of trial and error and hard lessons learned
@@andypants97 The problem we see the most is impatience. People want to expand too quickly, and it ends up drowning them. Slow, steady growth is the way to go.
@@BransonCerakote solid advice, I would rather paint one unbeatable gun a month and have word spread positively than ten a month and ruin myself before I even get noticed
@@andypants97 We see it all the time. There was a large manufacturer who had their guys do a gun for SHOT. It was large and in charge right in the middle of their booth. Some of the worst Cerakote I've ever seen.
Is there a good way to touch up chipped spots from the reassembly process? Would a dot of Cerakote on a paint brush applied to the degreased chip spot be sufficient? Or should it just all go back through sandblasting and go back to sandblasted metal then reapply?
There's really no way to patch a blem and have it look the way it's supposed to. We always re-sand and coat again. Also, there may be a problem with your spraying if you are getting chips.
@@BransonCerakote I’m pretty sure it’s the spray gun. I’m using the Carekote starter kit spray gun that’s harbor freight quality. It’s hard to get a proper spray pattern so I’m thinking it’s dry spraying. But I am not sure. The first time it had bubbling in thicker spots. Not it’s not bubbly but then it chips.
This is all true. Took a little over 2 years to have my business pay it's own bills. Another year or so to actually get paid. Lol I also had the advantage of piggybacking onto an existing successful business ...most dont
The 07 is going to let you do the most. If your location doesn't allow it, then you'll have to go with the 01, but it limits you to non-FFL customers only.
The strategic problem with cerakote is that they don't give certifications for applicators and their products could be purchased by anyone. Campare this with the car paint manufacturers.
The give factory certification, and it's good training, but it's still two days. No one is going to come out after two days as an expert. We tell everyone that you have to look at it as a money saving program from the standpoint of all the discounts you get. We can all pick things up to make us better. We train people, but we learn from them all the time.
Being a CeraCoat business does NOT require an FFL unless you are buying and selling firearms. CeraCoating firearms for others, headers, pistons, combustion chambers and other non-firearm parts does NOT require an FFL. I'm a fabricator/welder/painter/powder coater and Prismatic Powder is more than happy to sell me CeraCoat! I'm a disabled veteran on disability income. I'm building up my equipment and skills to start my business next year when my disability becomes Social Security. I don't expect to make thousands of dollars a month but a few hundred or more would be welcome. After all, I will only do the best work and won't take work I can't guarantee the end result.
If you are accepting money from customers for doing serialized parts, an FFL is required. The FFL does also allow you to buy and sell firearms. If you are doing firearms for another FFL, or for resale, you have to have a Type 07 Manufacturers FFL. Automotive items, non-firearm related parts, and non-serialized gun parts do not require an FFL.
Being a cerakot business doesn’t require an FFL license, correct. BUT If you’re in business and you’re coating firearm parts, you cannot legally coat a part with a serial number without an FFL license.
@@BransonCerakote I am a 07 FFL, I specialize in laser engraving and am looking at expanding into cerakote. Nobody locally does it and a lot of people want it. That said, laser engraving does not require a 07 rather a 01 (gunsmith), is cerakote considered "manufacturing" to the ATF and/or TTP as it does not change or alter the function of the firearm in any way aside from aesthetics. I guess the real question is; are you paying excise tax and listing every firearm you coat on your annual AFMER?
@@Canaanlasers If you are buying firearms, coating (or lasering), then reselling, or if you are doing either one for another FFL, you are required to have an 07 (at least according to our IOI, and the way it sounded during the ATF town hall meeting a few weeks ago.) We were told you don't have to pay ITAR unless you manufacture more than 50 guns a year. We don't report coated or lasered firearms, only the ones we manufacture.
