RussianPaint® Instructions

Quick Application Guide & Full Application Guide

We recommend reading the Full Application Guide before using RussianPaint®. If you're not going to read the full instructions, at minimum, read the Quick Application Guide before you start. The full instructions are below the Quick Application Guide.

RussianPaint™ Quick Application Guide

For Professionals & People Who Don't Read Instructions - Full instructions below

If you already know how to prep and spray solvent-based coatings, this is what you need to know.

REQUIRED

• HVLP: .8mm needle recommended, with pressure regulator

• Filter: 190–250 micron

• Blast media: Aluminum oxide ONLY

• Grit: 80–180; 120–180 recommended

• Reducer: Lacquer thinner ONLY

• Acetone or brake cleaner

• Clean compressed air

• Respirator / appropriate PPE

1. PREP

The metal MUST be aluminum-oxide blasted.

Do not paint over smooth, non-blasted metal.

NO glass bead. NO walnut shell. NO substitute media.

Hit every edge, corner and high spot. If you miss an area, the paint can peel there.

Degrease completely before blasting. Oil hiding around rivets, pins, rails and journals will cause problems later.

After blasting, blow everything clean with compressed air and use a light acetone rinse to remove the remaining dusty haze.

2. MIX & FILTER

Start at:

50% RussianPaint™ / 50% lacquer thinner

Mix thoroughly and filter through 190–250 micron before putting it in the gun.

Want it smoother? Add more lacquer thinner.

60% thinner / 40% paint works well for smoother semi-gloss application.

Experienced painters can go as far as approximately 70% thinner / 30% paint for a very smooth finish, but expect additional coats.

If it cobwebs, it's too thick. Add another 10–20% lacquer thinner, mix and spray again.

3. SPRAY

.8mm HVLP
20–30 PSI starting point
Minimal fan
Wet-over-wet

Inside receiver → receiver → barrel/front end.

Don't hose it on, but don't spray excessively dry coats either.

Avoid spraying above approximately 75% RH. High humidity can cause blushing/haze.

4. CONTROL YOUR FINISH

Flat: Faster/drier application. Heat can flatten the finish further.

Semi-Gloss: Slightly wetter coats, additional thinner and natural drying before heat.

Gloss: 180-grit aluminum oxide, lower pressure, more thinner, wetter passes and excellent filtration.

5. DRY

Let it hang 1–2 hours before applying heat.

Then either:

Air dry: approximately 24 hours
Oven: 150–200°F for approximately 1 hour
Heat gun: after the coating has adequately flashed

For maximum gloss, let it dry 24–48 hours before applying heat.

THAT'S IT

DEGREASE → ALUMINUM-OXIDE BLAST → CLEAN → MIX → FILTER → SPRAY → FLASH → CURE

Three things cause most problems: bad degreasing, improper blasting and paint that wasn't thinned/filtered correctly.

RussianPaint™ Complete Application Instructions

MINIMUM TOOLS — READ THIS FIRST

You do not need a complicated setup, but these items are required:

• HVLP spray gun — .8mm needle recommended, with pressure regulator

• Paint filters/strainers — 190–250 micron

• Sandblaster

• Aluminum oxide blasting media — 80–180 grit; I recommend staying toward the finer end at 120–180 grit

• Lacquer thinner

• Acetone or brake cleaner

• Compressed air

• Painter's tape / masking supplies

• Respirator and appropriate PPE

COMMONLY MISSED — READ BEFORE YOU START

These are the most common causes of problems with RussianPaint™. Read this even if you've painted firearms before.

• ALUMINUM-OXIDE BLASTING IS REQUIRED. RussianPaint™ will not properly adhere to smooth or scuffed metal. Scotch-Brite, sandpaper, glass bead, walnut, ceramic and other media DO NOT work. I get emails almost every year about peeling paint, only to find out the metal wasn't aluminum-oxide blasted.

• Use 80–180 grit aluminum oxide; 120–180 is recommended. Make sure you hit every edge, high spot and hard-to-reach area. If an area isn't properly blasted, the paint can peel there.

• SHAKE & MIX THOROUGHLY. Pigment and solids settle during storage. If the bottle has been sitting, a quick shake may not be enough.

• COBWEBBING = TOO THICK. If you see spiderweb-like strands while spraying, add 10–20% more lacquer thinner, mix thoroughly, clear the nozzle and try again. The paint isn't defective; it simply needs more thinner to atomize properly.

• HUMIDITY MATTERS. Avoid spraying above approximately 75% RH. Blushing, haze or water spots are often caused by excessive humidity.

• FILTER THE PAINT. Always strain through a 190–250 micron filter before spraying, especially after thinning or rehydrating older paint.

• WATCH STORED BOTTLES. Solvents slowly escape during storage, leaving the solids behind. Mark the paint level and periodically add lacquer thinner if the level drops. Properly maintained paint can last for years; neglected paint can eventually become a solid mass.

• STORE AT 60–78°F in a climate-controlled area.

1. Degreasing

The firearm must be completely free of oil and grease before blasting and painting.

If lubricants were used during assembly, water-soluble lubricant products are much easier to remove. Oil trapped around rivets, pins, rails and journals can seep out later and ruin the finish.

I would rather replace end mills and drill bits more often from cutting dry than contaminate a build with petroleum-based cutting oil. A properly polished barrel journal does not require petroleum-based oil. The factory didn't use it, and you shouldn't either.

Lightly Oiled Firearms

For lightly oiled firearms, hot water and dish soap may be sufficient.

If the firearm has been used for years, skip directly to the heavily oiled procedure. If you built the rifle yourself, you'll generally know how much oil or lubricant was used during assembly.

