Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Paint Your Own Stock (prep/paint) w/Pics

Painting a stock with the rattle can method is easy, cheap, and very durable if the right preparations and techniques are followed. Seems like, often enough, someone is inquiring about it, so I put together the complete procedure-start to finish-and am posting it (with pictures) for everyone to see, and use if you decide to.

Today we are going to paint a High Tech Specialties (Bansner) stock in the Rem ADL configuration. I'll be painting this one Brown with Black and White Webbing. This stock has already been painted, so I am including a small section on removing the old finish. Let's start out with a list of materials you'll need to remove the old finish, prep the surface, and paint the stock:

1) paint stripper 7) 320 grit wet/dry sand paper
2) stripper wash 8) paint (I'm using Krylon)
3) stripping pad 9) texture paint
4) stripping scraper 10) webbing paint
5) latex gloves 11) matte sealer
6) blue tape 12) 3M sponge pad


I use Citristrip, and clear instructions are on the bottle. Take off the hardware, tape off the recoil pad, and brush it on with a cheap, or junker paint brush. You'll throw it away when you're done with it.

I let it sit 45 min. and that's plenty to soften up the old finish. Scrape off the old paint. You can always do this step again if you need to get more off. Remove the tape off the recoil pad before the next step.


Here it is all gooped up.


Now take it over to the laundry tub and hose it down REAL good with the stripping wash. Scrub all the gunk and remaining paint with the stripping pad (I cut mine in half). Keep hosing it with the wash, and scrubbing pad 'til everything is off. Wash it off with warm water. If you have access to a compressor, blow everything off real well.

Next you need to wet sand it with the 320 automotive sandpaper, wrapped aroung the "sponge pad". Be careful that you don't go through the original stock primer. You are just removing any small bits of paint that are left over. If you are starting with a new stock, just use the pad/paper to thoroughly scuff the finish so the new paint will adhere. Back to the laundry tub to wash/wipe off. Use a CLEAN towel.

Here's mine back to the original finish as it came from High Tech.


The last step in the prep work, and you'll do this if you just sanded a new stock to accept paint, is to wipe it all down with "odorless" mineral spirits. Be generous with the spirits, and make sure you use a CLEAN rag and CLEAN towel to wipe it off with. Now make sure your hands are CLEAN from here in, if you are going to touch the stock. Here's the extra crud the the mineral spirits will pull out after previously washing in the sink.


Again, if you have access to a compressor, now's a good time. O.K., now's the time to go to the bench and mask off the bottom metal cut out, barrel channel, recoil pad, and plug any holes with cotton (sling swivel post holes).

[img]http://i784.photobucket.com/albums/yy125/yukonal/Stock%20Painting/prep-7.jpg[/img]

Here it is, almost ready.
[img]http://i784.photobucket.com/albums/yy125/yukonal/Stock%20Painting/prep-8.jpg[/img]

We need a way to hang it from the ceiling while we are painting it. Here's how I do it. Run a CLEAN wire through the rear action screw hole, and twist off to make a loop. Now we're ready for paint.
[img]http://i784.photobucket.com/albums/yy125/yukonal/Stock%20Painting/prep-9.jpg[/img]

Out in the shop, this is the swivel with wire that I hang my stock from while I'm painting.
[img]http://i784.photobucket.com/albums/yy125/yukonal/Stock%20Painting/prep-10.jpg[/img]

I'll continue this post as a reply so I can post pictures of the painting procedure...