Hello my fellow brothers and sisters in Arms :-).

A few months ago I had purchased "DuraCoat Firearm Finishes", it's a digital camouflage vinyl outline system.

A few concerning questions I have is:

1.) Seeing as how I don't have a full sized "Advanced Finishing Oven", would it still be allright if it air dried?

2.) I don't have an airbrush or anything fancy, would spraypaint be a suitable substitute?

3.) What kind of paint should I use? (Meaning, what brand & type and so forth, not color)

4.) If I'm not satisfied with the way the rifle looks after I'm done painting it, how would I go about removing the paint? Would paint thinner be safe? Would it damage the rifle or the black finish?

5.) Before I paint it, do I need to disassemble it? Meaning, the forearm covers, the buttstock, trigger housing, and so forth?

6.) I was just thinking about painting the forends and buttstock first, but what about the barrel? If I was going to paint the barrel, should I make sure to put some kind of inserts in the top and bottom of the barrel so no paint seeps, puddles up, and hardens inside the barrel?

7.) Will painting the rifle decrease it's value?

I may have some more questions later, sorry if these sound like noobie questions, but I love my rifle and I don't want to do anything that will permanently damage it. It's my first AR, I've gone through hundreds of rounds through it, and I never want to give it up. Better to be safe than sorry when it comes to an expensive, sentimental valued piece :-).

Thank you again all.


-Covert

http://image57.webshots.com/57/1/11/72/413311172JzUDfX_ph.jpg

http://image56.webshots.com/156/1/8/96/413310896KMpyaO_ph.jpg

http://image56.webshots.com/156/1/10/82/413311082WssNEs_ph.jpg

http://image62.webshots.com/62/1/14/66/413311466gaXNjm_ph.jpg

http://image60.webshots.com/160/1/11/61/413311161wxnAtT_ph.jpg

http://image63.webshots.com/63/1/10/98/413311098XOFRci_ph.jpg
The way it's going to look (Not urban though... maybe :-) )
http://image54.webshots.com/154/1/8/8/413310808zecjuj_ph.jpg
This is what the vinyl male and female outlines look like...

Sorry for the poor quality of the photos, but the only picture-taking device I have at the time is a webcam.

X
(until I right clicked....)

Sorry for the 's, just fixed'em.

Covert,

AR15 REFINISHING GUIDE

The above link will answer all of your questions, plus give you info on things you haven't thought of yet.  If you have any questions after you read it, please feel free to post them or email me direct.

Ahhh thank you Stickman, read through it and enjoyed it very much! Good job by the way!

Would a conventional kitchen oven work just fine though?

What if there are spots on the rifle where the paint should be removed, would paint thinner work?

I don't have an airbrush or anything, would spraypaint be suitable?

If I were to paint the ENTIRE rifle, would it be safe to bake it all in the oven with the springs and everything?

I also don't want to melt the plastics, I know you said 300 degrees, but what is the "boiling point" for the rifle's plastics?

Thanks again for your post, it helped alot!

-Covert

You need to figure out what sort of finish you are going to use.  If you are going to use a cheap spray paint (Krylon seems to be the best), then there is no point in talking about using an oven.  A cheap finish is going to wear pretty heavily, and if that is fine with you, then go for it.  

If you plan to use cheap finishes, simply degrease (carb or brake cleaner) after cleaning it.  

Next, make sure everything is dry, and preheat or leave the parts out in the sun on a hot day (assuming its real hot where you are).  

Spray multiple light coats on the weapon.  Heavy coats will look horrible, wear poorly, crack, look uneven, have sags and drips, and leave an uneven shine (sheen actually) on the weapon.

Make VERY sure that everything is dry before you start placing templates on the weapon.  15 minutes should be fine, and you  want to make sure that you are keeping the weapon warm.  Take you time and don't rush it.

When you are all done with everything, if you like the way it looks, think about top coating it with one of the various clear coat finishes that is available.  I would stick with Krylon if you are going this route.


I'll finish this by saying that I don't recommend using a spray paint, but if you are going to use a spray paint, Krylon comes in the colors you want (their camo line), and is a quality spray paint.  Don't expect it to have the durability or characteristics of Norrells, or Lauer DC.  

You are spending a lot of time, and have already paid for the templates, why not just do it right?

Yeah Stick, the templates were about $60-$70, but I have never done anything like this before...

I'll be 21 at the end of August, and this is my first AR, it's my baby, and I don't want to do anything that may damage it or decrease it's value.

I think I might save up a little bit and get that cheap airbrush kit that you mentioned, then maybe spend a good weekend doing everything, just to make sure I take my time and do it right.

Now, lets say while I'm in the process of painting, the sections start to cool down... Should I go ahead and quickly put the Air Dryer on it to warm them back up, or do I wait until the paint that is already applied dries to re-heat?

When the rifle is completely finished, should I go back through the rifle and oil and grease everything back up again, even moreso since everything was bone-dry?

I really appreciate all of your advice, thank you again!

-Covert

Thank you Enforcer,

I'll definately be coming back and getting in touch with you guys again once I get the paints and equipment squared away.

I think I'll paint my magazines, optics, and verticle forend first, just to get a feel of it :-).

Thanks again, I'll be around :-).


-Covert

still red x's here

Quoted: I think I'll paint my magazines, optics, and verticle forend first, just to get a feel of it :-). -Covert

Good idea, don't start with your weapon.

Ammo cans are a nice thing to play around on .......

Stick:

Have you baked any ammo cans?  I am wondering about the rubber-like seal in the lid melting.  I'm not worried as much about a $5.00 ammo can as I am about the smell of burning rubber permeating my kitchen when my wife gets home from shopping.

stick do you loose many cans? bet you have to buy them in bulk dont you? just pulling your leg man. that looks purtty good. good idea to i am gonna have to try that. some of my cans are starting to look rough.

Tag

Quoted: Have you baked any ammo cans?  I am wondering about the rubber-like seal in the lid melting.  I'm not worried as much about a $5.00 ammo can as I am about the smell of burning rubber permeating my kitchen when my wife gets home from shopping.

The rubber seal is removable.

Quoted: image57.webshots.com/57/1/11/72/413311172JzUDfX_ph.jpg image56.webshots.com/156/1/8/96/413310896KMpyaO_ph.jpg image56.webshots.com/156/1/10/82/413311082WssNEs_ph.jpg image62.webshots.com/62/1/14/66/413311466gaXNjm_ph.jpg image60.webshots.com/160/1/11/61/413311161wxnAtT_ph.jpg image63.webshots.com/63/1/10/98/413311098XOFRci_ph.jpg The way it's going to look (Not urban though... maybe :-) ) image54.webshots.com/154/1/8/8/413310808zecjuj_ph.jpg This is what the vinyl male and female outlines look like... Sorry for the poor quality of the photos, but the only picture-taking device I have at the time is a webcam.

Still X`s here , lets try the links in a quote.

EDIT: Nope , Not Authorized.

Hm, don't know why they still come up as x's, they show up for me...

I may tinker around with them later or something. Thanks though.

Quoted: Stick: Have you baked any ammo cans?  I am wondering about the rubber-like seal in the lid melting.  I'm not worried as much about a $5.00 ammo can as I am about the smell of burning rubber permeating my kitchen when my wife gets home from shopping.

I do the ammo cans in krylon to try different themes, I don't bother with Norrells for the cans. No need to use the oven, but I do usually warm them up with a hairdryer to have the paint dry as soon as it hits the surface.