@@Canaanlasers If you are cerakoting a customers gun it is considered camoflauging, which requires at minimum a 01 FFL. Some IOI will argue a 07 is required because you're disassembling/assembling but still falls under gunsmithing. If you are cerakoting a new firearm for sale, requires 07. Of course this is all according to which ever the wind blows with your area IOI. If you read the regs, it says it is ok for an 01 to do sublet work for a manufacturer, but like @Branson Cerakote says, it all depends on how your IOI interprets things in your region.
We are pretty transparent. Anyone is welcome to call the shop and talk to us. We have a pretty good reputation for being friendly and helpful. You'll never really find us bad mouthing competition or screaming into the void on social media. We've seen shops that seem to run on anger and frustration, and that's just not our deal. We are a fun place to work, and train. We've had hundreds of people come through our training program, and have never had bad feedback. Here's a link to our training program video in case you're interested. ruclips.net/video/K-X5XUGFujo/видео.html
True. Our channel is primarily targeted towards people in the firearms industry. If someone is doing Cerakote on a firearm (the definition of which is a serialized part) and they are accepting money, then they are required to have one. If they just stick to non-serialized parts (good luck finding a customer who only wants the non-serialized parts done, and wants the lower receiver basic black), or are doing other items such as automotive parts, then an FFL is not required. However, having the FFL allows people to be a full service shop, and opens many, many doors that the firearms industry has to offer. What I was referring to in that comment were the people we see on Facebook who are doing firearms for money, and don't have one. A common "trick" I see is "If you don't keep it more than 24 hours, then you don't have to have an FFL", which is not true at all. Thanks for commenting. I always look forward to opportunities to clarify.
If you are coating serialized parts as a business, then you need one. If it's your own (only) or if you are doing only non-serialized parts (who'd want that?), then no. The safe and legal way is to get your FFL if you want to do it as a business.
Trying to hold his inflated prices. And before you say something stupid I own a huge plating shop in Southern California and we cerakote on top of many many many other processes.
Our pricing is pretty standard across the industry. If you'd like to send me a link to your pricing page, I'd be happy to take a look for you to see if there's someplace we could suggest some adjustment.
We've never tried to discourage competitors. There are 400 million guns in America. No shop can get them all. Plus, we train other applicators from around the country in our shop with our on-site applicator training program (shameless plug for our training program).
ATF watches to see if you’re collecting vs selling to lol. I run an FFL from home for 10 years. Got inspected at least once a year but I never accumulated any guns I always done the order thing when someone wanted a gun. I didn’t buy a bunch of guns up to sit on and never sell
So, I opened a small home-based cerakote business in the Midwest as a side gig. This video is spot on. 90 percent of the people around here (quad cities Iowa) have never even heard of cerakote. So, building a client list is difficult if they don't even know what the product is. Do your research and remember, hope for the best, prepare for the worst.
We honestly started this channel to give me a way to get more work done. I used to spend a lot of time on the phone answering questions, and it was cutting into my production time. I figured I'd do a few videos to cover the basics, and could direct people there, and chat on the phone with them in the evenings when we were closed. The channel blew up in a way I never anticipated, and now about 60% of our business is mail-in. RUclips doubled our business within about a year and a half. I seriously don't know why more people don't do it.
I got into cerakote because I wanted to be my own boss after retirement. TOTALLY forgot that I was married and that will never happen...
Agreed
Those are the mistakes that led us to this video, LOL!
I decided to get into Cerakote because I wanted to do my own stuff. Not necessarily just guns. I coat a lot of Jeep parts and other miscellaneous stuff. It was much cheaper to do it myself than pay someone else for everything I wanted done.
Absolutely nothing wrong with that. Every situation is different.
Talk about hitting the nail on the head. I like the "be your own boss" instead of having 1 or 2 bosses. When you're a cerakoter every person that walks threw the door is your boss. It doesn't happen often but when it does its hard to remember that these people are your advertising. You have to make 20 people super happy to get as much good advertising as 1 person that's not happy to give bad advertisement.
