Updated 19 October 2026
Most jobs are back with you 5 to 10 working days after the parts arrive. Your instant quote gives a date for your specific job. Simple one-colour parts sit at the fast end; stripping, two-tone work, clear coats, air-cured exhaust coatings and very large parts take longer. If your deadline cannot move, say so when you quote and we will tell you what is possible.
Where the time goes
Cerakote is a process, not a single spray. Each stage has to finish before the next can start, and most of the elapsed time is cure time and queue time rather than labour.
- Booking in and inspection on arrival: we check the parts against the quote and the masking notes.
- Degreasing: cutting fluid, grease and fingerprints are removed, because Cerakote will not bond to them.
- Masking and plugging: every feature that must stay bare is plugged or taped. On complex parts this is the longest hands-on stage.
- Blasting to a clean, uniform profile for the coating to grip.
- Spraying by hand in thin coats, working round the part.
- Curing: oven-cured finishes go through the manufacturer's time and temperature cycle; the air-cured C-Series is touch dry within the hour but reaches full cure after about five days.
- Inspection and packing: film thickness, coverage and colour are checked before anything leaves.
You can see the stages on a real part on The Process page.
What makes a job slower
- Stripping. Old paint, powder coat or plating has to come off before preparation starts.
- Two-tone and masked designs. Each colour is a separate mask, spray and cure cycle.
- Clear coats and effects. A clear or an FX effect over a base colour adds a cycle.
- C-Series exhaust coatings. Air cure is slower than an oven cycle, and the coating reaches full hardness about five days after spraying, so treat it gently for the first week.
- Large parts. Our oven takes parts up to three metres long, but a three-metre exhaust fills it on its own.
- Parts arriving assembled. Bearings, seals, inserts and rubber have to come out before blasting. Send parts bare and the job starts the day it arrives.
- Waiting on a decision. If a colour, masking detail or a damaged part needs your confirmation, the job waits until we hear back.
What makes a job faster
- Upload a STEP file so masking is planned before the parts arrive.
- List every thread, bore and face that must stay bare in the quote notes.
- Send new or fully stripped parts, disassembled and dry.
- Choose a standard H-Series colour from the Colour Room.
- Tell us the real deadline. We plan the oven and booth around it.
Production batches
Repeat batches run on a schedule agreed with you. Once the first batch has set the masking jig, the colour reference and the inspection standard, later batches move through faster and every part is matched to the first. Tell us the expected volume and cadence when you quote and we will give you a standing lead time.
Questions people ask
How long does Cerakote take to cure?
Oven-cured H-Series finishes cure in one oven cycle, typically one to two hours at 121°C to 149°C (250°F to 300°F) depending on the colour. Air-cured C-Series finishes are touch dry within the hour and reach full cure after about five days.
Can you do a rush job?
Often, yes. Tell us the date you need the parts and we will say whether we can meet it and whether it changes the price. The earlier you tell us, the more likely the answer is yes.
Does lead time start when I order or when parts arrive?
When the parts arrive with us, ready to prepare. Parts that need stripping or disassembly start their lead time once that is done.
Do you collect and deliver?
Most customers post or courier parts to our workshop in Towcester and we return them the same way. Ask in the quote if you need something different.