Paragraph
General   ..............................................................................................		35
Preparation of surfaces for painting   ......................................................		36
Painting metal surfaces   .......................................................................		37
Preservation of outside painted surfaces   ...............................................		38
Removal of paint   .................................................................................		39

35. GENERAL.

a. Ordnance materiel is painted before issue to the using arms, and one maintenance coat per year will ordinarily be ample for protection. With but few exceptions, this materiel will be painted with ENAMEL, synthetic, olive-drab, lusterless. The enamel may be applied over old coats of long oil enamel and oil paint previously issued by the Ordnance Department if the old coat is in satisfactory condition for repainting.

b. Paints and enamels are usually issued ready for use and are applied by brush or spray. They may be brushed on satisfactorily when used unthinned in the original package consistency, or when thinned no more than 5 percent by volume with THINNER, for synthetic enamels. The enamel will spray satisfactorily when thinned with 15 percent by volume of thinner. Linseed oil must not be used as a thinner since it will impart a luster not desired in this enamel. If sprayed, it dries hard enough for repainting within 1/2 hour and dries hard in 16 hours.

c. Complete information on painting is contained in TM 9-850.

d. All external metal surfaces of the launcher must be protected with paint except the contact springs and the flash deflector.

36. PREPARATION OF SURFACES FOR PAINTING.

a. If the base coat on the materiel is in poor condition, it is more desirable to strip the old paint from the surface than to use sanding and touch-up methods. After stripping, it will be necessary to apply a primer coat.

b. PRIMER, synthetic, rust-inhibiting, for bare metal, should be used on metal as a base coat.

c. The effectiveness of a painting job depends partly on the selection of a suitable paint, but largely upon the care used in preparing the surface prior to painting. All parts to be painted should be free of all extraneous matter such as rust, dirt, and grease, and must be dry.

37. PAINTING METAL SURFACES.

a. Metal parts in need of cleaning should be washed with a liquid solution consisting of 1/2 pound of SODA ASH in 8 quarts of warm water. If SODA ASH is not available, use warm soap solution, or warm water alone. Then rinse with clear water and wipe thoroughly dry. If the materiel is in fair condition and marred only in spots, these spots should be cleaned and then touched up with ENAMEL, synthetic, olive-drab, lusterless, and permitted to dry. The whole surface should then be sandpapered with PAPER, flint, class B, No. 1, and a finish coat of ENAMEL, synthetic, olive-drab, lusterless, applied and allowed to dry thoroughly before the materiel is used. If the equipment is in bad condition, all parts should be thoroughly sanded with PAPER, flint, class B, No. 2, given a coat of PRIMER, synthetic, refinishing, and permitted to dry for at least 16 hours. They should then be sandpapered with PAPER, flint, class B, No. 00, wiped free from dust and dirt, and given a final coat of ENAMEL, synthetic, olive-drab, lusterless, and allowed to dry thoroughly before the materiel is used.

38. PRESERVATION OF OUTSIDE PAINTED SURFACES.

a. Continued friction or rubbing must be avoided, as it will smooth the surface and produce a gloss. The materiel should not be washed more than once a week. Care should be taken to see that the washing is done entirely with a sponge or a wiping cloth. The surface should never be rubbed or wiped, except while wet, or a gloss will develop.

b. It is not desirable that materiel painted with lusterless enamel be kept as clean as that covered with glossy paint. A small amount of dust increases the camouflage value. Grease spots should be removed with SOLVENT, dry-cleaning. Whatever portion of the spot that cannot be so removed should be allowed to remain.

c. Continued friction of wax-treated tarpaulins on the materiel will also produce a gloss, which should be removed with SOLVENT, dry-cleaning.

d. Tests indicate that repainting with ENAMEL, synthetic, olive-drab, lusterless, is necessary once a year, and restenciling with ENAMEL, synthetic, stenciling, lusterless, blue-drab, twice a year.

39. REMOVAL OF PAINT.

a. After repeated paintings, the paint may crack and scale off in places, presenting an unsightly appearance. If such is the case, remove the old paint with REMOVER, paint and varnish, See TM 9-850 for details. It is important that every trace of paint remover be completely removed with SOLVENT, dry-cleaning, and that the equipment be perfectly dry before repainting is attempted. The surfaces thus prepared should be painted according to directions in paragraph 36.