UNDER $50 Cammo Paint Job!

Today I got a local person of the AR15.com community to allow me to paint one of his service rifles in woodland cammo for this write-up.  Little did I know it was the "Aristocrat" of AR15's.  This is a full SPR from MSTN.  With real brake and all.  Well my knees were shaking when I opened the door to see this Holy Grille of ARs.  Well I have done several but this is going to feel like the very first one.  Nervous as hell!



Well the supplies used in this paint job is the following:

1) Testors air brush kit (found at Walmart in the toy section)
    $20
1) bag of steel wool extra fine (Local Store)
    $3
1) Krylon cammo Green (HomeDepot)
    $3
1) Krylon cammo Brown (Home Depot)
    $3
1) Krylon cammo Tan (Home Depot)
    $3
1) Helmsman Spar Urethane (Home Depot)
    $4
1) Acohol (Local Drug Store)
    $1
1) Painters tape (Home Depot)
    $1
1) Nerves of Steel (only God knows)
   $Priceless

Total
    $38 + tax for uncle sam


Well first is first, start by cleaning the gun with alcohol to remove all the oils from the rifle.  Second take the tape and apply in all areas that you do not want to be painted. (Markings on scope, Scope lenses, etc..)  I remove charging handle and do not paint that for it sees lots of wear and I do not like paint chipping or coming off due to wear.  Also remember such items like Hogue grips are not recommended to be painted.  Because of the flex in these products, paint will dry stiff and will start to flake off due to wear.  So I mask them off also.  This has the standard A2 handle so that is fine to paint and will hold up well with time.  Make sure you give your rifle one more look over because the next steps are a no turn back process.  



Ok, you have gotten your Gun cleaned and items that you do not want to see paint taped up.  Next you want to be painting in ideal conditions.  Warm weather and not much humidity in the air.  You can also paint in the garage if you like but your looking for about 70 to 90 degree weather to do this in.  This will give you time to apply the paint and allow paint to dry in ideal conditions.  If colder, time for drying is longer, and if warmer paint will dry fast and will not allow you to correct for error.  (ITs cammo not a Picasso so little errors add style to your paint job)  

Set up an area that will allow little to interact with the paint (Ex. Bugs, Dogs, Wife etc..)  Have a vision and mentally get ready for the next step.  I hang my rifle with an old magazine that is attached to a rope or wire.  You can use sling loops or what ever you see fit.  You just do not want the rope or wire to interfere with the paint.  Once that is done take your (Tan) cammo paint and apply it to the Rifle.





(To prep the paint place the can in hot water for about 5 mins or so. you are applying this paint to the rifle directly from the can. This will bring up the pressure inside the can and thin out the paint for a more even spray)  





Remember light even spray,  You can always go back and add more.  I will add about 3 coats of paint for a base coat. Now after you pick your heart off the floor because now your Ar looks like some cheap toy at Toy R Us, allow dry for about 30 mins to 1 hour.  This is dry to touch not cured.  When painting out of a can you will find that the finish of the gun is not smooth.  Overspray is all over the gun.  Take the steel wool and lightly rub the surface of the gun, removing all over spray.  You will see that the paint will start to show the color of the gun through the paint.  Repeat steps above till you have a smooth solid Tan rifle.  



(Please note everytime you use steel wool, fibers will be left on the rifle.  Make sure you remove all fibers before repainting the rifle)  Hairdryer, Leaf Blower, and or a cotton T Shirt!!!!!!!

Once you are happy with the base coat, allow it to fully dry.  This could take up to 3 to 4 hours.  Do not rush this process.  As in this paint job I went ahead and placed the scope back on the upper rail for the airbrush work.  This will allow it to continue the lines from the upper to the scope.  This will come back off for the clear coat so the entire gun is coated in the Urethane.  

So far so good, the hard part is over with.  That first step in applying paint to something as nice as this is over.  Next I transfer the paint (Green and Brown) into separate bottles.  This is messy and not the funniest but works well to get paint into the bottles for the airbrush.  I use a water bottle.  Take the spray can and unload the paint.  You can see how much you have in there by moving the water bottle around.  You want enough to fill the air gun bottle up say 3/4 of the way.  I find that I use more green than brown in my paint jobs so its up to you on how much you want to use.  If you read Brasspiles (Member of AR15.com) cammo guide it will show that bigger patterns are better for longer range hiding.  Loss of words there but you know what Im talking about.  If you go with a close pattern it will all blend together and look as one color from a distance.  



