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Whats best solvent for stripping metal?


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I've alway had good luck with lacquer thinner, MEK and/or Trichloroethane. However, I don't know how well any of these will work on molyresins or other 'catalytic' paints. Two things to keep in mind.

1. The solvents I mentioned will eat most plastics - including sights and the paint in them.

2. If you can access a bead blaster to abrasively remove the paint, that would work best.

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I found some soy based paint remover that gets under just about everything,..

http://www.soysolvents.com/Contact/soygel/soygel.html,..

but if you must, why not sand blast and parkerize?

 

 

Just got a Cz-82,and a TTC. The CZ-82 has some terrible paint on it,and the TTC aint much better. Acetate did'nt touch the CZ, whats best?

 

Thanks

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I've alway had good luck with lacquer thinner, MEK and/or Trichloroethane. However, I don't know how well any of these will work on molyresins or other 'catalytic' paints. Two things to keep in mind.

1. The solvents I mentioned will eat most plastics - including sights and the paint in them.

2. If you can access a bead blaster to abrasively remove the paint, that would work best.

 

Thanks RDS, I've been thinking about getting a blaster. I'll look into it.

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I found some soy based paint remover that gets under just about everything,..

http://www.soysolvents.com/Contact/soygel/soygel.html,..

but if you must, why not sand blast and parkerize?

 

 

 

Just got a Cz-82,and a TTC. The CZ-82 has some terrible paint on it,and the TTC aint much better. Acetate did'nt touch the CZ, whats best?

 

Thanks

 

 

I was just going to strip it and blue it. Blasting is gonna be the easiest I think. Its really ugly bro, I'll post a pic.

 

post-1936-1205462058_thumb.jpg

post-1936-1205462079_thumb.jpg

Edited by gunboy69
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Just got a Cz-82,and a TTC. The CZ-82 has some terrible paint on it,and the TTC aint much better. Acetate did'nt touch the CZ, whats best?

 

Thanks

 

 

same situation....mine needs to be stripped as well and refinished.....

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Just got a Cz-82,and a TTC. The CZ-82 has some terrible paint on it,and the TTC aint much better. Acetate did'nt touch the CZ, whats best?

 

Thanks

 

 

same situation....mine needs to be stripped as well and refinished.....

 

How do you like the feel of it Ranger? Seems like once you put a nice finish on it ,and maybe some new grips it will be a nice little piece.

post-1936-1205462414_thumb.jpg

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xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

 

Birchwood Casey Blue & Rust Remover ( is available at Wal-Mart or used to be) is made to remove the metal treatment from firearms.

 

I really think on the CZ82 it is a blued.

 

3 ounce bottle of Birchwood Casey B&R remover will take care of the pistol and is $4.

 

Two of these would handle a whole Saiga rifle and receiver.

 

Here is their wording;

 

"Blue & Rust Remover is a reliable solution that removes rust and blueing easily and quickly, without damaging the base metal. Safe for removing old finish from firearms, muzzleloaders and antiques. Also excellent for removing rust from tools, gauges and precision instruments. Blue and rust removal is a necessary step before reblueing or browning."

 

louielouie

Edited by louielouie
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  • 3 years later...

you could try brake cleaner for a few bucks. it's eaten shitty paint of AKM parts kits without trying. I found that even helping it with a steel brush didn't harm the park under the paint. not having to repark for the new paint saves time and work.

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Look for a product with methylene chloride in it. That stuff will dissolve almost anything. That's the active agent in a lot of aviation paint stripper, but it is also found in some over-the-counter strippers at your local hardware store.

Edited by leadchucker
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  • 2 weeks later...

Methyl Ethyl Ketone. It's not aircraft stripper, but it will dissolve even 2-part epoxy paints (we used it to clean the spray guns at Tramco). You can find it in gallon cans at Home Depot, a gallon is far more than you will need.

 

READ THE FUCKING PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS!!!!! (pardon the profanity, but it's life or death important!)

 

No joke, that shit is nasty. I know several people that have developed life-threatening allergies to things (like latex) because of MEK (I'm one of them).

 

You will need NITRILE gloves and a VOC-rated paint respirator. MEK dissolves latex gloves just about instantly, does nasty things to your skin, and is skin-absorbed.

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If your gonna paint, and want good looking long lasting results, do this:

Disasemble your gun, and plug your barrle from the muzzle and chamber end. I've used rubber plugs and occasionally just rolled up rags. Blast..for guns 100- 120 grit alumin oxide, if your chosen coating is thick you can go as high as 80 grit. With thinner coatings the courser blasting agents will create a "valley to peak" too great and can cause a cracked apearance over time. Glass bead blasting demples the steel and doesn't create the greatest surface for paint to penatrate.

Now that you've blasted, soak your parts in degreaser..acetone works great.(from this point on wear powder free latex gloves) Anything fast evaporating will be best. Then blow your part off with an air hose, (dry air) and then put it in the oven at 250 for half an hour..this will reveal any remaining oils...if oils are present, soak in degreaser again and put back in the oven. Once you get the part out of the oven and no oil spots are present it's best to paint with most products before it cools below 100 degress F. This will help ensure that no condensation has a chance to form. Hang your parts and spray as directed per chosen coating.

A tip is to start painting in the hardest to reach areas first and then move to the easier places.

Good luck.

 

*I figured I should add this: If you used rags for plugs, you might wanna remove those before you put that gun in the oven...being soaked in degreaser might get things you don't want that hot alot hotter than you want them (fire hazard) don't worry you can just make new ones and put them in just before you spray*

Edited by poolingmyignorance
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[...]

