80% Lower Build..........Question

[Dfreedom]

So, sometime in the near future I am going to try my hand at finishing out an 80% lower. I have an Anderson lower that is already black anodized. My question is this. What do you do with the areas that you have milled out since you will now have exposed aluminum? How do you or what do you use to cover these freshly milled areas?

Thanks

[Lobster]

BIRCHWOOD CASEY ALUMINUM BLACK | Brownells

[Cool_Rick]

Looks like Brownells is out, but there are other retailers that have them or will have them in stock soon. Don’t have any experience with that product, but their regular blue is pretty decent.

[Dfreedom]

Excellent. Thank you both!

[tsmak2002]

I just left raw aluminum, it’s inside and it’s easy to see parts against the silver.

[Dfreedom]

Yeah, I know it won’t hurt to leave it “as is” but, I’m a little OCD when it comes to that kind of thing and it would drive me crazy.

[res00imd]

I just did my first! It was not as difficult as I had feared. Just go slow and methodically. I even did black Cerakote myself (also a first). All of it was a great experience.

[Cool_Rick]

How does it fit?

That cerakote job looks great, especially for a first time. I’m more into matte finishes, but that is nice.

[res00imd]

Fits very well to the upper from Palmetto!!! The Cerakote was just a lot of steps…none difficult (acetone bath, gas out in toaster oven, sandblast, airbrush, bake in toaster oven).

[Dfreedom]

That looks great!

[Tragac]

Nothing I use a little lock tight on them and it conceals the shine and keeps it tight!

[Lobster]

DIY Aluminium Anodizing

DIY Aluminium Anodizing

[dorzak]

To summarize - there are several DIY options. From easiest to most difficult/require tools we have -

• Just leave it. The places you are milling will be covered by parts
• Get a paint/brush/dab on finish to match designed for firearm parts
• Cerakote
• Anodize it yourself

I personally would just leave it.

[jeepdave551]

a nice butter milk ,oatmeal base keeps wrinkles at bay

[richardteran1]

Will an Easy Bake oven work? I don’t have a toaster oven, and we got rid of our microwave years ago,

[richardteran1]

I have a polymer lower that I messed up - so I experimented in painting it. Just used some Rustoleum paint cans (several years old - so probably NOT great anymore). Walmart has spray paint cans for less than $4 each - I might try doing a rifle in a dark camo. This lower (I painted both sides of it) was a light color to start.

[res00imd]

I am not sure…if it can hold 350 I suppose so, but I’d be worried about the space. I bought a a used toaster oven for $15 and it worked well…but was a tight fit. I had to assemble a ‘stand’ to hold the lower instead of hanging it. But it did work well.

[res00imd]

[Lobster]

Impressive macgyver gunsmithing! Nice job.
I’ll bet that was fun to get that whole thing to work.

[FlyOverCountryPeasan]

I’d reccomend Duracoat. A airbrush kit from harbor freight and a toaster oven is a food investment and you’ll be setup for future projects. You can also save money by buying “raw” finish parts