That's why we tell people that come to our training "Be as good as you think you are." Getting dragged on social media from one bad experience can ruin a business.
I couldn’t say it better John, I have been doing Cerakote about two years now. There’s a lot thangs that you need and practice practice practice & trial and ear whin I started by not shaking the product enough and so on and so forth. I have called you a cupule of times for your advice and you have helped me out and sat me straight thank you. I go to Branson CeraKote for all of my stencil needs A1 service in quality thank you.
Stan B
Glad to help brother. We appreciate your business.
A lot of excellent points. Came here hoping not to hear anything to turn me off from pursuing this and was relieved. I was a little surprised about needing an FFL to work on gun parts, but it makes sense, just didn’t think about it. Thanks for all the insight!
Glad to help. An FFL is only needed for the serialized parts, but honestly no one is going to want the entire AR done minus the lower. After doing this going on ten years, I can tell you the benefits of having an FFL far outweigh any inconvenience it may bring. Get the 07, not the 01.
You certainly speak the truth Sir……Been doing it for years and everything here is spot on
Great minds think alike.
The side gig after work hours is so true, I have lost count the amount of days I have come home at 11-12 at night trying to finish up orders. I will say the days when people come in with something simple like an AR Chassis or a Glock frame and only want one color in something you have in stock is just so refreshing, and easy money.
Totally. We get a fairly good mix.
Another great vid from one of the few "NO BULLSHITT" guys!
I fell into the ILL DO IT FOR MY OWN STUFF!
Yes Harbor freight for the win!
And hours of watching your vids.
I've actually impressed myself numerous times, on my guns and friends stuff.
I'm retired, and could I do this for income? NO!
I've owned and sold 6 businesses and know what the overhead values are!
It's just a lot of fun for me!
Thanks for all the info you are generous enough to share.
Any time. Shoot us a call at the shop if you run into any issues.
When people come in my shop, precision machine, one off parts, repairs, etc. they look at the machines and comment on the investment, I take them over and start pulling open drawers and rattling off costs of instruments, tooling, work holding, tool holding, welding, and god knows what else. People under estimate the consumables and cost of what you have to own to do that two hour job and then give you the “that much” response when you stayed up till 0300 after doing what you already had promised that day to get them working again.
It's the one ahole out of a thousand that makes the comments.
1.) It's taken me two years to build a small customer base.
2.) Most large distributors want you to have a separate shop or storefront/brick and mortar and $20,000 minimum income from your business before they will give you an account.
3.) Never ever assume you know what the customer wants without asking them. Ask me how I know.
4.) Time - about one dollar per minute on average to start has worked for me.
5.) I've coated all my guns (some twice) but was more for acquiring experience.
bonus.) Being my own boss is GREAT but.... you must be a really good problem solver. Problems will arise and YOU must be the one to solve them. The learning curve on the business end is a challenge. Book keeping, ordering consumables, fixing the blast cabinet, why isn't my gun spraying evenly, I lost a small gun part, oven relays went bad, building a website, learning laser and stencil programs and learning the equipment
Great video, and thanks for the training.
Really good info. Thanks for the comment.
Solid advice and information thanks. Regarding tip six I would agree, you're always answerable to someone, the bank, government etc, and most importantly, your customers if you want to stay afloat.
Tru Dat.
Excellent and informative. Thanks
Thanks for watching!
When I got promoted at work, my work week went from 60hr per week to a 40hr work week, cool right? however, after 17yrs of 60hr days I found myself with too much down time so I decided to take up a hobby. Powder coating seemed fun and it is, the Cerakote just seemed like an easy add on. Anyway I was coating tools, and anything else my friends and family had, then word got to a guy and he asked if I’d coat a couple parts for him, he came back the next week with a box of parts and the week after it was a trailer full. Anyway that was two years ago and last month quit my job because I made more coating part time than I did working 40yrs. He’s spot on, everything he said I did, not deliberately just trying to make the job easier. Over the last two years I reinvested in better blast equipment, compression, lighting and ventilation. Another thing he didn’t directly mention was the learning curve, I made all my mistakes before I ever charged anyone, and you will make mistakes.