Now that you've blasted, soak your parts in degreaser..acetone works great.(from this point on wear powder free latex gloves) Anything fast evaporating will be best. Then blow your part off with an air hose, (dry air) and then put it in the oven at 250 for half an hour..this will reveal any remaining oils...if oils are present, soak in degreaser again and put back in the oven. Once you get the part out of the oven and no oil spots are present it's best to paint with most products before it cools below 100 degress F. This will help ensure that no condensation has a chance to form. Hang your parts and spray as directed per chosen coating.

A tip is to start painting in the hardest to reach areas first and then move to the easier places.

Good luck.

 

NO!!!!

 

The solvents you are using dissolve latex, you need to use solvent-proof gloves!

 

What part of "Mess around with this and it WILL. FUCKING. KILL. YOU." is not getting through?!?

 

I risk anaphylactic shock every time someone opens a pack of latex gloves (or anything else with latex in it) around me because I didn't pay attention to the PPE requirements (and neither did the safety office at my work).

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[...]

Now that you've blasted, soak your parts in degreaser..acetone works great.(from this point on wear powder free latex gloves) Anything fast evaporating will be best. Then blow your part off with an air hose, (dry air) and then put it in the oven at 250 for half an hour..this will reveal any remaining oils...if oils are present, soak in degreaser again and put back in the oven. Once you get the part out of the oven and no oil spots are present it's best to paint with most products before it cools below 100 degress F. This will help ensure that no condensation has a chance to form. Hang your parts and spray as directed per chosen coating.

A tip is to start painting in the hardest to reach areas first and then move to the easier places.

Good luck.

 

NO!!!!

 

The solvents you are using dissolve latex, you need to use solvent-proof gloves!

 

What part of "Mess around with this and it WILL. FUCKING. KILL. YOU." is not getting through?!?

 

I risk anaphylactic shock every time someone opens a pack of latex gloves (or anything else with latex in it) around me because I didn't pay attention to the PPE requirements (and neither did the safety office at my work).

MEK, yea. acetone is fine, I do it all the time, never had a pair of latex gloves disolve or even become brittle....but to be honest, I can't remember last time I looked at the MSDS on acetone. But I DO know that MILLIONS of women soak their BARE FINGERS in it all the time at nail salons.

Edited by poolingmyignorance
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[...]

Now that you've blasted, soak your parts in degreaser..acetone works great.(from this point on wear powder free latex gloves) Anything fast evaporating will be best. Then blow your part off with an air hose, (dry air) and then put it in the oven at 250 for half an hour..this will reveal any remaining oils...if oils are present, soak in degreaser again and put back in the oven. Once you get the part out of the oven and no oil spots are present it's best to paint with most products before it cools below 100 degress F. This will help ensure that no condensation has a chance to form. Hang your parts and spray as directed per chosen coating.

A tip is to start painting in the hardest to reach areas first and then move to the easier places.

Good luck.

 

NO!!!!

 

The solvents you are using dissolve latex, you need to use solvent-proof gloves!

 

What part of "Mess around with this and it WILL. FUCKING. KILL. YOU." is not getting through?!?

 

I risk anaphylactic shock every time someone opens a pack of latex gloves (or anything else with latex in it) around me because I didn't pay attention to the PPE requirements (and neither did the safety office at my work).

MEK, yea. acetone is fine, I do it all the time, never had a pair of latex gloves disolve or even become brittle....but to be honest, I can't remember last time I looked at the MSDS on acetone. But I DO know that MILLIONS of women soak their BARE! FINGERS in it all the time at nail salons.

 

Acetone will be absorbed into the skin and cause liver damage if the proper gloves are not worn. Acetone will eat thru thin white latex gloves in no time.

Read the MDSS sheets on acetone before using.

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Acetone will de-fat skin, so it dries out and cracks. Acetone in adequate concentrations is a known carcinogen. It is in mild solution in nail polish remover. The labels have lots of warnings. Not to be taken lightly.

 

Acetone won't dissolve latex gloves, but it will soften them up so they leak and fall apart.

 

MEK, Acetone, Toluene, Methylene Chloride, Trichloroethane, Trichloroethylene, any organic solvents, can be nasty stuff. Avoid breathing the vapors, and keep it off your skin.

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  • 2 weeks later...

What part of "developed a lifethreatening allergy to latex due to improper use of PPE" did you miss the first time, Pooling?

 

My throat starts to close if someone so much as opens a pack of latex gloves in my presence. I don't enjoy going to the hospital because I can't breathe, and I am not the only person this has happened to.

 

I'm only trying to save your life.

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What part of "developed a lifethreatening allergy to latex due to improper use of PPE" did you miss the first time, Pooling?

 

My throat starts to close if someone so much as opens a pack of latex gloves in my presence. I don't enjoy going to the hospital because I can't breathe, and I am not the only person this has happened to.

 

I'm only trying to save your life.

I understand your encouraging saftey, and I appriciate that. Thank you. Your conditioned developed as part of unsafe practices at your work correct? I'm guessing your exposure was significantly more than "occasional" there is always going to be an increased risk when you are elbows deep in anything for a extended period of time. In my post and perhaps I should have clarified this, I'm telling you to soak your GUN PARTS, not your body, the gloves are only so you don't touch the metal, and contaminate them after you've gone through the trouble of degreasing them.

Thank you Scott for pointing out this horredous possible side effect, although I suspect it's fairly rare, still good to be aware of. However if you look online (or in your wife/girlfreinds beauty products) you'll probably find a few products that are 100% acetone, and designed for soaking fingers tips for removing fake nails/ polish. Anything in excess in potentially a hazard. Procede at your own risk.

Edited by poolingmyignorance
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just found hands down the best stuff I've ever used by far. Dad's Easy Spray stripper. it eats saiga paint and nitrile gloves in under 30 seconds. just keep it on the paint and scrub real quick and wipe off. get some serious gloves though, it feels like fire on your skin.

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