Update: Taking paint off of m1 carbine

[Anton67]

This is an update to the other post "Would you buy this M1 Carbine."
I decided to start a new thread to show what I have done with it.
I used acetone and a rag and rubbed most of the yellow stuff off.
It seems to still have a yellow film.
Where do I go from here.
Do I try another chemical?
If so, what would you use?
Or do I give up and send it back?
I took photos indoors and outdoors.
The indoor photos seem to give you the best picture of what I have.

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[browningautorifle]

I'd say you just need to do it some more. Acetone will take it all off. Short of a glass bead and park...and it sure looks like that's where it's headed anyway.

[Anton67]

additional photos with rifle reassembled

[Anton67]

Well if it is headed for glass bead and park I should probably return it.
I guess it was a bust.
I was hoping the yellow crap would come off and the park underneath would be OK.
Acetone will not take any more off.
I think I would need oven cleaner.
I am afraid if I do that it will really mess it up.
I still think what I have done IS an improvement.
But it may be FUBR.

[browningautorifle]

Perhaps I'm alone here, but I'd still refinish the metal. There's some severe hacks and such that can be eliminated by judicious refinishing... It just depends on whether you intend to keep it.

[Anton67]

That would ruin convertibility.
I wanted it as a collector piece not a shooter.
Like I said, I figured if I could get the yellow off, it would be OK.
Unfortunately it looks like the yellow will not all come off.
Also if I go the step of oven cleaner or some other harsher chemical, I may ruin the rifle.

[tenOC]

No way would i consider refinishing it. That's twice as bad IMO. The wire wheel comment might be accurate if it was a brass wire wheel.

If it were mine, I might use a LITTLE Brass Black. Take a Bounty (a good quality) paper towel splash a little of the Brass Black on it then close the bottle for good. Then wipe one location one time with the wetted towel but IMMEDIATELY wipe it dry with a dry cloth. Don't go over an area repeatedly because too much of this technique will give a dull and dingy look. But a little/quick application will tone it down from looking like a denuded duckling.

Smoothly polished metal looks poorer with Brass Black treatment than rougher finishes.

[WarPig1976]

Try a carbon deposit remover for engines found at any auto parts store. Like Jim has said, it looks like dried out motor oil. Heat the metal first in the oven to 200 degrees. Other than that mechanical removal my be the only option.

[bob4wd]

That would ruin convertibility.
I wanted it as a collector piece not a shooter.
Like I said, I figured if I could get the yellow off, it would be OK.
Unfortunately it looks like the yellow will not all come off.
Also if I go the step of oven cleaner or some other harsher chemical, I may ruin the rifle.

I can't say positively just what it is, but it sure looks really old WD40, the west crap ever mis-used on good steel. If it is that, it is actually fossilized fish oil, and it does stain the metal. Acetone is good stuff, but does not work on everything. Try MEK or lacquer thinner, either or both will sometimes work when acetone won't, it seems that most solvents of these types are somewhat application-specific.

[gsp45]

Where do you go from here? You leave it alone OR you're going to HAVE to refinish it. It is what it is, you're not going to magically find any Parkerizing or finish on it. You keep fiddling with it, rubbing and scrubbing all you want, it aint going to look any better.