Good info. Thanks for posting.
I have been painting big trucks for a while (volvo 18 wheelers). The paint we use is different from normal auto paint, flows different, dries different.
I have done some cerakote and KG stuff over the years...lays very similar actually.
I have been thinking about getting into this for a while. I already have my own paint booth, oven, dip tank, etc..
Going to give it a shot.
Thank you for your advice!
Glad to help. Call the shop if you run into any issues.
@@BransonCerakote i appreciate that! Im sure ill take you up on it!
Excellent advice that applies to most any start up business
We made our share of mistakes starting out.
As an entrepreneur and having owned a moving company, a painting company, a Verizon Wireless, a process serving business and a polyurethane foam insulation company, I would ask why look at the negative and try to discourage people to start the business? Without the drive and desire to be self employed, I would never have made a seven figure income. Encourage, counsel, explain risks and be positive. It will treat you and others much better, I promise. To those of you watching this, don't be discouraged. I am going to start a ceracoat business regardless of his warnings. You never know unless you try. I've been in the coating industry for 27 yrs and have loved it. He's running his business and so can you.
This video is covering a lot of mistaken reasons why people get into Cerakote. We aren't trying to discourage anyone. We have a few hundred videos instructing people on how to correctly apply Cerakote, and have run an on-site applicator course in our shop for several years. Our class last week was for a shop located 50 miles from us. What we were trying to do is put the venture into context. "If you think starting a Cerakote shop is going to be.....", then be careful getting into it. We talk to around 100 people a week either on the phone, email, or through comments and messages on our various social media platforms. Unfortunately, there are a couple a week that we discourage from getting into the industry for a variety of reasons. There is a ton of bad info out there, especially on FB that gives people false expectations, and sometimes they need someone who has been doing it for a long time to point out a few things that they may not have thought of.
I have been in 5 years and I am still just barely making more than paying the rent with great reviews. LOL!
Massachusetts is "life on hard mode"! If I wasn't also a competent gunsmith I would have failed.
I do same day cerakote probably only place in the world that does that. It is not cheaper...
Holy crap! We barely get stuff processed the same day. We run between 5-8 weeks. The stuff keeps coming tho.
Crap you shattered my dreams. Back to the board and tons of “how to get FFL” videos.
If you get stuck, call the shop.
I'm doin it because the guy who does mine was and still is a stand alone coater. But he had to take another job due to the Ceracoat wasn't doin enough. And the gun work I do and have to wait longer for him to get my stuff finished. So I'm doin it myself and don't have to wait. I understand it will take lots of time to build a base and any money from the coating I will invest into a better blaster and oven...right now what I've got is working great. But for how long can I sustain at this level before needing better equip. Time will tell...
Absolutely. That's the way to do it.
I sorta have one to add but it’s more of what would you say if a person goes into it just as a hobby?
Yes it’s expensive but most hobbies are. Lol besides being that the government is so intrusive of FFL holders in WV I wouldn’t want to go that route. Still wanting to go thru your class. Hopefully soon. Thanks for all your help you’ve giving me.
Love to have you.
I really appreciate all your videos and advice/instructions. One thing I haven't been able to find answer is Bondo or JB weld. I am looking into Cerakoting a few motorcycle parts and was wondering what can be used to fill nicks, blemishes and even giant wear marks that Cerakote will adhere to?
We use Durafil. The downside is that if you are going to spray a bake on coating over it, it has to air cure for 4 weeks. We have two guns in the shop right now that have had Durafill applied, and they are just hanging around.
Thanks for watching. :)
@@BransonCerakote will look into it! That is terribly long to wait...but worth it for some of these repairs. Thanks a ton for all the input you put into the community!