Heavily Oiled Firearms

For heavily oiled firearms, boil the firearm or use a large heated ultrasonic cleaner with an appropriate aircraft-grade Simple Green solution. After cleaning, continue with a thorough hot-water rinse to remove any remaining cleaner residue. Appropriate solvents may also be used during the degreasing process.

For the boiling method:

1. Boil in water for approximately 20–30 minutes until oil rises to the surface.

2. Pour or overflow the surface oil away before removing the firearm. Do not pull the firearm back through the floating oil.

3. Blow dry thoroughly with compressed air.

4. Heat to approximately 300°F and inspect pins, journals, rails, rivets and other areas where oil can hide.

5. If oil appears, clean the affected areas with acetone or brake cleaner and scrub as necessary.

6. Reheat and inspect again.

7. Repeat until no oil seeps from the firearm.

Persistent contamination may require another boil/degreasing cycle or the addition of TSP to the cleaning water.

2. Surface Preparation

ALUMINUM OXIDE BLASTING IS REQUIRED

Plug or mask the chamber, gas block, muzzle/crown, threads and any other areas that should not be blasted or painted.

Blast the metal uniformly with 80–180 grit aluminum oxide. I generally recommend 120–180 grit.

Pay particular attention to edges, corners, high spots and recessed areas. Missing these areas can result in poor adhesion and peeling.

Do not substitute glass bead, walnut shell or other blasting media.

After blasting:

1. Blow the firearm thoroughly with clean compressed air to remove loose abrasive.

2. Using a clean spray gun, apply a light acetone rinse to remove the remaining dusty haze.

3. Allow the acetone to evaporate completely.

4. Remask as necessary before painting.

Do not handle the prepared surfaces with bare hands.

3. Mixing & Filtering

Start by mixing RussianPaint™ approximately:

1 part paint : 1 part lacquer thinner

As you become more experienced with the paint, you can add additional lacquer thinner to produce a smoother finish.

A mixture around 30% paint / 70% lacquer thinner can lay down extremely smooth, but this is better suited to experienced users because the heavily thinned paint requires greater control and additional coats.

Use lacquer thinner only. Do not substitute another solvent.

Mix thoroughly.

Before putting paint into your HVLP gun, strain it through a 190–250 micron paint filter.

If cobwebbing occurs during spraying, stop and add additional lacquer thinner until the paint atomizes correctly.

4. Painting

Do not paint above approximately 75% relative humidity. Excessive humidity can cause blushing, haze or water spotting.

Recommended starting setup:

HVLP: .8mm needle
Pressure: approximately 20–30 PSI
Fan: Minimal
Material flow: Adjust for a fine, controlled mist without dripping

Apply the coating wet-over-wet.

A good order is:

Inside receiver → receiver → barrel/front end

Build the finish gradually rather than trying to achieve full coverage in one heavy pass.

At the same time, don't apply excessively dry, flat coats, or you can end up with a dry, lusterless finish. The goal is controlled wet-over-wet coverage.

5. Controlling the Finish

RussianPaint™ can produce anything from a very dry military flat appearance to a considerably glossier finish depending on surface preparation, thinning, spray pressure, application technique and drying method.

Flat

Use quicker, drier coats.

The firearm can be preheated to approximately 200°F for an especially dry finish. A heat gun can also be used between stages after the solvents have adequately flashed.

Semi-Gloss

Use slower, slightly wetter passes.

As you become accustomed to the paint, add a little more lacquer thinner. Approximately 60% thinner / 40% paint works well as a starting point for a smoother semi-gloss application.

Allow the firearm to dry naturally after spraying. For this type of finish, do not immediately place it into a hot oven or apply heat. Allow approximately two hours before applying heat.

Gloss

For the smoothest/glossiest appearance:

• Use approximately 180-grit aluminum oxide preparation.

• Reduce pressure as appropriate for your gun.

• Apply wetter coats.

• Filter the paint especially well.

• Additional thinning can help the paint flow and level more smoothly.

• More coats may be required when the paint is heavily thinned.

If you get a small run, don't immediately try to fix it. Let the solvent flash and evaluate it afterward.

6. Drying

After painting, allow the firearm to hang for approximately 1–2 hours before applying heat. In cooler climates or conditions, additional flash/drying time may be necessary.

Drying options include:

Factory-style: approximately 24-hour air dry
Oven: approximately 150–200°F for 1 hour
Heat gun: Works well after the paint has adequately flashed

I usually allow the firearm to hang dry and then use a heat gun over the receiver assembly, gas block and other areas where parts will rub during assembly before putting everything together.

Do not immediately heat freshly applied wet paint. Allow the solvent to flash first or the heat can alter or flatten the finish.

For maximum gloss, allow approximately 24–48 hours of drying before baking.

After approximately 48 hours, additional heat is generally unnecessary.

Preval Aerosol Sprayer

For a Preval aerosol sprayer, thin RussianPaint™ to approximately 60–70% lacquer thinner.

Filter the mixture thoroughly before filling the Preval. The small aerosol system is particularly sensitive to particles and clogging.

Apply using the same basic principles as HVLP spraying. Because of the atomization characteristics of the Preval system, the resulting finish will generally be flatter than an HVLP-applied finish.

For a more semi-gloss appearance, apply the final coat as a light finishing coat from a slightly greater distance.

REMEMBER

BLAST WITH ALUMINUM OXIDE → DEGREASE/CLEAN → MIX → FILTER → SPRAY → FLASH → CURE

If the metal isn't properly aluminum-oxide blasted, don't paint it.