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...

Interesting posts. I have considered painting my stock for my Tikka T3 stainless.

Please continue

Randy

Here's the fun part...

We've got to hang the stock up in our "make shift" paint booth. The carboard does a couple things. First and foremost, it protects the rest of the shop from the "texture" and the "webbing" paint. That stuff really flies! Also, you can use it to test the spray pattern, and to clean the nozzel after every coat.


Allright, I'm going to give it two (2) light coats of color. Let's call this the "base coat". I wait 15-20 minutes between coats.

Every time I shoot this brown, I tell myself to stop right there. It's REALLY a nice color. Here it is with 2 coats.

After waiting the 20 minutes, I spray on the texture. This is Krylon Make-It-Stone. Hold to can 18" away, and keep it moving. This stuff really flies out. Here's a coat of texture over the brown paint.

I wait 30 minutes for the texture to dry. If some of the texture pieces are too rough, I'll LIGHTLY run the sponge pad w/320 over it to knock the tops off. Just barely touch the texture. I sprayed two (2) light coats.

On to the paint. I spray 4 light coats, waiting 20 minutes inbetween. We'll call this the "color" coat. After the 4th color coat is on, I wait 1-1/2 to 2 hours for it to dry. Then I shoot the webbing. Here it is after the 4th color coat.


Now for the REALLY fun part! I'm going to shoot the webbing on. No two jobs ever turn out the same, as you can only "guide" the webbing to where you want it to lay down. Read the directions on the can, and PRACTICE ON THE CARDBOARD before you shoot the stock. Again, it turns out better if you hold the can 18" away, shoot above the stock, and pull the webbing stream down, across, and off of the stock. I grab the taped off recoil pad, and turn the stock different angles while I'm spraying it.

Here is the first layer of white webbing. I put the white on first, so I can shoot the black over the top of it, to tone it down.



The webbing dries after 5 minutes. If you want more, or another pattern, add more! Start out modest, and back off and take a look at it. You have plenty of time to add more webbing if you want. I was happy with my original amount of white, so I went ahead and started in on the black. I try to lay the black on top of the white to tone it down. And I use alot of black compared to white, just shooting it, stepping back to look at it, and shooting more, until I get the look I want. This looks good to me. Better quit while I'm ahead.
[img]http://i784.photobucket.com/albums/yy125/yukonal/Stock%20Painting/paint-7.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i784.photobucket.com/albums/yy125/yukonal/Stock%20Painting/paint-8.jpg[/img]

I can't emphasize enough, while you are webbing, go easy, stand back to look at it, and if you need more, add it. Don't go wild all at once. You can always add more.
[img]http://i784.photobucket.com/albums/yy125/yukonal/Stock%20Painting/paint-9.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i784.photobucket.com/albums/yy125/yukonal/Stock%20Painting/paint-10.jpg[/img]


By the time you prep, and wait between coats, you might as well allow the better part of a day for this project. I keep a fan running between coats, NOT pointing at the stock, but turn it off while I'm shooting the paint.

Now I'm curing this stock in the garage attic for 3 weeks, then I'll apply the clear Matte Sealer at that time. I'll post finshed results pictures when the stock is cured, and the rifle is re-assembled.

My local hardware store had everything I needed for this project. Look there first, then a google search will come up with everything else you need. Give it a shot guys, it's really pretty easy.

medicineman,

Here's a Tikka. I've done 3.

Al-

Cool post. Now that I know you've got everything for the job in the shop, I have a Bansner to send you. *grins*

I'm partial to the stripes.

Thanks yukonal for that informative post! I bought a used Brownells fiberglass stock last year that I plan to strip the Brown colored Krinkle paint off and repaint,after I first pillar bed.

Great post Al!

I only wait for the consecutive coats to tack up before spraying the next one, including the webbing. Then my final "coat" is a couple of coats of matte finish clear.

Not letting the coats dry completely allows the coats to meld together and bond into one damn tough finish...........

Thanks for the great info, just what I have been looking for. This gives me the confidence to now try my own.

Super humid here this weekend, it was taking longer than usual to flash off. You could actually see the color change as it did. I've gone as fast as 3-5 minutes in the past, under ideal conditions.


Scott-you and your photo shop...I had to do a double take!

Really good post thank you!!
One question though on the texture. How hard is it to get it even over the stock without heavy/lighter areas??
Like it though thanks!!

Yukonal

Great job both on the stock and in the presentation of the process. I will probably give myTikka a go later this summer.

Randy

thanks, great info and instructions.

It's no problem. When you back off 18", the fan pattern more than covers the stock from top to bottom. In fact, you have overspray above and below the stock. Keep the can moving as you spray.

Does checkering present any stripping problems?

No, an old toothbrush is your friend. For both the stripper, and stripper wash.

What color green did you use? I really dig it and own an ugly T3 300WSM that needs paint. Thanks.

And thanks for the excellent post.

Cool post,Al!

brinky-I'm pretty sure it's Olive. Find the Krylon Fusion colors and look for Olive Green. It is NOT Hunter Green. I shot one of my other Tikka's in Hunter Green, and it is quite a bit darker.