allow paint to sit for a few minutes to allow all bubbles to sit.  It will look carbonated because of being pressurized in the can.  Then take the paint in the water bottle and fill in airbrush gun.  Follow instructions on how to set up airbrush gun.  The gun has a nozzle that adjust in and out by turning the tip.  This will will allow you to spray a lot or a little at one time.  Test it out on paper on how big a line you want to come out of the gun.  I go a bit bigger on the green and small on brown.  Brown is an accent to the gun not a fill color like the green is.  You can also go more colors if you like but I choose 3 due because I did not want to have so much going on the gun.  Once you have the spray you want, apply paint in some big pattern.  (Note when using this style of air gun make sure that you blow off the first several seconds of the compressed air. You will see what I mean when doing this.)  Make sure no smoke looking stuff is coming out of the gun from the can.  Do not make sharp looking edges this will be points that one can pick up on the gun.  Keep the gun flowing and do not stop in one place when spraying.  This will cause build up and runs.  IF you get a run allow to dry and use the steel wool to remove the run and fill back in with the airbrush.  This also works with finger prints!  



Once you have the green applied allow dry time of 30 minutes or so and repeat process with the Brown.  I use the brown to separate the green from the tan.  This way it will blend in from far and not have some colors sticking out or clashing!  

This Pic is in bad lighting and paint is super wet!



Wow now the gun is cammo'd!  Looking sweet but still not done.  Now allow this to dry overnight.  Come back the next day and and lightly go over the gun with steel wool.  This will knock off any overspray.  I mean lightly!  This process can be done if the gun spits the paint out instead of spraying smoothly.  I hate to see little color dots of one paint in another.  IF you see this clean out the tip of gun with paint thinner or gas.  And allow dry and repeat steps above.  Sorry had to add that.  I just hate that happing!  

I will then take scope off and wipe down all parts of the gun.  Make sure there is nothing on the gun (fibers hair etc..)  Then take the Urethane and warm can up like above and apply several heavy coats to this.  Do not allow it to run.  The drying time for this is much longer than the paint.  Do not rush this!  You will see your colors step out a bit and make the paint look deeper.  There might be a shine on this when wet but allow it to dry.  I will place between 3 to 5 coats of Urethane on the paint.  Allow dry overnight!  I take the steel wool and rub all shine off of the gun.  Leaving a flat finished paint job.  I will then go over it will some car wax and lightly buff the main areas to seal all pours of the paint.  

Well as you can see you have a completed quality paint job for under $50.   Allow the paint to CURE!  This will be about 1 week in the conditions listed above.  Do not rush or over handle it.  You can chip the paint before the paint cures.  Once the paint cures it is pretty much on there.  It will take a beating and last forever.  You can clean it with all gun cleaning products and treat it like you would any other gun.  I hope this helped someone if they were thinking about painting something like this.  Thank you (Member) for allowing me to paint such a Beautiful weapon.  Everyone can buy parts to make their gun look cool but you can have something no one else has and that is a custom paint job.  Enjoy and take your time!  That first part is the hardest and that is only mental so go for it and please post picks of your completed work.  

Thanks

Vedubin01




This is in my back yard, about as tactical as I can get.  5 Feet away





Still in curing fase but as it cures the little shine will go away!

GREAT INFO!!!!!  (Yes, the caps are on for a reason)

amazing job.

Moderator please tack this post!

Well done job and good info!

Awsome!!! I'm too chicken to do mine.

sweet

Looks GREAT vedubin01!
(I should have let you do my Bushmaster - Doh!)

~ s0ulzer0

What colors would you use for a Desert cammo paint job? Also if you painted an A2 upper should you tape off the rear sight channel or just the peeps?
Thanks
Richard

Vedubin, that looks fantastic... I've always wanted to camo one of my ARs.  With that well written how-to, now there's no excuse for me not to do my preban Bushmaster in urban camo...

Damn you, damn you...

I removed the sites on my A2 that was painted and then put it back together when done.  The SPR I just painted.  Just paint that area dark.  

As to Desert cammo there is a list of paints from Krylon somewhere (Ill find it for you) and there is always Duracoat.  This was a project to keep the cost down and to be able to walk some one through the process of painting.  All the materials could be bought in your home town.  Duracoat offers many different colors and has packages for different themes.  Krylon paints work real well and is less than half the cost of Duracoat.  Its all about prep work.  If you take your time it will come out awsome and last forever!  

This is my A2 that I did when the site was down.  I broke the safty selector but that was my fault...



Ill get back with you on the paints

Since you're using a modelling airbrush, could you just use model paints?  Or are the Krylon and Duracoat paints especially formulated for use with solvents and cleaners?

You did a wonderful job on the paint and the "How to".  Thanks!

Karl

Im sure you could use model paints but the point of using the paints I did was to get a flat finish and its something that is formulated to handle the outdoors and the abuse of heat.

And the reason in using that airbrush over my high end airbrush was to keep the cost down and show that a $20 airbrush can do the job.

