A little DYI camo

[Guest Grizzly Johnson]

Been wanting to redo the camo on my predator/varmint AR for a while.... Finally decided two weeks ago to start the task.... used Krylon & Rust-Oleum camo paints and sea sponges cut into strips.

Stats:

CMMG lower with RRA 2-stage match trigger, winter trigger-guard, adjustable stock, and sims slip-on recoil pad.

Armalite 16" Flat-top upper with Burris PEPR 1" scope mount (with railed caps), threaded, SS match grade target barrel, 2/3-1/3 smooth/railed forearm.... railed gas-block, Yankee Hill bi-pod adapter, Harris 9"-13" bipod, and Kies Blast Master SS linear compensator.

Here is the setup I started with:

Here is during the paint stripping process:

Here is the stripped paint, factory finish, taped off ready for new paint:

Here is the base coat of Krylon khaki paint:

Here is the first layer of camo, Krylon black and Rust-Oleum brown primer:

Here is after the dead grass color tan and od green were added. Also, the tape from the grip and forearm was removed and painted over the black giving the whole gun a little contrast.

I painted the ss barrel, gas block, and compensator to match the upper/lower metal.... along with the bi-pod. The scope, bipod adapter, and scope base was painted in the same way the grip and forearm were.

Here is the finished product....

[~48_South~]

Wow that looks great wish I knew how to do that.

[Guest Grizzly Johnson]

Wow that looks great wish I knew how to do that.

Well the basic steps are.....

Get your camo paint colors of choice... Krylon and Rust-Oleum have some good ones nearly the same shades.... I have found some of the primers of both brands to work as well and have the flat finish. H.S. camo paint have different shades of colors, so if you can find it, grab some.

You will need a razor knife to cut strips or pieces of the sponge big enough to hold onto and dab in the paint then onto your item to be painted.

You can find sea sponges in the craft or paint sections of most department or hardware stores.... I happened to find the rollers for the Faux finish type painting interior walls and just cut strips off the plastic roller tube.....

Cut the sponge pieces in a 45 degree angle to get a nice flat surface to apply paint..... I mixed it up some and just used the outer texture most of the time.

You will need some scrap cardboard or paper plates to spray the paint onto so you can dip the sponge pieces into the and then dab onto the item.

I started with the darker colors first for the "shadows" and then the lightest colors..... The darker colors will stand out more, use them sparingly..... you can always add more on top if need be.

Just spray a baseball size spot of paint and dab the sponge in it..... get enough on the sponge to paint with.... but don't load it up like a roller..... you don't want alot of excess paint in the sponge to cause runs or smears...... just a nice covering..... this allows for quicker drying too.

I just do one color at a time and allow a few minutes of drying before going to the next color.... Just play with it as you like..... if you don't like it when done, strip it and try again.

This was my first attempt at the sponge painting process.

Tear gun down as necessary.

Prep is very important..... must remove all oils from the finish for the paint to stick.... wear disposable gloves.

After cleaning, mask of any areas that you don't intend on painting. Moving parts are your call to paint or not..... ie the buffer tube inside an adjustable stock.... or the magazine tube on a pump shotgun. The paint will likely scuff off anyway and could hamper motion of moving parts.

You can use a self-etching primer for best wear properties...... use as a base coat if it is a usable color for your pattern..... otherwise, lay down the primer coat and let dry before spraying down the base coat of your liking. TIP, don't over coat.... a couple of thin coats works best for proper curing of paint/primer. Runs suck on a new paint job.....

Edited July 23, 2012 by Grizzly Johnson