Removing cover up paint from ammo crates

[alburms311]

This seemed to be the best place to ask this. I came across a good deal on some grenade boxes and wanted to know what would be the best way to remove the cover paint from a few I plan to keep for my personal collection, if there is a way. If this is not the appropriate section,mods please move.

 

[maddawg308]

Pressure wash would do it, but might take off the lettering underneath too. Same for sanding. Same for paint stripper. Any way you do it, I think those markings are lost.

 

[alburms311]

Yeah man that what I thought. Booooo. Never hurts to ask the elders though. I tried the sanding already and it was taking it off with the letters. Ill try to get creative a few times but I figure Ill just leave them as they are after I fail a few times.

 

[maddawg308]

If you want them to look new and original, depends on how much work you want to do. But if you want to go all out, here's what would restore it.

Pressure wash the entire crate. It will remove all markings, and make the wood look "new". Let dry. Then lightly sand the entire crate to fix any "wood hair" the pressure washing made, especially on the edges of the wood. Then re-stencil the original markings with black paint.

 

[alburms311]

I will probably try that with a few eventually just for kicks and a rainy day(it will add some more for me to keep) but I'm not that in love with them . All I can make out is "HAND GRENADE" and "GRENADE" on the top. The sides are illegible, the bottom of most of them still has the manufacturer of the box stamp.