@@carpmanfishhead7063 Glad to help. We just let the customer know up front how long it will take. Durafil is the only repair compound recommended by Cerakote.
@@BransonCerakote Why would the Durafil have to air dry for four weeks? It is bakeable to speed curing time and I believe can also have the curing additive added?
@@troyeberling2432 I have no idea. We were having issues with it, and I specifically stopped at the Durafil booth to talk to them. I was told you can bake it for an hour or so to dry it out, but that it needs 30 days to be completely hard. We still had issues with it, and no longer offer it as a service in our shop.
Another dream dashed by reality.
Great vid. Thank you.
Lol, great! Now I won't be able to sleep tonight.
Great help Thank You!!
No worries.
I have no need or want to be doing this full time. I enjoy coating as a hobby
Good deal brother. I intended to do about 20 hours a week. Now I feel like I'm getting over when it's less than 60.
Aside from an FFL in order to cerakote firearms, what sort of licenses were you required to get because you're handling, using, and disposing of various chemicals? What processes/costs are you required to undergo for disposing of them? What requirements do you have for say, filtration for spraying, etc?
Cerakote is VOC compliant, so there's nothing there unless your local government has something. The only Hazmat you normally have is acetone, but we don't soak in it, so there's no disposal. The little we use evaporates (we degrease in Simple Green). Our booth has a filter bank that catches the overspray, and we just trash them when we are done with them. You will need whatever local, county, and state business licenses they require. You'll probably want to form an LLC, before you apply or you have to start the whole process over later. You need to get an EIN from the IRS.
@@BransonCerakote Thanks, that's very helpful. I'm retired and looking to possibly start into it as a hobby/side thing. I know, it breaks one of your 5 rules, but I'm more interested for my own use with the possibility to offset costs a little, not looking to make a big business. Not concerned about making a profit so much. I have a huge barn, so I have a facility. I can build my own oven and already have blasting equipment.
@@edwardlance2379 Nothing wrong with that. What I meant by that is that it's a really cost inefficient way to do two or three guns.
I'd add be aware Cerakote can weaken or degrade over time. 🙁 A Cerakote application shop in central FL explained that to me in 2022. I was looking into Carbon Grey, Elite coating for my Glock 22 slide. They "claimed" to test, check the Cerakote prior to using it but the Carbon Grey coating is sub standard. ⬇️ The shop did offer a lifetime warranty. But, as noted ask if the color choice is new, fresh.
Haven't heard of that before. The coating will wear, but shouldn't go to the metal.
Hey John, my name is Dave from D & J Firearms Specialist in Mesa, AZ and I have a couple questions for you if you don’t mine. I use 120 grit aluminum oxide and it works great and acetone for a degreaser. I was watching one of your videos and I heard you say something about using simple green for a degreaser and red garnet for sanding. My question is, dose both do a better job or just easier to work with. I use Gun Kote and I am very happy with the results of how my jobs are turning out. If you would like to give some advice to make the job prep better I would like to hear from you. Thank You and talk to you soon.
We use 100g Red Garnet. As long as the surface is sanded, it doesn't really matter. Going finer would result in the etch being too fine and the coating not adhering. Coarser would result in surface damage. We use the 100g Garnet because it's easy to get locally. The big advantage to the SG is it's way cheaper, and doesn't evaporate as quickly. At least around here, a gallon of acetone runs around $20, but 2.5 gallons of SG is $23. The only real difference is that you have to rinse the parts with hot water after pulling them out of SG. Glad to help!
So what range would you put on a beginner coater? We would want to be fair, as a beginner the skill level is not the same as it would be at your shop for instance.
When I started, I literally was doing friends and family for free as long as they got the paint and I got to keep what paint was left for other projects. Did that unit I was sure I could paint along side the best of em.
That's where I'm at currently. Im working for materials only..FFL is taking forever...
