Rust removal

[NukeBOMB88]

Hey guys,

I'm not sure if this is the right section to post this in but I was wondering if you have any recommendations for rust removal on a couple of very old shotguns.

I have a Beretta silver pigeon and a Winchester 37a that have huge amounts of surface rust due to neglect for many years.

I have been able to keep the rust at bay using Lanolin and Wd-40 but I cannot get the majority of the rust to budge.

Can you guys recommend some ways to remove this rust?

Thanks,
Nuke

[Mr.x]

I'm after a similar solution, looking to clean up a marlin 783 barrel that's been left in a safe with out any oil on the barrel now it's got light hazing all over it and would like to know how to clean it up, sorry for the hijack mate

Cheers

[Noisydad]

Now this is something I know about. Having been a vintage farm machinery collector and restorer since I was 15, I've been dealing with rust for a fair while. 35 years in fact and here's the easy way...Electrolysis.

Dissolve 250grams or a couple of handfuls of Bicarb Soda into 20L of warm water in a plastic tub. Now grab your 4 amp battery charger - if it has a amp meter so much the better but its not necessary. Now find a piece of scrap mild steel bar or plate. Any thickness is ok.

Place the MS plate in one end of your tub of bicarb electrolyte and connect the positive charger terminal to it. Clean the plate for a good electrical connection. Now place your rusty part to be cleaned in the tub at the other end and connect the negative charger terminal to it. Make sure the two pieces of steel don't touch and switch on the charger.

Nearly straight away you'll see bubbles rising from the solution from both bits of steel. This is water being broken down to its constituent parts - Hydrogen and Oxygen. Hydrogen on the cathode (the part your cleaning) and Oxygen on the sacrificial anode (the MS plate) Its the bubbles of hydrogen forming on the metal surface that lifts the rust off.

You don't need much current. An amp is plenty and you can regulate the current by diluting the solution or moving the two bits of steel further apart. This method is very forgiving and exact amounts are of no consequence.

After a few hours take your cleaned out. It will be black with sulphates that used to be oxide. Wire brush the part under running water to reveal bare parent steel that needs to be dried out immediately and protected from the air as it will begin re-rusting soon in damp air.

Your barrel would need to be re-polished and re-blued. For parts that are going to be painted, dry them out with a gas torch and paint with a wash of 50/50 zinc phosphate primer and thinner and let them dry before a coat of straight primer. Cast iron and steel parts I've de-rusted and painted with this method 30 years ago have never rusted again.

The alkaline electrolysis solution neutralizes the acids in rust that's in the pores of the steel properly and electrically cleaning the steel which is something sand blasting cant do. It just takes off surface rust leaving the acids behind to start the whole rusting process all over again - under your paint! That's why it bubbles up through the paint.

[NukeBOMB88]

Gee Thanks for the great explanation Noisydad!

Where would I get the products that I need to do this process? E.g Blueing product , etc

Thanks again for the fantastic explanation !

[pracshooter]

Go to Bunnings and buy some 0000 steel wool. It is very fine wool and will not scratch glass. I had a batch of blued handgun mags given to me with surface rust all over them. A bit of turps on a pad of 0000 steel wool and some rubbing was all that was needed to restore the mags to a new shine. No good for deep pitting, but fine for removing surface rust without scratching the main surface.

Incidentally, 0000 steel wool is great for cleaning glass shower screens. Use with calcium and scale remover such as CLR and the glass comes up like new with no scratches. It is a detailing trick for cleaning glass windscreens on cars that works well on metal and other glass surfaces without scratching.

[Sakoh]

Where would I get the products that I need to do this process? E.g Blueing product , etc

Your local gun store will stocking bluing products.

Maybe Bunnings or a disposal store if you have one nearby?

Check your LGS first though for sure. They'll have something.

[Aster]

I'm not sure if this is the right section to post this in but I was wondering if you have any recommendations for rust removal on a couple of very old shotguns.

Moved to gunsmithing forum for you.

[Tiiger]

I have a Beretta silver pigeon and a Winchester 37a that have huge amounts of surface rust due to neglect for many years.

I have been able to keep the rust at bay using Lanolin and Wd-40 but I cannot get the majority of the rust to budge.

It's definitely limited to the surface? No tangible pitting that you can tell?

[salate]

A bit along the line of Noisy's advice there.

How to Fix Light Rust on a Gun.

[NukeBOMB88]

Where would I get the products that I need to do this process? E.g Blueing product , etc

Your local gun store will stocking bluing products.

Maybe Bunnings or a disposal store if you have one nearby?

Check your LGS first though for sure. They'll have something.

I've purchased a kit with these products:
Perma Blue , Liquid Gun Blue & Tru-Oil Gun Stock Finish

Go to Bunnings and buy some 0000 steel wool. It is very fine wool and will not scratch glass. I had a batch of blued handgun mags given to me with surface rust all over them. A bit of turps on a pad of 0000 steel wool and some rubbing was all that was needed to restore the mags to a new shine. No good for deep pitting, but fine for removing surface rust without scratching the main surface.

Incidentally, 0000 steel wool is great for cleaning glass shower screens. Use with calcium and scale remover such as CLR and the glass comes up like new with no scratches. It is a detailing trick for cleaning glass windscreens on cars that works well on metal and other glass surfaces without scratching.

I'll get some of that next time I'm in bunnings

I'm not sure if this is the right section to post this in but I was wondering if you have any recommendations for rust removal on a couple of very old shotguns.

Moved to gunsmithing forum for you.

Thanks Aster!

I have a Beretta silver pigeon and a Winchester 37a that have huge amounts of surface rust due to neglect for many years.

I have been able to keep the rust at bay using Lanolin and Wd-40 but I cannot get the majority of the rust to budge.

It's definitely limited to the surface? No tangible pitting that you can tell?

The rust seems to be just surface rust on the Silver Pigeon but the Winchester has some minor pitting on the outside and interior of the barrel.

[Tiiger]

Nothing you can do with the pitting obviously but maintain it to stop it getting any worse.

From the sounds of it you should be able to bring the Silver Pigeon back though with super fine steel wool and a rust remover. When you say "cannot get the majority of the rust to budge" how many applications have you given it? Is the remover you're using showing any progress at all?

Try just brushing on a good layer of remover and leaving the chemicals to do their work for a couple of hours. Wiping it off after you should see some liquified rust. If there is significant removed rust in the run-off you're making progress and it's just a matter reapplying.

If there is little to no removal, you need a different rust remover.

Let me know how you've gone.

[NukeBOMB88]

Hey Tiiger,

I've tried lanolin, Wd-40 and crc without being able to remove much rust at all.

It seems as though it coming off (I could see it on the rag that I used) but it just keeps coming and coming without any noticeable change on the surface of the gun.

I am waiting for a cleaning kit though so I'll see how that does.

[Tiiger]

As long as it's coming off (and it's definitely rust, not just your cleaners oxidizing or reacting and changing colour) then that's some progress.

Might just need something with some more gusto like your new cleaning kit.

Fingers crossed.