Awesome job......that has to be one of the nicest camo finishes (and write ups) I've ever seen.  Too bad I don't have the cajones to paint my SPR.   May try it on an AK though.  

man that is what sweet lookin rifke. great work man.

oops...i mean rifle

Man, that's SWEET!!  I'm too inept to try that...although I did do some great camo jobs on some model tanks about 15 years ago hehehe.  

Awesome work...I can imagine how nervous you were!  I think I would have practiced on a few Hesse guns before I tried that SPR.   Whoever gave you that to work on must REALLY trust you.  

Absolutly Awesome...I'm impressed.
Looks like you could start a little side business
How Much???
And who's SPR?

Sean

it was a local police officer that is a member here on this forum.  I have done several for money but did this one free just to do a write up for you all.  I will get an email a day asking how so I figured Id just do a write up and allow you all to do it.  I tried to do it finding all products at local stores, that way everyone that would want to attempt it could.  Ive learned so much here in the past year or so, it was time to give back!

Awesome post! Bookmarked.

Excellent job V!

That turned out great...awesome work and good walkthrough...

Can we get a sticky here?

Vedubin did such a good job with  the instructions and the rifle looks great, I'd imagine this would be of interest to many.

Really excellent dude-

Thanks.

NIce job, good HOW TO also.

Thanks guys and please post pics if you try this.  Love to see other work....

I used a similar method for this carbine.  I saw the camo Rustoleum at Home Depot about a month ago and decided to try it out.  Just spray cans, no airbrush...

Before:


After:


Total cost was less than $15

This realy needs to be tacked.

Thanks, looking good!

anyone else tried it yet?

I like my black guns but I have been planning on painting my Remington 870 turkey gun in a Mossy Oak-esque pattern for a while. I will probably send it off to be camo'ed by a professional though, I'd probably screw it up if I tried it myself. Great work on that SPR though, you should offer your services on the EE.

vedubin01,

I really like what you did here, and I am seriously considering doing one of my guns.  I have one concern. How well would this paint hold up against the high heat of the barrel?

I went and shot one full auto for a bit and it did not fade, crack, nor peel!  Just allow it to cure and its golden!  

Good luck!!

Holy crap that is beautiful,I wanted something like that but in a Artic camo.If you have any pics of one post them.

that spr is definately awesome, and looks great in its new cammo, how is she holding up for ya

Yes I think the paint job is awesome!!!!


Does it hold up to CLP and Hopps cleaner?

Cool

I've been itching to do an Artic or Urban camo on something . I just cant bring myself to do it to anything I own .......... YET !!!

I should amend that , I have tried it on some ammo cans , and after 2-3 I got the hang of laying down the pattern well enough to move up to a weapon . Just havent decided which one hock.gif

Although there is this used A2 bushy at a local shop that has the ugliest looking desert camo ( At Least Thats What I think They Were Trying To Do ) thats been sitting in the rack for 6 months . I kinda feel sorry for it . After seeing this thread  I think it wants needs to come home with me hug.gif

no pictures, bummer

Thanks to this thread, I went to Wallyworld bought some Krylon and did up my CAR15 clone with Woodland Camo.  It came out pretty good for my first try ever.  My wife was even impressed.

anyone else having problems with seeing the pics? hinking.gif

My pics are still up and running.  Please let me know if you are having problems with this!  Also there are several of you that are trying this out.  If you can please post pics of your work.  It will help others get the idea and give them the nerve to try some paint.  

Thanks for all the kind words and keep the paint jobs coming!!!

Quoted: Does it hold up to CLP and Hopps cleaner?

Yup all day any day!

                                            OUTSTANDING!

One of the best camo jobs I have encountered. This gives me great ideas...

EXCELLENT JOB !!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for the how to....

Excellent report, vedubin01.

Thanks for takng the time to write it and insert pics.

Jim

Thanks guys!  Still waiting to see more pics!

Here's mine, followed your directions, but with a different pattern, more MARPATy.

http://www.gandalf23.com/images/CamoPaintJob/9mmPaintJob5.jpg

Thanks vedubin01!


-Skuld

Now that is trick, great job!

I like the idea of using the brown to separate the green and tan...

PLEASE, if you have one in urban camo, post pics!

Also this thread needs a tack, a lot more people would camo their guns if they knew it was this easy. This thread deserves it.

man, i think you have motivated alot of people...including me!!!!
excellent job

I am a huge fan of camo designs, but I am having trouble coming up with a design for Urban camo...what 3 colors would you use for urban?
Any advice would be great, I'm dying to build my first AR just so I can camo it!!

Will these paints hold up on Cavarms polymer lowers? I don't see why they wouldn't if they held on other nonmetal parts like handguards and the like, but I just want to make sure.

edit: Tack this thread!

For Urban I'd use grey, white, and black.  

Laeur Customer Weaponry Urbanflage

Another Urbanflage pic

And yet another