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Any advice on stripping spray paint cammo from weapon?

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  • ussoldier1984

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    I want to strip the cammo spray paint off my savage 308 and start over. I know I can paint over but I would rather not have the paint get to thick. the stock is aluminum chassis by MDT so there is hardly any plastics on the rifle. Thanks for any tips.

    Oh and one last thing. It doesn't have to be perfectly removed just the majority of the paint.
    Military Camp
     

    satx78247

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    ussoldier1984,

    Home Depot (and probably any big-box "home-improvement store) sells a citrus-based paint & varnish stripper (I've forgotten the name but the paint department people at HD will know what you are asking for.) that works WELL. = You'll need about a quart can to get it all off, in my experience.

    yours, satx
     

    ussoldier1984

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    ussoldier1984,

    Home Depot (and probably any big-box "home-improvement store) sells a citrus-based paint & varnish stripper (I've forgotten the name but the paint department people at HD will know what you are asking for.) that works WELL. = You'll need about a quart can to get it all off, in my experience.

    yours, satx

    And that will not harm any of the surfaces?
     

    ussoldier1984

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    satx78247

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    ussoldier1984,

    NOPE. Won't damage either metal nor wood.
    (IF I had a "plastic" firearms, I would try it on a small spot that isn't visible to "ordinary observation" to ASSURE that it won't mar the plastic.)

    yours, satx
     

    big hoff

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    i used acetone on mine but i ended up buying new plastics. worked pretty good and was fairly cheap..
     
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    satx78247

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    ussoldier1984,

    Btw, the citrus-based stripper is in an ORANGE can, so it will be EASY to spot on the shelves, if you cannot find a clerk to help you.
    (Works SLOWER than some strippers but won't damage the wood/metal AND it cleans off with plain soap & water. = I used DAWN dishwashing liquid & warm water on mine.)

    yours, satx
     
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    ussoldier1984

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    ussoldier1984,

    Btw, the citrus-based stripper is in an ORANGE can, so kit will be EASY to spot on the shelves, if you cannot find a clerk to help you.
    (Works SLOWER than some strippers but won't damage the wood/metal AND it cleans off with plain soap & water. = I used DAWN dishwashing liquid & warm water on mine.)

    yours, satx

    Thanks Next time I am at home depot I will look for it.
     

    fishingsetx

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    I stripped a fully painted marlin 917 and scope I bought used with acetone and a rag. Didnt bother the base bluing or the wood finish at all. Other than the stuff stuck in the checkering, it stripped right off. I probably could have removed the stuff in the checkering with a tooth brush but got lazy. Never understood why someone would paint a gun with a beautiful blued finish and a nice wood stock, but to each his own!

    Guns have only two enemies: rust and politicians!
     

    clo5

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    I want to strip the cammo spray paint off my savage 308 and start over. I know I can paint over but I would rather not have the paint get to thick. the stock is aluminum chassis by MDT so there is hardly any plastics on the rifle. Thanks for any tips.

    Oh and one last thing. It doesn't have to be perfectly removed just the majority of the paint.
    Theres a spray called "Goo Off", spray that liberally let it set for a few seconds and scrub with a steel wool brush. Should get most of it off.
     

    Pointman91

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    IMO once a painted rufle, always a painted rifle. I have a couple and its for camoflage purposes not for looks. Have repainted one a couple times and there is no excess buildup to be concerned with. Just repaint it.
     

    CyberWolf

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    Depending on your budget you can always have it anodized or powder coated.
    Was going to suggest something similar.

    If you send/drop it somewhere to get Cerakoted, the first thing they'll do is blast off the existing finish, and the new Cerakote layer should only be a couple thou in thickness (give or take)...
     

    webphut

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    "washable" Paint stripper, a few of those $1.00 Paint brushes, garden hose, Water nozzle with pinpoint spray capability, chemical resistant gloves, eye protection, fume/vapor mask, someplace no kids will be playing and one whole Saturday for a nice job. 1/2 a Saturday for a half azzed job.

    The key to paint stripper, where most people fail to use it correctly, is to only do one swipe with a overloaded brush and to keep the surface being stripped laying flat as possible and facing up. Do not brush multiple passes over the same spot with a brush that is just wet with the stripper. you want a nice thick coat. Stripper works on vapor reaction. Even though the stripper is directly on the paint, it is the vapor doing the work. So the thicker the better because it stays wet longer allowing for a longer reaction time.

    So, Load the brush with as much stripper as possible with out having it drip everywhere while you stroke the brush and make only one swipe. Repeat this until all the unwanted paint is covered on one side. Let it sit in the shade for as long as possible with out letting it dry. Once it is all lifted, wash with the garden hose nozzle on the pinpoint blast setting. Dry the gun off with an unwanted towel. Repeat the process. Once you get it to where its just nooks and crannies, use a paint scraper or a small stainless steel wire brush and gently brush/scrape off the residual paint out of the nooks and crannies. flip the gun over and do the same thing. Do not try to do both sides at the same time. The more perpendicular the vapors are to the surface the better it will work. If you do both sides at the same time, the underside will dry and you will have a utter mess to deal with.

    How do you clean it up once the project is complete? Let it dry over night. The next day, sweep it up with a broom and discard. As for the tiny, itsy, bitsy pieces, use a hose to blast it to one area and sweep up after it dries.

    How do I know this? My father use to restore airplanes. I have stripped many airplanes from old paint. Took me about 2 airplanes to figure out why the stripper was not working so well. After I figured it out, it worked great.
     
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    single stack

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    Great post webphut.
    I used small plastic bristle scrub brushes after rinsing to clean out checkering. They kind of melt a little. Toss them when done.
     
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