Black bolts!#$^**

[Crazyone]

They seem to be popping up lately and although they are not a bad BBQ it still just doesn't do justice to the Russians.  Probably a new "cheap and dirty" way to make them look new as part of a  refurb process.  I started removing the paint from the bolt carrier on one to bring it back to a nice clean shiny White finish and believe me I tried every remover possible. Acetone/mineral spirits/lacquer thinner/stripper with methyl chloride/ and finally Citrustrip (the orange stuff). Some got a small amount of black slimy  goo in the process but NONE took all of it off. Soooooooooo out came the wire wheel and the jewelers rouge. It looks beautiful now and as it should but as of yet I haven't gotten hold of a guy locally that can  blast and reblue the rest of the surface.  When I do I will post pics of it, hopefully there is a nice or decent blue under the paint but I don't hold out much hope !!

[routeus1]

See what the powder coat people think?

[Loose}{Cannon]

I would think the citristrip would have melted it right of. 

[Worm]

If citrustrip didn't do the trick..

you must have applied it wrong.. Lol

[Crazyone]

I tried it per instructions and then let it soak for 24 hours--nada---got a lead on some stuff that is used on powder coat as this could be powder coat...had to special order a can of it that should be here tomorrow--worst case scenero I will go out to a place that powder coats here and see what they can do !!  Sure will be nice to turn those black bolt and BBQ SKS back to the way they should be and definitely will add value..

[routeus1]

Thanks' for the updates!

[Greasemonkey]

I've looked at the black coating on mine. I've wondering if it not a baked enamel finish. If so, it could be the instance where there is no solvent for the finish. Some finishes, once they polymerize, setup and/or are baked, they will not dissolve again, at least not easily. MEK, a shelf brand, is probably one of the strongest thats sold in retail. It's methyl ethyl ketone, an will easily melt plastics, sealers, finishes and a host of other materials. It will even attack many types of epoxy. I will also bet an autobody shop would have a remover for it.

Being powder coating was not around or at least not in wide spread use in the early/mid '50s, for powder coating removal, methylene chloride will typically remove it. But, finding it courtesy of OSHA and other state agency's may be a little difficult.

[Lmbass14]

methyl ethyl ketone,

Don't ever use methyl ethyl ketone as a charcoal starter.  Ask me why I know. 

[armedhippie]

methyl ethyl ketone,

Don't ever use methyl ethyl ketone as a charcoal starter.  Ask me why I know. 

                   " How I lost my eyebrows last summer"

                                                By
                                           Lmbass14


 

[Lmbass14]

methyl ethyl ketone,

Don't ever use methyl ethyl ketone as a charcoal starter.  Ask me why I know. 

                   " How I lost my eyebrows last summer"

                                                By
                                           Lmbass14


 

Pretty damn close Hippie. 

When stationed in Korea, my roommate and I was going to grill, and we lived on the 3rd floor.  So we set up the grill on the deck, and we didn't have any charcoal lighting fuel, but had the MEK.  When we lit it, the flame as so huge, that it scarred the deck above us.  Good thing it was concrete.

Food tasted awful too.  Tasted like MEK.  One of many stories........

Lesson learned.

[routeus1]

Two products come up, Permatex Gasket Remover, item # 80646

& Rust-o-leum - Aircraft Remover

 powder coat removal???

[Greasemonkey]

Permatex gasket removal, epic weak crap, smells cool, but that's the extent of it

Its not powder coat. See my above post.

And using MEK as lighter fluid   famous last words of a typical young male, "I think it will work, HEY you guys, watch this" 

[Lmbass14]

Permatex gasket removal, epic weak crap, smells cool, but that's the extent of it

Its not powder coat. See my above post.

And using MEK as lighter fluid   famous last words of a typical young male, "I think it will work, HEY you guys, watch this"

and "hold my beer while I light this puppy".

[routeus1]

 This morning stopped by, KEL - TEC CNC INDUSTRIES, INC. - the helpful tech said "gel bead blasting" would be the way to proceed in removal of the coating, no disturbance of the metal.
He observed the black coated Russian SKS bolt housing and bolt carrier. He did not recommend any chemical process to be used.

Firearms, Gun Parts & Gun Accessories | Kel-Tec

[Garand1957]

I have a '53 Tula refurb in a laminated stock that has the painted metal finish on all the metal.
About 10 years ago I decided to strip the black paint off the bolt and carrier because it was starting to show a few shiny spots where the black finish had worn off from use.
I just used a gel paint stripper from Home Depot and it came off no problem (can't remember the brand).
Had to use a brass brush to get the paint out of the nooks and crannies but it went quick and easy.
I went back over everything with some NevrDull for a little bit of polish.