Honestly, if I went back to the beginning with what I know now, I'd be charging from the go. My coating and supplies don't cost any less than yours. Rent, electric, etc. Skill comes, but time is what they are paying you for. Want to get better? Mix double what you need for every project, and spray the overage on something, preferably with stencils. Tablesaw blades work really well. Dirt cheap at a yard sale or FB, hard metal, and easy to sand back down. Practice, practice, practice.
@@bobbyhale4599 Good deal. Being a competent applicator comes down to following the process (not the FB one, the real one), and practicing. Expertise comes with learning the equipment and the coating. The difference between competent and outstanding is the willingness to try anything. Experimenting and pushing the edge is what makes you stand out.
@@Mors2369 It happens. When we got in, it was around 9 months. I've heard they are much quicker now. Spray all kinds of stuff. Push yourself outside of what you already know how to do. Coat odd shapes, or things with weird angles. Coat materials you wouldn't normally do. There are a lot of things that the FB applicator union will tell you can't be coated, and you have to be willing to do it anyway. Pick up cheap crap at yard sales, and see if it survives the oven. I've been doing shoes for years, and I still get applicators looking at me like I'm some kind of alien.
To go to the "next" level, is it better to be factory trained or through a class like yours?
The factory training doesn't make you an instant expert (neither does ours), however it does give you a good base to build on. They correct any and habits, and make sure you are spraying correctly. You also get some decent discounts being factory certified. However, the downside is the wait (2 years), and the fact that the training is really limited to the coating and application itself. We get people in fairly quickly, and give a pretty broad course as far as the same things they teach, but also HOW to operate a shop, especially in the beginning. We do tell everyone that comes through our class that they eventually need to go out to the factory, if for no other reason than the discounts.
I’m looking to have some fun and to have a side gig as I slide into retirement. I don’t have any illusions 😂
I was medically retired at 40. I figured I'd do this 20 hours a week, make a little money to buy some more guns, something to do. 50+ hours a week, three businesses, and employees later, I'm working as hard as I ever have. Be careful, it sneaks up on you, lol.
Hi.
What respirator do you need to use for protection from the fumes etc
I have 3M 6001 but I am wondering if its not good enough .
Also have you figured out what the clear solution is cerakote uses in the H series
it seams o evaporate even with the cap put on very tight
Thank you !
We use the 3M 6200, but any 3M mask that will accept the pink organic vapor filters is fine.
The solvent used is proprietary. They won't tell you what it is. If it gets too thick to spray, just trash it. We keep ours in a fridge set to the warmest temp (about 55 degrees) and that seems to extend the shelf life to at least 18 months-2 years.
@@BransonCerakote
Awesome Thank you, I feel better knowing about the filter
@@MrSteppingstone888 Glad to help.
Every Point seems perfectly logical to me. But then again I have a business degree, and many businesses you could apply these exact same points.
Building guns is the same with or without the cerakote. People want to personalize guns.
Sure they do. Getting into Cerakote correctly is just an expensive way to do it.
Correct. Cerakote offers about 18 different Elite color choices. Not everyone likes the same shade or color. I have pistols in Midnight, Cement, Carbon Grey.
I am thinking of starting to cerakote some of my enamel painted jewelry. I have had someone else do it for me, and it turns out beautifully. We are using the air cure clear cerakote. I am wondering why the clear cerakote cannot be brushed on by hand with a small paint brush? Since it is clear, it doesn't matter if it is perfectly even. Would it not cure properly? All of the pieces are metal, with a brushed finish under, then have enamel paint on top. Would love to know your thoughts! Thanks!
It won't look smooth if brushed on. If that doesn't matter, my best advice would be to give it a try. Worst case, grab an air brush, airbrush compressor, and an airbrush spray booth. The whole setup would probably cost less than $500.
@@BransonCerakote thank you!
FIRST!!
Damn! Beat me to it!
