Removing Spray Paint from a rifle

fortkevin2 · February 11, 2009, 08:30 PM

I bought a Marlin 45-70 from a member off this board a few months ago. He had spray painted a camoish paint job and I want to restore it to what it looked like from the factory.

My question is what do I use to remove the spray paint on the metal but not the blue finish underneath? same with the wood. Is that even possible? Thanks for the help. Here's what the rifle looks like now.... It makes you wonder how he shot the thing with the scope mounted so far back....

banditt007 · February 11, 2009, 08:34 PM

i havent had a problem with brake cleaner harming the blueing and a bunch of paints will be eaten by it, so you could try that. however ask around i'm not sure if there are different types of blueing and if possibly one is effected by break cleaner.

fisherman66 · February 11, 2009, 08:41 PM

Man, that's bizarre. I'd probably use paint stripper on the wood and remove it quickly (5 minutes or less) and do a warm sudsy bath afterward. I'm not so sure about the metal, but I would do the process separately.

AK103K · February 11, 2009, 08:52 PM

I've always used either Gun Scrubber and/or Hoppes. I also use a stiff tooth brush for the knooks and cranys, and fine steel wool for the metal. Just take your time and do a little at a time.

Do you know what kind of paint it is? Some paints, like Aluma Hyde II, etc, are not readily removed. Krylon and Testors comes off pretty easily, but it does take some work to get it all.

fortkevin2 · February 11, 2009, 09:00 PM

I'm not sure because he doesn't know either. He said another officer that he works with did it. I'm assuming its either krylon or something similar.

I was cleaning a Cheap Mossberg plinkster with gun scrubber and it took the blueing right off.

This might sound odd but does anyone think it is possible to just remove teh paint but NOT the blueing? if i cant i might just redo the stock and paint over the blue to one solid color.

AK103K · February 11, 2009, 09:20 PM

If its blue, Gun Scrubber, brake cleaner, etc should not hurt it. If it does, its not bluing, its something else. I've taken paint off blued guns before and never had a problem. The blue stayed and was undamaged.

A lot of the cheaper .22's and other guns are actually painted, not blued.

If its Krylon, or something similar, Hoppes should also take it off, its just not as aggressive as the Gun Scrubber is and takes a little more work. The Hoppes usually wont bother plastics either. Gun Scrubber can eat up some plastics, and you'd be surprised at the parts on some guns that are plastic.

Take a little of each and try it out on a spot on the underside of the barrel. If its going to work, it wont take it long to start to remove the paint. If you do it lightly, you can get the top layer to start to come off, and that should give you an idea as to what will work best on that paint.

fortkevin2 · February 11, 2009, 09:24 PM

awesome, I'll hopefully get a chance to start on it tomorrow. I'll post pics of the process if anyone is interested.

THEZACHARIAS · February 11, 2009, 09:30 PM

The local pawn shop here has a sonic cleaner of some kind they use for gun cleaning. Not sure if it would affect the bluing, but it should be a pretty cheap process if you can find someone equipped to do it (would probably be able to answer the qestion of bluing as well).

45_Shooter · February 11, 2009, 09:37 PM

Quote:

I was cleaning a Cheap Mossberg plinkster with gun scrubber and it took the blueing right off.

That wasn't blueing. Hot blueing is not affected by any common solvent I'm aware of.

I'd use paint stripper or brake cleaner on the whole deal and plan on refinishing the wood parts. Good time to give it a nice oil finish.

wpcexpert · February 11, 2009, 10:33 PM

Origionally Thread Jacked. Started new topic.

Sorry guys, bad habit.

Swampghost · February 11, 2009, 10:58 PM

wpc, I can help you with the painting. Don't hijack this thread, start a new topic.

One of my paintjobs for the swamps.

It's really not that difficult to DIY.

fortkevin2 · February 23, 2009, 11:22 PM

Well I've spent several hours rubbing the paint off the barrel and receiver and have finally got all of it off.

Today I used paint stripper and removed the old paint from the stock. Will stain it when the weather gets warmer as its 40 deg. out right now.

This is my first time doing basically anything besides shooting and cleaning guns and its turning out great so far. I only paid $250 for the rifle and am enjoying making the marlin look nice again.

