I want to start painting a rifle and I'm going to exparament on my M4. I understand to put a earplug in the muzzle, and tape the sights. Anything else before i start gasing my self in the garage?
Painting a AR
- Thread starter Alaskaman11
- Start date
Re: Painting a AR
I degrease with something like gun scrubber. I then put some acetone in a plastic spray bottle and hang all the parts up or rifle up I am going to paint and spray all the surface area with the acetone. I then use the compressor and spray air on the the rifle to get it to dry quickly. I then repeat this step several times and after doing so do not touch and get the oils of your hands on the rifle. Keep it clean.
I degrease with something like gun scrubber. I then put some acetone in a plastic spray bottle and hang all the parts up or rifle up I am going to paint and spray all the surface area with the acetone. I then use the compressor and spray air on the the rifle to get it to dry quickly. I then repeat this step several times and after doing so do not touch and get the oils of your hands on the rifle. Keep it clean.
Re: Painting a AR
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: drakeky</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I degrease with something like gun scrubber. I then put some acetone in a plastic spray bottle and hangle all the parts up or rifle up I am going to paint and spray all the surface area with the acetone. I then use the compressor and spray air on the the rifle to get it to dry quickly. I then repeat this step several times and after doing so do not touch and get the oils of your hands on the rifle. Keep it clean. </div></div>
+1 Keep it clean so the paint will stick!
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: drakeky</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I degrease with something like gun scrubber. I then put some acetone in a plastic spray bottle and hangle all the parts up or rifle up I am going to paint and spray all the surface area with the acetone. I then use the compressor and spray air on the the rifle to get it to dry quickly. I then repeat this step several times and after doing so do not touch and get the oils of your hands on the rifle. Keep it clean. </div></div>
+1 Keep it clean so the paint will stick!
Re: Painting a AR
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: drakeky</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I degrease with something like gun scrubber. I then put some acetone in a plastic spray bottle and hangle all the parts up or rifle up I am going to paint and spray all the surface area with the acetone. I then use the compressor and spray air on the the rifle to get it to dry quickly. I then repeat this step several times and after doing so do not touch and get the oils of your hands on the rifle. Keep it clean. </div></div>
I would let it warm back up after this procedure, I even like to warm them up a bit more so the paint sticks and sets well.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: drakeky</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I degrease with something like gun scrubber. I then put some acetone in a plastic spray bottle and hangle all the parts up or rifle up I am going to paint and spray all the surface area with the acetone. I then use the compressor and spray air on the the rifle to get it to dry quickly. I then repeat this step several times and after doing so do not touch and get the oils of your hands on the rifle. Keep it clean. </div></div>
I would let it warm back up after this procedure, I even like to warm them up a bit more so the paint sticks and sets well.
Re: Painting a AR
If you can get your hands on a compressor that would be best but a hair dryer will do the trick. DO NOT USE A SHOP-VAC IN REVERSE. I had a friend try this and all it did was coat the rifle in a fine layer of dust that was a major pain to clean. I found it a lot more amusing than he did. lol
If you can get your hands on a compressor that would be best but a hair dryer will do the trick. DO NOT USE A SHOP-VAC IN REVERSE. I had a friend try this and all it did was coat the rifle in a fine layer of dust that was a major pain to clean. I found it a lot more amusing than he did. lol
Re: Painting a AR
Tear it down, its not hard to do and you will get a much better final product. If you have any trouble getting it back together PM me I can walk you through it. Also to get the oil out of the metal parts you can either put them in the oven @ 200 degrees for 15 min. or use a heat gun. You would be suprized at how much oil still comes out after you de-grease especially the latch on the ejection port door,just dont get it to hot or you will ruin the spring and it wont stay closed. And like Coldbore said paint it while its still warm.
Tear it down, its not hard to do and you will get a much better final product. If you have any trouble getting it back together PM me I can walk you through it. Also to get the oil out of the metal parts you can either put them in the oven @ 200 degrees for 15 min. or use a heat gun. You would be suprized at how much oil still comes out after you de-grease especially the latch on the ejection port door,just dont get it to hot or you will ruin the spring and it wont stay closed. And like Coldbore said paint it while its still warm.
