A year or so back, I was emboldened to perform a rattle can paint job on a couple of my ARs. While they came out looking quite nice, it eventually became clear that the durability just isn't there. While I kept telling myself that these were "working class" weapons, and not show toys, the increasingly numerous chips and scrapes began to really annoy me.
I've now reached my threshold of tolerance, and I began stripping one of the rifles back to original in preparation for Cerakoting. I've tried both Acetone and MEK on the aluminum and steel components, using a toothbrush to get between the gaps. It's slower and more tedious than I had anticipated, though. It took almost two hours to clean the upper receiver, and 45 minutes on the gas block.
Does anyone have a "secret technique" for scaring the paint off the metal, or is this the best I can expect? I'm especially concerned about working on the scope, which I had also painted. I'm concerned about using either Acetone or MEK near or around the rubber seals or optics, so I'd be interested in hearing from someone who's cleaned up their scope after a change of heart, too.
I've now reached my threshold of tolerance, and I began stripping one of the rifles back to original in preparation for Cerakoting. I've tried both Acetone and MEK on the aluminum and steel components, using a toothbrush to get between the gaps. It's slower and more tedious than I had anticipated, though. It took almost two hours to clean the upper receiver, and 45 minutes on the gas block.
Does anyone have a "secret technique" for scaring the paint off the metal, or is this the best I can expect? I'm especially concerned about working on the scope, which I had also painted. I'm concerned about using either Acetone or MEK near or around the rubber seals or optics, so I'd be interested in hearing from someone who's cleaned up their scope after a change of heart, too.
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