Paint removal problem

wyanders

Guys can you give me some advise here. I bought a stainless COLT from some people and I am trying to clean it up. They PAINTED this Colt camo, believe me I give them heck. It apprears it was dipped in what ever they painted it with. I am thinking it was baked on. I have it soaking in acidtone right now and it doesn't seam to be working. A gun smith I know suggested bead blasting. I looked up some blogs and people have suggested carb cleaner, poly strippa, brake fluid and aircraft stripper. I didn't know if some one has been through this and might suggest what they think. someone even suggested sand blasting "I won't do that to a Stainless COLT". Thank you for any information you can give me to save this COLT.

trapguy2007

Kleencut makes a stripper in a spray can that I have had real good luck with .
I got it at Walmart .
It has cut the finish off of Browning and Remington stocks that I was ready to give up on .
I wolud try to find out if stripper might change the color of the metal first .

dcs shooters

If it's one of the baked on finishes, I would bead blast it off.
Then get some foam backed sanding blocks and go over the flats untill you get the finish you like. 150-200 grit does a good finish on a stainless gun.
We use them on S&W revolvers to remove scratches.

fordsix

laquer thinner

1917watercooled

If the paint is of the modern type like "Gun Koat", there is nothing short of bead blasting that will remove it that I know of. As an owner of a small refinishing shop I will say that if we refinished the weapon we would have bead blasted it before the paint part. These paints 'stick' to a rough surface much better than a slick one, so the bead blasting may have already been performed.

IdahoRedneck

Go to your local body shop supply store, buy a can of bumper stripper and a can of aircraft stripper, if the bumper stripper wont touch it try the aircraft stripper more than likley that will take it off. apply it VERY generously and then let it sit, covered with saran wrap, 8 - 12 hrs. the vapors are very important in softening and then lifting the old finish, if that dont touch it then yup blast it. best of luck to ya[:)]

yoshmyster

Media Blast it. Baking Soda, Crushed Walnut Shell or Glass Bead if you're not comfrtable with sand blasting her. Unless you know what kind of paint they used you'll spend a while guessing what solvent to use.

wyanders

I tried the laquer thinner today and it doesn't work. thanks

yoshmyster

Dude it's stainless. Shoot it already with abrasives. Like I said before unless you know what kind of paint you'll be wasting cash on "strippers". And it's not the good kind of stripper.

Oh that reminds me there are those goo that's supposed to strip all kinds of paint.

nononsense

wyanders,

This is where the confusion comes in:

"It apprears it was dipped in what ever they painted it with."

Dipping is NOT painting.

This process usually goes by the name of 'Hydrographics Immersion' which is just hydrographics water transfer. It's like a giant decal on a backing but it has a lot more tenacity than regular decals.

I suggest calling one of the hydrographic shops and get their recommendation or just run with the bead blasting.

Best.

wpage

Buy a gallon of stripper. Let the gun minus the grips. Soak it pulling it every few periods to score the finish to allow penetration of stripping agents.

Use light scoring media like very fine grit paper or light wire pads.