I always thought coating P80’s and selling them at shows would be a good money maker. You could do a couple different designs with the same 2 or 3 colors and use them as a business card in your display until they sold. If you did it while coating a customers job, all the better.
Most of our display guns for gunshots are 80% chassis. We don't sell those. The advantage is that they are relatively cheap, and when they get a little worn from handling, they take sanding really well, and can be redone. We normally try to redo at least one between every show. The problem we try to talk people out of is buying a bunch of stuff to coat, and flip. More than likely, you're just going to tie up a bunch of money and the stuff is going to hang around for a long time.
One of the most helpful videos for getting started. Awesome advice and great points. It's definitely been tough getting started, tons of trial and error and hard lessons learned
@@andypants97 The problem we see the most is impatience. People want to expand too quickly, and it ends up drowning them. Slow, steady growth is the way to go.
@@BransonCerakote solid advice, I would rather paint one unbeatable gun a month and have word spread positively than ten a month and ruin myself before I even get noticed
@@andypants97 We see it all the time. There was a large manufacturer who had their guys do a gun for SHOT. It was large and in charge right in the middle of their booth. Some of the worst Cerakote I've ever seen.
Is there a good way to touch up chipped spots from the reassembly process?
Would a dot of Cerakote on a paint brush applied to the degreased chip spot be sufficient?
Or should it just all go back through sandblasting and go back to sandblasted metal then reapply?
There's really no way to patch a blem and have it look the way it's supposed to. We always re-sand and coat again. Also, there may be a problem with your spraying if you are getting chips.
@@BransonCerakote
I’m pretty sure it’s the spray gun.
I’m using the Carekote starter kit spray gun that’s harbor freight quality.
It’s hard to get a proper spray pattern so I’m thinking it’s dry spraying. But I am not sure.
The first time it had bubbling in thicker spots. Not it’s not bubbly but then it chips.
@@casmith245 If you want to email me a pic or two, I can probably dial you in. info@bransoncerakote.com
@@BransonCerakote
I appreciate it thank you!
@@casmith245 Glad to help.
This is all true. Took a little over 2 years to have my business pay it's own bills. Another year or so to actually get paid. Lol
I also had the advantage of piggybacking onto an existing successful business ...most dont
Same with us.
Why do you need an ffl to cerakote?
ATF considers it gunsmithing if you are doing it for profit.
What ffl do you need?
The 07 is going to let you do the most. If your location doesn't allow it, then you'll have to go with the 01, but it limits you to non-FFL customers only.
The strategic problem with cerakote is that they don't give certifications for applicators and their products could be purchased by anyone.
Campare this with the car paint manufacturers.
The give factory certification, and it's good training, but it's still two days. No one is going to come out after two days as an expert. We tell everyone that you have to look at it as a money saving program from the standpoint of all the discounts you get. We can all pick things up to make us better. We train people, but we learn from them all the time.
That's everything one it always takes 2 years for a small business to get off the ground
Absolutely. We expanded and ran into a period where we had to adjust again. Happens.
Being a CeraCoat business does NOT require an FFL unless you are buying and selling firearms. CeraCoating firearms for others, headers, pistons, combustion chambers and other non-firearm parts does NOT require an FFL. I'm a fabricator/welder/painter/powder coater and Prismatic Powder is more than happy to sell me CeraCoat! I'm a disabled veteran on disability income. I'm building up my equipment and skills to start my business next year when my disability becomes Social Security. I don't expect to make thousands of dollars a month but a few hundred or more would be welcome. After all, I will only do the best work and won't take work I can't guarantee the end result.
If you are accepting money from customers for doing serialized parts, an FFL is required. The FFL does also allow you to buy and sell firearms. If you are doing firearms for another FFL, or for resale, you have to have a Type 07 Manufacturers FFL. Automotive items, non-firearm related parts, and non-serialized gun parts do not require an FFL.
