Refinishing AR15s with Norrells Moly Resin

[Stickman]

Drying and Curing

If you have been heating your parts as you spray, you should not have any wet or damp items. Nor should you have any sags or drips in your finish. About the only thing I've seen with Norrells is when I have let the paint get too low in the sprayer, and it sputters and throws a blob of paint instead of a nice spray.

I can't blame the finish for mistakes I've made. Thankfully, a few passes with the sprayer and it was looking fine again.

Heating your finished is done in three stages. First is making sure it is dry to the touch. Even though the finish dries as it is applied to a warm surface, I hit every area with the hair dryer again, just to make sure it dried all the way. Second, I let it sit for awhile. I try to wait overnight if possible. This just ensures that all the solvent is out. Then it is into the oven at 300 degrees for an hour. Lastly, I let everything cool down before I try grabbing anything out of the oven.

The temperature setting of 300 degrees is important. Norrells Moly Resin is not a paint, and it will not cure on its own. It may seem to dry, but it won't cure, and the curing is what gives it a hard and durable finish. My new oven is right on when I check it with an oven thermometer, but my old one was off by 30+ degrees. This is enough to ruin an otherwise good project! Take the temperature and make sure it is correct. A $5 oven thermometer is a cheap investment if you don't have one.

Once you have taken it out of the oven, and everything has cooled, there is a simple way to check and see if it has properly cured. In an area that isn't easily viewed, take cloth with lacquer thinner or acetone, and rub on the surface. Nothing should come off, even though Norrells say a minimum amount of color should be visible.