CW-NH-HUNTER · February 24, 2009, 08:18 PM

If you end up doing any sanding on the butt stock make sure that you have the butt plate installed so you dont round any of the edges. It helps keep everything straight for the finished product. Good luck let us know how it comes out in the end.

goodspeed(TPF) · February 24, 2009, 08:26 PM

Looking good.

3StrikesNC · February 24, 2009, 10:46 PM

+1

Keep us posted.

fortkevin2 · February 25, 2009, 01:10 AM

Well its getting there! I've completely(oops...missed a spot on the forearm) stripped the rifle of ALL of the old paint and reassembled it.

The stock and forearm have not yet been sanded or stained but I will get to that soon.

Here are a few pictures.. if anyone can tell me how to post them large and on the page instead of just links please let me know!

The pictures are not great, they were taken with a cell phone.
What do you guys think so far?

Swampghost · February 25, 2009, 01:23 AM

I'm really impressed! Nice job. Most painted rifles come with other finish problems and I'm as guilty as the next guy.

Congrats on your restoration!

Catfishman · February 25, 2009, 01:30 AM

Looks great. Damn it was ugly when you got it. I refinished a couple rifles a year ago for the first time. The first one came out looking too "blond" for my taste. So, I wiped a dark stain (minwax dark walnut 2716) on the second one and quickly wiped it off. This left little of the stain in the grain. I then put several coats of Minwax clear semigloss fast drying polyurethane. These were the only guns I've ever refinished but I was very happy with the results.

You have a beautiful gun there. After all that work I bet you'll keep it forever.

fortkevin2 · February 25, 2009, 01:40 AM

thanks swampghost and catfishman!

It's coming along pretty well. For the price it was a darn good deal. At the time I was looking for any rifle basically for hunting/plinking and deer season. I posted an add looking for .270, 30 06, 45 70 etc etc. and got this good deal.

Mebanecop sold it to me... I think he has a guide gun for trade right now on this forum if anyone is interested.

The ONLY place the rifle has any problems are on the lever, seems like its got a little surface rust/pitting? or spots where it has a little rust on it but no big deal. I'm going to post better pictures with the camera tomorrow. Also on the receiver where Mebanecop was trying to get the screws out and dug into the receiver...will post pics of that tomorrow.

Does anyone know where I can get a recoil pad like the black one listed on marlin's website?
The rifle is from the early 90's and came with a dark brown one that to me doesn't look as nice as the one on the website.

Also any suggestions for glass? I'm a college student so money is tight so please keep that in mind when making recommendations. Thanks!

Swampghost · February 25, 2009, 01:47 AM

I put a Limbsaver grindable on on mine but I have a sander and 40 yrs. of woodworking skills behind me. It really hurt saying that.

fortkevin2 · February 25, 2009, 01:53 AM

well I don't have experience working with wood but my dad and grandfather should be more than enough help. One's a 30+ year Mechanic and the other a retired electrical engineer.

This might be a dumb question but will the limbsaver affect the length of pull any? It's perfect right now for me.

Any suggestions on glass?

Swampghost · February 25, 2009, 02:28 AM

The Limbsaver will add 1" to your LOP. In 45-70 you'll probably want one, I would. Big round, little rifle.

Glass? I'd go with a scout setup. I've had enough stitches.

fortkevin2 · March 30, 2009, 11:22 AM

Sanded the stock and have stained it with old English. Wasn't the best idea but it was all I had around the house.

What do you guys recommend for a clear coat? I want something that is strong and wont chip or crack when I hunt with it. Thanks again and will post pics of the progress later tonight.

dm1333 · March 30, 2009, 11:31 AM

Quote:

I only paid $250 for the rifle and am enjoying making the marlin look nice again.

You're killing me!

Have you thought about Tru Oil for a finish? A small bottle runs about $7 and should have enough to finish several stocks.

fortkevin2 · March 30, 2009, 02:23 PM

dm1333- no joke, $250. Around here if you can find a used marlin 30 30 for that your doing GOOD. If you look at the top picture in the thread you will see what it looked like when i got it. I thought it might grow on me but it sure hasn't.

I haven't thought of tru-oil. As of now I have the stain on it but need a clear coat. would I have to strip that off to use the tru-oil or would that not be possible? Do you need a clear coat with tru-oil?

