...that I am indeed THE Great Procrastinator. It was back on January 29, 2017 that I bought a can of spray on paint remover to change it from what's pictured below to its more or less original finish.
I will admit, I started the job back then, but that spray can version of the paint stripper was not very effective so I shelved the project - that is until yesterday. Somewhere there inside the almost two years (only 13 days shy as of yesterday) that have passed since then, I bought a can of liquid paint stripper to try again. Then, instead of starting over, I put it on the shelf only to (at most) think of starting the job again in all that time.
Well, for some reason, a gotta get it started again bug crawled up mine arse and I actually pulled all the things I needed off the shelves and started the job yesterday. I have had to apply the stripper three times, so far, to get the paint off of the steel. I figure 99% of it or so is off every metal piece, except one, that had been painted pink (it was supposed to be a crimson red but I guess the guy who made up the paint chart was color blind). The one piece that is still pink is the forward barrel band since it is still on the barrel. I cannot figure how to get it off without removing the front sight and have no clue how to do that - so I'll probably leave it on the barrel and strip the paint off of it there.
As for the wood, that is probably going to be another story. That drab olive green paint is stubborn. That is the paint on which the spray-on stripper was pretty ineffective. I am pretty sure though, if I keep brushing gobs of the liquid paint remover on it and then wipe it off using a medium coarse steel wool, maybe even wire brushing it a bit with a brass brush, I will be able to get the paint off eventually. Of course, the varnish or whatever they used as a top coat will come off with it but that is of little concern. My guess is after I apply a new top coat the stock and hand guard are going to be very nice looking pieces of wood.
Now if only I keep at it until the job is done, it may be stripped, if not completely refinished, by Sunday. If not, then who knows, maybe I'll get back to it in another two years.
All the best,
Glenn B
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| I tried selling this recently at a gun show - no takers. One dealer told me he'd buy it if he could be certain that the stock was not cracked. He said he thought that maybe that's why I had painted it. I explained I had painted it as a goof for a blogger shoot zombie bayonet charge and while he got a good laugh out of that I did not get a penny. |
I will admit, I started the job back then, but that spray can version of the paint stripper was not very effective so I shelved the project - that is until yesterday. Somewhere there inside the almost two years (only 13 days shy as of yesterday) that have passed since then, I bought a can of liquid paint stripper to try again. Then, instead of starting over, I put it on the shelf only to (at most) think of starting the job again in all that time.
Well, for some reason, a gotta get it started again bug crawled up mine arse and I actually pulled all the things I needed off the shelves and started the job yesterday. I have had to apply the stripper three times, so far, to get the paint off of the steel. I figure 99% of it or so is off every metal piece, except one, that had been painted pink (it was supposed to be a crimson red but I guess the guy who made up the paint chart was color blind). The one piece that is still pink is the forward barrel band since it is still on the barrel. I cannot figure how to get it off without removing the front sight and have no clue how to do that - so I'll probably leave it on the barrel and strip the paint off of it there.
As for the wood, that is probably going to be another story. That drab olive green paint is stubborn. That is the paint on which the spray-on stripper was pretty ineffective. I am pretty sure though, if I keep brushing gobs of the liquid paint remover on it and then wipe it off using a medium coarse steel wool, maybe even wire brushing it a bit with a brass brush, I will be able to get the paint off eventually. Of course, the varnish or whatever they used as a top coat will come off with it but that is of little concern. My guess is after I apply a new top coat the stock and hand guard are going to be very nice looking pieces of wood.
Now if only I keep at it until the job is done, it may be stripped, if not completely refinished, by Sunday. If not, then who knows, maybe I'll get back to it in another two years.
All the best,
Glenn B