Re: Painting a AR
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Alaskaman 11</div><div class="ubbcode-body">do I tape off the trigger? If I don't have a compressor any suggestions? </div></div>
I dont tape off the trigger but I dont spray directly up and into the hole the trigger face comes down and out of. You dont need a compressor. Just let it air dry and repeat. The acetone dries very quickly anyway. And like stated above a hair dryer will do the trick. Also like stated above get it stripped down and apart and paint the individual pieces. Will turn out much better.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Alaskaman 11</div><div class="ubbcode-body">do I tape off the trigger? If I don't have a compressor any suggestions? </div></div>
I dont tape off the trigger but I dont spray directly up and into the hole the trigger face comes down and out of. You dont need a compressor. Just let it air dry and repeat. The acetone dries very quickly anyway. And like stated above a hair dryer will do the trick. Also like stated above get it stripped down and apart and paint the individual pieces. Will turn out much better.
Re: Painting a AR
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 30378</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Taking it apart is well worth your time. </div></div>
when you guys say pull it apart, is that all the way or just the hand guard and the upper or lower.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 30378</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Taking it apart is well worth your time. </div></div>
when you guys say pull it apart, is that all the way or just the hand guard and the upper or lower.
Re: Painting a AR
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Alaskaman 11</div><div class="ubbcode-body">any products you would recommend to do such? </div></div>
Brake Cleaner is the best degreaser before painting! Hands down. Gun Scrubbers leave oil behind. Brake Cleaner will not! You want a clean surface devoid of ANY oil. Brake cleaner will get it out of the pores, where it counts.
It depends if you are going to do a spray can job on your rifle. I always do it the right way and completely disassemble everything, degrease, and airbrush or HVLP spray. Spray paint, more times than not, you end up with a crappy looking paint job.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Alaskaman 11</div><div class="ubbcode-body">any products you would recommend to do such? </div></div>
Brake Cleaner is the best degreaser before painting! Hands down. Gun Scrubbers leave oil behind. Brake Cleaner will not! You want a clean surface devoid of ANY oil. Brake cleaner will get it out of the pores, where it counts.
It depends if you are going to do a spray can job on your rifle. I always do it the right way and completely disassemble everything, degrease, and airbrush or HVLP spray. Spray paint, more times than not, you end up with a crappy looking paint job.
Re: Painting a AR
I mask off the holes in the lower receiver for the hammer/trigger pins, skip painting the bbl nut, skip the charging handle, skip buffer tube assembly. These are high wear or tolerance critical areas that you don't want to gunk up with paint. I plugged the water drain hole for the front pivot pin with a dab of grease. When you are done painting and it has cured, you just wipe the grease off. My rifle was completely dis-assembled for prep/painting, I even took apart the rear sight and stock assembly so I could paint all the individual parts I wanted.
KRYLON BBQ GRILL PAINT - $4.99
2 wooden dowels (to prop up receivers for painting) - $0.60
Degreased with simple green & water...used masking tape for the takedown pin and hammer/trigger pin holes.
I mask off the holes in the lower receiver for the hammer/trigger pins, skip painting the bbl nut, skip the charging handle, skip buffer tube assembly. These are high wear or tolerance critical areas that you don't want to gunk up with paint. I plugged the water drain hole for the front pivot pin with a dab of grease. When you are done painting and it has cured, you just wipe the grease off. My rifle was completely dis-assembled for prep/painting, I even took apart the rear sight and stock assembly so I could paint all the individual parts I wanted.
KRYLON BBQ GRILL PAINT - $4.99
2 wooden dowels (to prop up receivers for painting) - $0.60
Degreased with simple green & water...used masking tape for the takedown pin and hammer/trigger pin holes.
Re: Painting a AR
I'm thinking about giving this a try with my 556. What are you guys painting with? I know there's a lot of options, Duracoat, Cerakote, Alumahyde, Grille paint, etc.
I'm only looking at doing my upper, lower and gas block. So I'll be disassembling everything and leaving the controls, barrel, furniture and trigger as they are in black.
I don't have a real good place to paint so I'm restricted to using spray cans. So I'm probably going to go with Alumahyde. As mentioned above the most important part is the prep work. If there's any trace of oil or detergents the paint will never stick. If it does, it will look horrible and not last very long.
I'm thinking about giving this a try with my 556. What are you guys painting with? I know there's a lot of options, Duracoat, Cerakote, Alumahyde, Grille paint, etc.
I'm only looking at doing my upper, lower and gas block. So I'll be disassembling everything and leaving the controls, barrel, furniture and trigger as they are in black.
I don't have a real good place to paint so I'm restricted to using spray cans. So I'm probably going to go with Alumahyde. As mentioned above the most important part is the prep work. If there's any trace of oil or detergents the paint will never stick. If it does, it will look horrible and not last very long.
