Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats stripping paint off a McMillan stock

How do I go about stripping the paint off my McMillan stock? (It is McMillan's Polane paint finish).

Anything special needed? I dont want to screw up the checkering or damage the gel coat.

I'm thinking of possibly bobbing the forend. It is the Sako Classic pattern which to me seems to have an awfully long forend for a 22" barrel. I'd like to chop 1 1/2" off, rebuild the tip with Acra-glass gel, round off with a file and sandpaper and then have it repainted in a different color.

Suggestions, first hand experience only please.

Thanks, Leftybolt

I wouldn't strip the paint for what you're doing. Just cut, rebuild and then send it out for painting. I have altered my McMillan painted stocks to take receiver sights and you have to go a ways to cut through the paint into the stock itself. Stripping it might end up taking alot of the stock with it, including the checkering.

I have no experience with McMillan stocks but if what they use is Sherwin Williams polane paint - DON'T try and strip it. I sprayed and stripped many, many gallons of it on aluminum aircraft propeller blades. It's tough as tough gets.

If there's no problems with it adhering to the surface, just scuff it with a red Scotchbrite pad, use a brass bristle brush on the checkering and paint over it. It's also a great way to tell (whatever paint was used) how well the paint is bonded to the surface. If the paint does not come loose from the suface of the stock while scuffing it, then don't worry about it. I've done it many, many times on propeller blades with no problems.

The only way I would attempt to stip it, if there were a problem and ONLY if there were a problem, is by media blasting. NO chemicals.

As a final step just prior to painting would be to use a paint prep solvent to help with adhesion. Whoever paints it should do this. Having a properly prepped and painted surface is a good base for a new coat of paint.

fish head

If its Polane, wet sand it off using 100 or 120 wet or dry. Don't sand the checkering, just go over the checkering with a clean toothbrush and paint prep solvent to remove any oils or contaminants.

The only time I would strip is if it had multiple layers of paint and I would use a good aircraft paint remover, eye protection, gloves and a good respirator. (the stuff is highly caustic).

As for bobbing the forend tip, re-use the forend tip by gluing back it on with a liberal dose of acraglass gel and re-contour the seam area.

MtnHtr

Mtn Hunter,

No offense intended, but using an aicraft paint stripper on a composite stock is a sure way to ruin it.

I've stripped 1000's of parts with aircraft paint stripper and I wouldn't get it anywhere near something other than metal. Polane paint is tougher than the stock material. It's the most difficult paint to strip I've ever encoutered. I used both products for over 10 years, so I'm speaking from experience.

fish head

No offense either Fishhead, but I've stripped polyurethanes safely off fiberglass using aircraft stripper for a number of years including McMillan stocks. You just have to know what your doing. There are a number of strippers specifically for stripping paint off fiberglass but I've never used them since the aircraft remover works. One will have to use it several times but it will work and require some follow up sanding - thats why it's used when there is multiple layers of paint.

As for media blasting the paint, its too uncontrollable and damaging to the gelcoat, by the time the paint is blasted off its too late.

MtnHtr

Mtn Hunter,

No offense taken here on my part and I will absolutely agree with "you have to know what your doing". I still belive that using a chemical stripper would not be the best way to go if you don't have experience with it. I'll admit it's been many years since I worked in the industry and strippers have probably changed since then. Some of the stuff I used in the past would eat everything not made of metal in one coat.

The media blasting thing is another example of "if you don't know what your doing". I've done it. I owned a shop and had a glass bead cabinet and a media blasting cabinet. It's all in the skill of the operator, air pressure, type of media used and knowing when to stop.

If it was the polane paint I used in the past, which is what I don't know, properly catalyzed it was minimally or unaffected by mek, lacquer thinner, toluol or any other solvent and it took the most caustic stripper you could get to soften it. If you've sucessfully stripped McMillan stocks it's not the same paint I used.

The red Scotchbrite pads do work very well on uneven textured surfaces and for feathering paint. I like em.

I probably should not have even posted this cause I'm not trying to be argumentative. I just thought I'd explain why I said what I said.

Since you've have had experience with McMillan stocks I'll bow out and give the nod to your advice and experience.

best wishes,

fish head

No big deal FH. I was a fleet re-finisher and bodyman for a large transportation fleet for number of years early in my career. I won't go into too many details but sandblasting was a method we used, I was never thrilled with it for fiberglass as it left too rough a finish and required alot of powersanding afterwards. Guess we were doing it all wrong. We used chemical strippers for certain jobs mostly on fiberglass that had too much paint buildup over the years. I've used the aircraft strippers on boats and vettes too and never had any issues, it does require a thorough cleanup (and it will soften bondo). I've recommended it on here before and never heard any negative feedback so other folks must be using it right.

Well, enough rambling on the subject, have a great afternoon.

MtnHtr