Sorry for all the ?'s. This is the first time I've done any wood finishing.

February 11, 2009, 08:41 PM	#3
fisherman66 Senior Member Join Date: August 22, 2005 Location: The Woodlands TX Posts: 4,712	Man, that's bizarre. I'd probably use paint stripper on the wood and remove it quickly (5 minutes or less) and do a warm sudsy bath afterward. I'm not so sure about the metal, but I would do the process separately. __________________ la plus belle des ruses du diable est de vous persuader qu'il n'existe pas!

February 11, 2009, 10:33 PM	#10
wpcexpert Senior Member Join Date: February 29, 2008 Location: Central Arkansas Posts: 791	Origionally Thread Jacked. Started new topic. Sorry guys, bad habit. Last edited by wpcexpert; February 11, 2009 at 11:24 PM. Reason: Thread jacked

March 30, 2009, 11:22 AM	#23
fortkevin2 Senior Member Join Date: February 12, 2008 Location: NC Posts: 318	Almost Finished Sanded the stock and have stained it with old English. Wasn't the best idea but it was all I had around the house. What do you guys recommend for a clear coat? I want something that is strong and wont chip or crack when I hunt with it. Thanks again and will post pics of the progress later tonight.

February 11, 2009, 08:34 PM	#2
banditt007 Senior Member Join Date: March 19, 2006 Posts: 694	i havent had a problem with brake cleaner harming the blueing and a bunch of paints will be eaten by it, so you could try that. however ask around i'm not sure if there are different types of blueing and if possibly one is effected by break cleaner.

February 11, 2009, 08:52 PM	#4
AK103K Senior Member Join Date: May 1, 2001 Posts: 10,223	I've always used either Gun Scrubber and/or Hoppes. I also use a stiff tooth brush for the knooks and cranys, and fine steel wool for the metal. Just take your time and do a little at a time. Do you know what kind of paint it is? Some paints, like Aluma Hyde II, etc, are not readily removed. Krylon and Testors comes off pretty easily, but it does take some work to get it all.

February 11, 2009, 09:00 PM	#5
fortkevin2 Senior Member Join Date: February 12, 2008 Location: NC Posts: 318	I'm not sure because he doesn't know either. He said another officer that he works with did it. I'm assuming its either krylon or something similar. I was cleaning a Cheap Mossberg plinkster with gun scrubber and it took the blueing right off. This might sound odd but does anyone think it is possible to just remove teh paint but NOT the blueing? if i cant i might just redo the stock and paint over the blue to one solid color.

February 11, 2009, 09:20 PM	#6
AK103K Senior Member Join Date: May 1, 2001 Posts: 10,223	If its blue, Gun Scrubber, brake cleaner, etc should not hurt it. If it does, its not bluing, its something else. I've taken paint off blued guns before and never had a problem. The blue stayed and was undamaged. A lot of the cheaper .22's and other guns are actually painted, not blued. If its Krylon, or something similar, Hoppes should also take it off, its just not as aggressive as the Gun Scrubber is and takes a little more work. The Hoppes usually wont bother plastics either. Gun Scrubber can eat up some plastics, and you'd be surprised at the parts on some guns that are plastic. Take a little of each and try it out on a spot on the underside of the barrel. If its going to work, it wont take it long to start to remove the paint. If you do it lightly, you can get the top layer to start to come off, and that should give you an idea as to what will work best on that paint.

February 11, 2009, 09:24 PM	#7
fortkevin2 Senior Member Join Date: February 12, 2008 Location: NC Posts: 318	awesome, I'll hopefully get a chance to start on it tomorrow. I'll post pics of the process if anyone is interested.

February 11, 2009, 09:30 PM	#8
THEZACHARIAS Senior Member Join Date: January 26, 2009 Location: Louisiana Posts: 537	The local pawn shop here has a sonic cleaner of some kind they use for gun cleaning. Not sure if it would affect the bluing, but it should be a pretty cheap process if you can find someone equipped to do it (would probably be able to answer the qestion of bluing as well).

February 11, 2009, 10:58 PM	#11
Swampghost Senior Member Join Date: April 18, 2008 Location: Florida, east coast Posts: 2,106	wpc, I can help you with the painting. Don't hijack this thread, start a new topic. One of my paintjobs for the swamps. It's really not that difficult to DIY.