Being a cerakot business doesn’t require an FFL license, correct. BUT If you’re in business and you’re coating firearm parts, you cannot legally coat a part with a serial number without an FFL license.
@@BransonCerakote I am a 07 FFL, I specialize in laser engraving and am looking at expanding into cerakote. Nobody locally does it and a lot of people want it. That said, laser engraving does not require a 07 rather a 01 (gunsmith), is cerakote considered "manufacturing" to the ATF and/or TTP as it does not change or alter the function of the firearm in any way aside from aesthetics. I guess the real question is; are you paying excise tax and listing every firearm you coat on your annual AFMER?
@@Canaanlasers If you are buying firearms, coating (or lasering), then reselling, or if you are doing either one for another FFL, you are required to have an 07 (at least according to our IOI, and the way it sounded during the ATF town hall meeting a few weeks ago.) We were told you don't have to pay ITAR unless you manufacture more than 50 guns a year. We don't report coated or lasered firearms, only the ones we manufacture.
@@Canaanlasers If you are cerakoting a customers gun it is considered camoflauging, which requires at minimum a 01 FFL. Some IOI will argue a 07 is required because you're disassembling/assembling but still falls under gunsmithing. If you are cerakoting a new firearm for sale, requires 07. Of course this is all according to which ever the wind blows with your area IOI. If you read the regs, it says it is ok for an 01 to do sublet work for a manufacturer, but like @Branson Cerakote says, it all depends on how your IOI interprets things in your region.
Someone should check to see if this guy has done the thousands of dollars for cerakote training as we have.
We are pretty transparent. Anyone is welcome to call the shop and talk to us. We have a pretty good reputation for being friendly and helpful. You'll never really find us bad mouthing competition or screaming into the void on social media. We've seen shops that seem to run on anger and frustration, and that's just not our deal. We are a fun place to work, and train. We've had hundreds of people come through our training program, and have never had bad feedback. Here's a link to our training program video in case you're interested. ruclips.net/video/K-X5XUGFujo/видео.html
You don't have to have an ffl to cerakote
True. Our channel is primarily targeted towards people in the firearms industry. If someone is doing Cerakote on a firearm (the definition of which is a serialized part) and they are accepting money, then they are required to have one. If they just stick to non-serialized parts (good luck finding a customer who only wants the non-serialized parts done, and wants the lower receiver basic black), or are doing other items such as automotive parts, then an FFL is not required. However, having the FFL allows people to be a full service shop, and opens many, many doors that the firearms industry has to offer. What I was referring to in that comment were the people we see on Facebook who are doing firearms for money, and don't have one. A common "trick" I see is "If you don't keep it more than 24 hours, then you don't have to have an FFL", which is not true at all.
Thanks for commenting. I always look forward to opportunities to clarify.
Are you seriously required to have an ffl to cerakote what if my primary need isn’t for firearms 😂 shit I wouldn’t mind getting an ffl tho
If you are coating serialized parts as a business, then you need one. If it's your own (only) or if you are doing only non-serialized parts (who'd want that?), then no. The safe and legal way is to get your FFL if you want to do it as a business.
Trying to hold his inflated prices. And before you say something stupid I own a huge plating shop in Southern California and we cerakote on top of many many many other processes.
Our pricing is pretty standard across the industry. If you'd like to send me a link to your pricing page, I'd be happy to take a look for you to see if there's someplace we could suggest some adjustment.
While he's a cerakote applicator...lol way to discourage potential competitors.
We've never tried to discourage competitors. There are 400 million guns in America. No shop can get them all. Plus, we train other applicators from around the country in our shop with our on-site applicator training program (shameless plug for our training program).
ATF watches to see if you’re collecting vs selling to lol. I run an FFL from home for 10 years. Got inspected at least once a year but I never accumulated any guns I always done the order thing when someone wanted a gun. I didn’t buy a bunch of guns up to sit on and never sell
Nothing wrong with that.