Re-painting to OG finish?..

Hyprlite2007 · #1 11-09-09, 22:08

Ok so heres the story, I got my AR and thought it would be fun and different to paint my weapon, did so with Krylon spray paint, looked good didnt chip too bad and lasted a while.. now heres the dilemma, I want to go back to the original finish or color, not sure how to do so.. heard from a buddy to blue it but if thats the case, which one to buy or how to. Obviously sanding would apply, what grit or process is recommended? Pretty new to it all so any tips would be appreciated. Thanks.

rhewitt · #2 11-10-09, 01:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hyprlite2007

Ok so heres the story, I got my AR and thought it would be fun and different to paint my weapon, did so with Krylon spray paint, looked good didnt chip too bad and lasted a while.. now heres the dilemma, I want to go back to the original finish or color, not sure how to do so.. heard from a buddy to blue it but if thats the case, which one to buy or how to. Obviously sanding would apply, what grit or process is recommended? Pretty new to it all so any tips would be appreciated. Thanks.

I used ACETONE it seems to work pretty well.

4thPointOfContact · #3 11-10-09, 10:04

Acetone to strip the Krylon. Don't use a mechanical (abrasive) means unless it's the very last thing you can try.

And tell your buddy that you can't blue aluminum.

Hyprlite2007 · #4 11-10-09, 18:03

Thanks for the tips guys, my buddy said he did it on a .50 cal when he was in ft. hood.. guess its a different material.

11b4v · #5 11-12-09, 17:04

soak in Acetone. the paint will peel/bubble. scrub with a cleaning kit brush or similiar.

I finish with GunScrubber, then re-lube using several drops of CLP on a shaving brush. Mine always turn out looking good as new.

Hyprlite2007 · #6 11-12-09, 18:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by 11b4v

soak in Acetone. the paint will peel/bubble.

how long would you say it takes to get loose enough to scrub off?

Col_Crocs · #7 11-12-09, 19:49

Not long... Did you paint your plastic components as well? IM a little worried about the effect the acetone will have on them...

Hyprlite2007 · #8 11-12-09, 20:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Col_Crocs

Not long... Did you paint your plastic components as well? IM a little worried about the effect the acetone will have on them...

I did on my stock, I googled the effects and they say it would melt plastic material so Ill find a different solution for that, thanks for the heads up I didnt even think about that..

Gentoo · #9 11-13-09, 01:28

Just get a new stock and don't bother with the acetone on it.

Belmont31R · #10 11-13-09, 04:14

What kind of stock is it? Most any quality stock will not be hurt by acetone in short bursts.

Here is what I would do, and have done.

Break the gun down so you have all the painted pieces seperated (stock, grips, complete lower, et cetera). Get a tub and a larger container of acetone. Id also wear chemical gloves. Let the parts soak for a minute or two, and then take something like an automotive wheel brush, and scrub the parts. Use a tooth brush or cleaning brush to get into the tighter spots. Its also recommended to keep some fresh acetone aside because the acetone in the tub will become contaminated with all the paint that came off your gun. Then take a rag, soak with acetone, and wipe the parts down one more time.

Once you have the parts free of paint wipe everything down with a oily rag, and then reassemble and lube as normal.

Bluing goes on steel parts.

Anodizing is for aluminum.

Acetone will not remove the anodizing from your rifle, and there is no need to refinish the gun. Just make sure you wipe with oil because acetone will remove any sort of protective oil film you had on there.

Hyprlite2007 · #11 11-13-09, 17:27

So heres the update.. I went to the store, saw the acetone and paint thinner right next to it, thought its probably going to give me the same effect and also not hurt my plastic components as bad plus it was a dollar more for 3 times as much so I went with it and put it in a bucket, let the rails soak first (as a test run), ended up leaving them in for over an hour (with the occasional check-up) to come back and see that the paint didnt come off but looked better than before.. so it looks like Im going back to the store to buy Acetone..

Im curious though about the plastic parts melting.. my forward assist on my upper wont come off without some gunsmithing that I personally cant do and dont want to pay for so Im not sure how Im going to get that done, maybe with a rag just gently going around it.

As for the stock, its the factory stock so Im not worried about it looking like crap so Im sanding it down with a high grit paper, looks good so far and its just about the only painted plastic.

Thanks again for your help!