February 24, 2009, 08:18 PM	#13
CW-NH-HUNTER Member Join Date: January 5, 2009 Location: NH Posts: 58	If you end up doing any sanding on the butt stock make sure that you have the butt plate installed so you dont round any of the edges. It helps keep everything straight for the finished product. Good luck let us know how it comes out in the end.

February 24, 2009, 08:26 PM	#14
goodspeed(TPF) Senior Member Join Date: January 19, 2009 Location: WI Posts: 1,162	Looking good.

February 24, 2009, 10:46 PM	#15
3StrikesNC Senior Member Join Date: October 22, 2007 Location: in a house Posts: 473	+1 Keep us posted.

February 25, 2009, 01:23 AM	#17
Swampghost Senior Member Join Date: April 18, 2008 Location: Florida, east coast Posts: 2,106	I'm really impressed! Nice job. Most painted rifles come with other finish problems and I'm as guilty as the next guy. Congrats on your restoration!

February 25, 2009, 01:30 AM	#18
Catfishman Senior Member Join Date: February 10, 2009 Location: Mississippi Posts: 729	Looks great. Damn it was ugly when you got it. I refinished a couple rifles a year ago for the first time. The first one came out looking too "blond" for my taste. So, I wiped a dark stain (minwax dark walnut 2716) on the second one and quickly wiped it off. This left little of the stain in the grain. I then put several coats of Minwax clear semigloss fast drying polyurethane. These were the only guns I've ever refinished but I was very happy with the results. You have a beautiful gun there. After all that work I bet you'll keep it forever.

February 25, 2009, 01:40 AM	#19
fortkevin2 Senior Member Join Date: February 12, 2008 Location: NC Posts: 318	thanks swampghost and catfishman! It's coming along pretty well. For the price it was a darn good deal. At the time I was looking for any rifle basically for hunting/plinking and deer season. I posted an add looking for .270, 30 06, 45 70 etc etc. and got this good deal. Mebanecop sold it to me... I think he has a guide gun for trade right now on this forum if anyone is interested. The ONLY place the rifle has any problems are on the lever, seems like its got a little surface rust/pitting? or spots where it has a little rust on it but no big deal. I'm going to post better pictures with the camera tomorrow. Also on the receiver where Mebanecop was trying to get the screws out and dug into the receiver...will post pics of that tomorrow. Does anyone know where I can get a recoil pad like the black one listed on marlin's website? The rifle is from the early 90's and came with a dark brown one that to me doesn't look as nice as the one on the website. Also any suggestions for glass? I'm a college student so money is tight so please keep that in mind when making recommendations. Thanks!

February 25, 2009, 01:47 AM	#20
Swampghost Senior Member Join Date: April 18, 2008 Location: Florida, east coast Posts: 2,106	I put a Limbsaver grindable on on mine but I have a sander and 40 yrs. of woodworking skills behind me. It really hurt saying that.

February 25, 2009, 01:53 AM	#21
fortkevin2 Senior Member Join Date: February 12, 2008 Location: NC Posts: 318	well I don't have experience working with wood but my dad and grandfather should be more than enough help. One's a 30+ year Mechanic and the other a retired electrical engineer. This might be a dumb question but will the limbsaver affect the length of pull any? It's perfect right now for me. Any suggestions on glass?

February 25, 2009, 02:28 AM	#22
Swampghost Senior Member Join Date: April 18, 2008 Location: Florida, east coast Posts: 2,106	The Limbsaver will add 1" to your LOP. In 45-70 you'll probably want one, I would. Big round, little rifle. Glass? I'd go with a scout setup. I've had enough stitches.

March 30, 2009, 02:23 PM	#25
fortkevin2 Senior Member Join Date: February 12, 2008 Location: NC Posts: 318	dm1333- no joke, $250. Around here if you can find a used marlin 30 30 for that your doing GOOD. If you look at the top picture in the thread you will see what it looked like when i got it. I thought it might grow on me but it sure hasn't. I haven't thought of tru-oil. As of now I have the stain on it but need a clear coat. would I have to strip that off to use the tru-oil or would that not be possible? Do you need a clear coat with tru-oil? Sorry for all the ?'s. This is the first time I've done any wood finishing.