Re: Painting a AR
I took my buttstock and handguards off.
Cut and stuffed a rag inside the mag well and behind the ejection port cover and plugged the muzzle.
Sprayed it to all hell with brake cleaner. Wiped it down spayed again and let evaporate.
Laid it in the grass and sprayed it with Krylon.
If it ever gets messed up, I can paint it again. A lot of the dips look awesome, but for the cost of them...I would feel pretty bad if I scratched it up. But not with a $20 4 color rattle can job.
Looks good enough to me (which is the most important part.) Its not a fashion show after all.
A side note, is definitely practice on something first. Do the pattern. Get your method down before taking the whole project on.
I took my buttstock and handguards off.
Cut and stuffed a rag inside the mag well and behind the ejection port cover and plugged the muzzle.
Sprayed it to all hell with brake cleaner. Wiped it down spayed again and let evaporate.
Laid it in the grass and sprayed it with Krylon.
If it ever gets messed up, I can paint it again. A lot of the dips look awesome, but for the cost of them...I would feel pretty bad if I scratched it up. But not with a $20 4 color rattle can job.
Looks good enough to me (which is the most important part.) Its not a fashion show after all.
A side note, is definitely practice on something first. Do the pattern. Get your method down before taking the whole project on.
Re: Painting a AR
Why paint? Does painting have any functional value on an AR? It's not like an AR is going to rust. Paint isn't effective camouflage since it does nothing to beak up the silhouette of the rifle or shooter.
Why paint? Does painting have any functional value on an AR? It's not like an AR is going to rust. Paint isn't effective camouflage since it does nothing to beak up the silhouette of the rifle or shooter.
Re: Painting a AR
It takes all of 2 minutes and some creative application of masking tape to come up with a camo pattern that IS going to break up the shape of the rifle, if that is what your goal is. Some of us painted our rifles because we were bored and wanted a weekend project, others want to hide scratches and scuff marks, some want camo and others just want something different. Painting is a personal expression, why does it matter?
It takes all of 2 minutes and some creative application of masking tape to come up with a camo pattern that IS going to break up the shape of the rifle, if that is what your goal is. Some of us painted our rifles because we were bored and wanted a weekend project, others want to hide scratches and scuff marks, some want camo and others just want something different. Painting is a personal expression, why does it matter?
Re: Painting a AR
If you want a really nice quality job you have to take everything apart and spray them individually. I just sprayed everything down with brake cleaner and that usually takes off everything on the gun.
If you want a really nice quality job you have to take everything apart and spray them individually. I just sprayed everything down with brake cleaner and that usually takes off everything on the gun.
Re: Painting a AR
I love how everyone claims brake cleaner is residue free, weld something degreased with it, it'll weld like shit and give off noxious fumes. Use acetone or xylene if you don't want any residues.
I wasn't making art when I kryloned my AR, I plugged the bore, stuffed a cotton ball on the front sight post, closed the ejection port, inserted empty mag, and sprayed, no degreasing, no disassembly, made sure not to spray directly into the trigger assembly. Eight months of shooting and dragging thru the brush later its still there, excluding the high wear points, brass deflector, protrusions, etc. Were I applying a quality finish more durable than rattle can I would've degreased. A very basic camo job without hard borders/lines breaks up the outline very well.
I love how everyone claims brake cleaner is residue free, weld something degreased with it, it'll weld like shit and give off noxious fumes. Use acetone or xylene if you don't want any residues.
I wasn't making art when I kryloned my AR, I plugged the bore, stuffed a cotton ball on the front sight post, closed the ejection port, inserted empty mag, and sprayed, no degreasing, no disassembly, made sure not to spray directly into the trigger assembly. Eight months of shooting and dragging thru the brush later its still there, excluding the high wear points, brass deflector, protrusions, etc. Were I applying a quality finish more durable than rattle can I would've degreased. A very basic camo job without hard borders/lines breaks up the outline very well.
Re: Painting a AR
I always plugged the barrel with a ear plug and degreased with break cleaner. Then proceed to rattle can it.
I use mine to hunt....so it doesn't have to be permanent as natures colors change. And it doesn't have to be pretty, it just has to work.
I always plugged the barrel with a ear plug and degreased with break cleaner. Then proceed to rattle can it.
I use mine to hunt....so it doesn't have to be permanent as natures colors change. And it doesn't have to be pretty, it just has to work.
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