Removing China White Marker?

[flundertaker]

Whats the best way to remove what I assume to be white colored china marker from the barrel and frame roll marks on a blued S&W without damaging the finish? Ut could be some other sort of colored filler, I dont know. It was on the gun when I purchased it. I tried a soft toothbrush with a little CLP and its didnt do anything. Before I break out anything more aggressive I want to be sure I dont use anything that will damage the beautiful bluing on this revolver. Thanks

 

[Protocall_Design]

China marker is grease pencil. There is a good possibility it's paint. Acetone will safely remove either one.

 

[flundertaker]

China marker is grease pencil. There is a good possibility it's paint. Acetone will safely remove either one.

That did it. Thank you.

 

[chief38]

Yep - Acetone works fine however you need to be cognizant that acetone does strip finishes off grips, eats many plastics, and does not play nice with many items around you home and shop. Just use it sparingly and carefully. Personally I'd also remove grips before opening up the can.

Acetone can be a great cleaning product but can also ruin many items. While I do use it - I usually use it as a last resort product. I find that Zippo or Ronson lighter fluid also works well for most things and is way less detrimental to other surfaces. The lighter fluid does not always work (that's when the acetone comes out), but it does 90% of the time with lower risk. I always have a few cans around the shop. Works great in old lighters too - lol.

 

[shil]

Useful info, guys! Thanks for posting!

 

[DWalt]

Acetone and its chemical near-twin, MEK, are highly effective solvents and I have never been without one or the other. However they’re aggressive to some wood finishes and plastics. More important, both are highly flammable (acetone more so than MEK), so it is safer to always use them outside and away from any open flames or other ignition sources.

 

[gwpercle]

Try some Ed's Red Bore / Gun Cleaner and scrub gently with a toothbrush .
It will not hurt the blueing ... only 25% is acetone , so not as harsh as 100% acetone .
If you don't have the recipe just do a search ...

Ed's Red Bore Cleaner - the original recipe - by C. E. "Ed" Harris

Recipes will pop up ... print one out and a tip...
Use conventional ATF in the mix , Not Synthetic ATF ... it will not mix with the other three ingredient's .

A great cleaner for anything metal including Bore's !

Gary

 

[cgt4570]

The few times I've wanted to 'highlight' the roll marks for sales pics or whatever, I've used chalk dust. It wipes out with oil and a toothbrush.

 

[Protocall_Design]

Lighter fluid is Naphtha. I keep a bottle on the workbench, too.

Ed's Red is also one of the best penetrating fluids known to man. It's great on rusty nuts and bolts. Lots of those on a car.

 

[97ViperGTS]

Acetone/fingernail polish remover works great on removing the yellow stenciling on GI ammo cans too!

 

[CalifEd]

If you are going to use acetone or MEK, use gloves and in a well ventilated area.
Not only will it remove the oil from your fingers it can, under some conditions, transfer stuff on your hand into your body.

 

[flundertaker]

It was just in the roll marks. I sneaked away the bottle of nail polish removed from the wife's vanity and used a Q tip to dip into the bottle. I think I used both ends of 3 Q tips and it removed all the white coloring. I stayed far away from the stocks and with the Q tips its very easy to be precise versus a cotton ball or a rag. Nail polish remover was then deftly returned and shes none the wiser! Mission Accomplished!

 

[DWalt]

Lighter fluid is Naphtha. I keep a bottle on the workbench, too.

Naphtha is just a generic term for a family of long-chain aliphatic hydrocarbons. Mineral spirits or paint thinner you can buy by the gallon at Lowe’s, Home Depot, or WalMart is essentially the same stuff. Also very handy to have around the house for general degreasing and cleaning. It is not as aggressive as Acetone or MEK, but it is not nearly as flammable either.